ASPIDIUM, § EUASPIDUTM. 43 



ceous, fronds 6-12 inches long firm membranaceo-coriaccous 

 (dark brown when dry) ovate or oblong much acuminated at 

 the apex suddenly or generally long Recurrent at the base 

 quite entire, costa prominent beneath, primary veins hori- 

 zontally patent subfalcate united by tranverse arched ones, 

 the areoies of which enclose netted veinlets, the ultimate 

 ones free; sori forming transverse arched lines in double 

 rows between secondary (transverse) veins about six in each 

 row, involucres orbicular peltate. — Wall. Cat. n. 374. Hook, 

 et Grev. Ic. Fil. t. 26. Kze. in Schk. Fil. Siippl. p. 15. /. 9. 

 /.I. Bleilen. Aspid. p. 127. 3Ioore, Ind. Fil. p. 104. Podo- 

 peltis, Fee, Gen. Fil. p. 286. t. 23 A. Polypodium Phylli- 

 tidis, Roxb. in Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist. iv. p. 483 {Mr. Moore 

 refers ivith a ? to this species, Aspid. lobulatum, BI. En. Fil. 

 p. 143, of which the author says, " affine Asp. Singaporiano"). 



Hal). Malay islands: Singapore, JJ'allich, Seemann; Penang, Sir TV. No7ris 

 (one frond 18 inches long), llance ; Malacca, Cuming, n. 403. — An extremely 

 distinct and very handsome species. 



54. A. (Euaspidium) plantagineimi, Griseb. ; caudex creep- 

 ing woody, stipites approximate stout 3-12 inches long (and 

 as well as the costa beneath) paleaceous with dark Ijrown 

 patent deciduous lanceolate scales, fronds I>lackish-green firm- 

 membranaceous a span to a foot long oval or broad-lanceolate 

 or broad-oblanceolate entire or subsinuate obtuse generally 

 emarginate and proliferous at the apex, the base more or less 

 decurrent often very much so, thus forming a winged stipes, 

 primary veins of the costa straight rather stout, secondary 

 ones tranverse and arcuate forming curved areoies which are 

 filled up with anastomosing veinlets, ultimate ones free, sori 

 forming two rather irregular series between each pair of primary 

 veins with or without a peltate involucre. — Griseb. PL Carib. 

 p. 138. Metten. Aspid. p. 126. Eaton, Fil. Wriyltt. et Fendl. 



same species, and even on one and the same specimen. The author of the 

 genus Sagcnla figures and describes it with the involucre " orliicular and pel- 

 tate." Others endeavour to restrict Sagenia to those species with cordate invo- 

 lucres, and Moore says this affords the best mark of distinction ; whereas Presl's 

 chief distinguishing character depends on the free veinlets in the areoies of As- 

 pidium ; all united in Sagenia, whence the name, from ffayrivtj, a net. Mr. J. 

 Smith has, I think, pursued ilie wisest course, in his ' Catalogue of Cultivated 

 Ferns,' by uniting the two, and embracing under " Aspidium," species with the 

 varied venation and the two forms of involucre. Of two diHiculties (and indeed 

 in this case of twenty difficulties), we must endeavour to choose the least. — The 

 species are not more easy of definition than these groups or suljgcncra, and the 

 size of our plates does not allow of figures that would (lo justice to subjects so 

 large as many of them are. 



