2G0 ASPLEXIUM, § EUDIPLAZIUM. 



linear frequently diplazioid verj- conspicuous in the smaller 

 and scarcely pinnatifid jnnnules forming two oblique lines or 

 series on eacli side the costulcs, in the segments of thedeejily 

 ]Mnnatifid pinnules two com])act series of lines extending 

 from the costule nearly to the margin, involucres coriaceous 

 narrow glossy purple-black quite ebeneous seen under a mi- 

 croscope minutely punctated, rachises all smooth pale-brown. 



Ilab. Lord Howe Island, S. Pacific, ravine of Mount Liglierd, M'Gillivra;/, 

 n. 702, and Milue, n. 36. — Unwilling as I am to add needlessly to the amount of 

 supi)0sed species of Uiplazioid Anplenia, of the decomiiound group, the peculiar 

 nature here of the involucre alone seems to afford an excellent character, which, 

 instead of being of a thin, membranaceous, tender character, easily rupturing and 

 easily separating from the frond, is firm, almost coriaceous, glossy, permanent, 

 and exhibiting that peculiarly purple-black ebeneous character so common to the 

 stipites and rachises of species of Adiantum. Something of that nature of invo- 

 lucre is seen in our Asjjl. pulico.ium, n. 290, from Ecuador, but here they are 

 unusually elongated, and look like black-written characters on the under side of 

 the frond. In otiier respects our i)resent ])lant might pass for some of the com- 

 mon forms of A. dubium among Eiidiplazia of the New World, and among A. 

 arl/orescens and poli/podioides of the Old. 



286. A. (Eudiplazium) vesfitum, Pr. ; caudex ?, stipes stout 

 tawny-brown and as well as the whole length of the rachises 

 copiously paleaceous with small crisped scales, the very base 

 with large (^ of an inch long) dark-brown ovato -lanceolate 

 acuminated ones, fronds 2-3 feet long ovato-lanceolate shortly 

 acuminate meml^ranaceous dark green bipinnate, pinnee pe- 

 tiolate remote 10 inches long pinnatifid at the apices, pin- 

 nules 10-12 distant long-pctiolate horizontally patent 2^-3 

 inciies long 1 inch broad oblong obtusely or suddenly acute 

 pinnatifid about halfway down to the costa qr.ite truncated at 

 the base lobes shortly obtuse or somewhat retuse entire gra- 

 dually smaller and forming teeth ar serratures at the apex 

 and on the superior pinna3 as well as on the inferior oblong 

 obtuse lobes of the pinnatifid extremity, veins piimated in 

 the lobes, veinlets simple below forked towards the apex, 

 sori confined to the lower ones linear frequently diplazioid, 

 involucres slender brown. — Diplazium, Pr. Ejnmel. Bot. p. 

 87. Asplenium, Hook. 2nd Cent, of Ferns, t. 46. Diplazium 

 extensum, /. Sm. in Hook. Bot. Journ. iii. p. 407 according 

 to the number 336, Cuming, from Samar, name only). 



Hab. Samar, Philippine Islands, Cuming, n. 336. — This appears to me to be a 

 very distinct diplazioid Asplenium, and is one of six separate numbers of A'r. 

 Cuming, which Mr. J. Smith has included under his Dipt, extensum. 



287- A. (Eudiplazium) virescens,Me.\t.; " frond obliquely 

 subtriangular acuminate membranaceous glabrous pale green 



