ASPIDIUM, § POLYSTICHUM. 33 



pinna; confluent, veins sunk and dichotomously fascicled, 

 veinlets close, sori in two rows nearer the costule than the 

 margin, involucres large orbicular peltate with a more or less 

 distinct sinus. — Sw. Syn. Fil. p. 57- Willd. Sp. PL v. p. 2G8. 

 Sc/ik. Fil. p. 50. t. 50. Metten. Fil. Hort. Lips. p. 89. Aspid. 

 p. 52. Polystichum, Schott. Pr. Brack. Polypodium, Sw. 

 Fil. Lid. Occ.p. 1688. Tectaria, Lk. Hort. BeroL n.p.\70. Hy- 

 popeltis, Bory in Bclang. Voy. Bot. p. 70. Aspidium Capense, 

 IViltd. Sp. PL V. p. 267 {noi S?v.). A. discolor, Latins, et Fisch. 

 p. IG. /. 28. A. orientale, Desv. Polypod. Berteroanum, Spr. 

 {not Aspid. Berteroanum, Coll.). P. adiantiforme, Forst. 

 Prodr. p. 82. Tectaria Calahuala,* Cav. Pnelect. 1801, w.Gl. 

 Rumohrea aspidioides, Raddi, Fil. Brasil. p. 28. /. 43. 



Hal). Pacific Islands, Forsler. New Zealand, Banks and Solander, Menziex, 

 A. Cunningham, Hook, fil., etc. Tasmania, Brown, A. Cunningham, It. Gunn, 

 Hook, fil., etc. S. Africa : Cape, frequent, and eastward to Uifenliage and Natal 

 (our largcst-growingr living plants are from S. Africa). Tristan d'Acunlia, Carmi- 

 chael. Mauritius, JVaUich and others ; "Bourbon," Madagascar. S. America : 

 Sierra de Tondil, Argentine Republic, Tweedie. S. Brazil, Fox, n. 241 ; Sallow ; 

 Minas Geraes, Gardner, n. 5321. \V. Indies: Jamaica, Swartz, Purdie ; Cuba, 

 C. Wright, n. 999. British Guiana, Schomhurgk, n. 1151. Cayenne, Appin. 

 Chili, frequent, especially in the south ; Valdivia, Lechler, Bridges, n. 811 ; Pata- 

 gonia, Port St. Elena, Cajjf. Ph. King ; Port Desire, 49° south, Darwin. — This 

 plant varies extremely in size, with stipites from 6 inches to 3 feet long, and with 

 fronils the same ; the pinnules and pinna; are more or less narrow, but the species 

 is a very peculiar one, scarcely likely to be confounded with any other, singularly 

 thick and fleshy in texture, when dry quite leathery, as its name implies. Its 

 nearest afhnity is with Aspid. Berteroanum, from which however it is abundantly 

 different. 



39. A. (Polystichum) Berteroanum, CoUa; caudex stout 

 long creeping densely clothed witli long linear subulate almost 

 black glossy scales, brown at the margin, stipites G inches to 

 1 foot long stout paleaceous with deciduous ferruginous 

 membranaceous crisped scales mixed with some blacker and 

 longer ones, fronds 6 inches to 1 and 2 feet long firm-coria- 

 ceous when dry dark-l)rown above paler and brown beneath 

 and copiously paleaceo-squamulose (as are the rachiscs) broad 

 triangular-ovate moderately acuminate bi- below often tri- 

 pinnate, primary and secondary pinnsc long-petioled, jiinnules 

 sessile obliquely ovato-oblong obtuse decurrent at tiie base 

 entire or crenato-lobate suljauriculate, lobes partially and 

 obtusely serrated, costules and veins prominent beneath, 

 sori copious in two series on the pinnules and larger lobes 

 between the costaandthe margin, involucres orbicular peltate 



* Ex hoc vcnit " Radix Calahuala" officinalis, IVilld. 

 VOL. IV. F 



