;LTASPiDnjM. 53 



Tropical America : Viuvdma, Feudlor, 7i. 406 {quite corresponding ivith the Tahiti 

 specimens); coast of Ecuador, Lieut. Jf'ood ; and Bay of Utria, Seemann. — 

 Whether or not all the specimens I have brought together here, from widely dif- 

 ferent countries, really constitute one and the same species, I must leave others 

 to determine. The doing so has been at no small sacrifice of time and trouble. 

 It is not myself alone, but Mr. Rentham, and Mr. Eaton, in the United States, all 

 working independently of each other, have referred some states of this to Aspid. 

 (Euaspidium) trifoliatum, usually considered a production of the New World 

 only. It hiis sagenioid involucres and a creeping caudex. In general outline and 

 external structure it entirely accords with Dr. Wallich's Aspid. variolosntn, but 

 the position of the sori is wholly at variance, here always compital, on the back 

 of the anastomosing venation; in A. variolosum the sori are usually terminal on 

 free veinlets, each one within its own proper areole : a difference too striking to 

 allow us to unite the two, and, indeed, more than sufficient in the opinion of many 

 modern pteridologists to constitute generic distinctions. Still nearer does this 

 Fern approach to the following species. A. melanocaulon, in the sori and their 

 compital attachment, and i)erhaps the chief distinction will be found in the colour 

 of the stipites andrachises, there intensely ebeneous-black and glossy, here a dull 

 brown, and the colour of the frond, too, is there of a much brighter green when 

 dry. Still on the latter circumstance no great stress can be laid, and under 

 A. melanocaulon I have admitted some specimens with brown stipites, yet it does 

 not appear to be the normal colour. 



66. A. (Euaspidium) melanocaulon, Bl. ; caudex creeping ?, 

 stipites a span to a foot and a half long scaly at the base and 

 as well as the main and secondary and the base of the tertiary 

 rachises especially beneath intensely ebeneous-black polished, 

 fronds 1-2 feet long cordato-ovate coriaceo-membranaceous 

 generally dark green (when dry) 3-nate or 5-nate or pin- 

 nated with .3-5 remote pairs and a large terminal one which 

 is rhomboidal long-petioled deeply pinnatifid, the segments 

 above confluent into a serrated acuminated apex, lateral 

 pinnaR 5-6-8 inches long oblong acuminate variously pinna- 

 tifid, lowest pair of pinnee large petiolate obliquely deltoid 

 acuminated pinnatifid, inferior basal segments much the 

 longest and often again lobato-pinnatifid, veinlets everywhere 

 anastomosing, the areoles including free veinlets simple or 

 forked, sori copious small always compital, involucres sub- 

 cordate. — Bl. En. Fil. Jav. p. 181. Sagenia, Moo?*e. Aspi- 

 dium latifolium, J. Sm. in Hook. Journ. Bot. iii. p. 410 {not 

 Presl). Polypodium, Forst. Prodr. p. 83.* Siv. Syn. Fil. 

 p. 29 and2M. Schk. Fil. p. 19. t. 24. Willd. Aspid. Kze. 

 Bot. Zeit. iv. p. 462. Metten. Aspid. p. 125 {excl. syn. Dry- 

 naria latifolia. Brack.). Aspid. cordifolium and microsorum, 

 Pr. Cardiochltena subbipinnatifida. Fee, Gen. Fil. p. 341. 



* A specimen in my possession from Forster's berbariimi, has the stipes and 

 rachises glossy indeed, as described by Forster; but pale Ijrown and exactly cor- 

 responding with my large and compound form of Asp. sublriphyllum. 



