57 



itig to garden specimens Mettenius says ; the native plant of 

 A. fissum being Aspid. Menyanthidis). A. rcpandum, J. Sm. 

 Cat. Cult. Ferns, p. 52 {iiotofJ. Sm. Hook. Journ. Bot. m. p. 

 ISS, tvhich is Asp. Menyanthidis). Sagenia platyphylla, J. 

 Sm. in Hook. Journ. Bot. p. 410. 



Hah. Java, ZoHinrfer, n. bSO Z (Kze.). Philippine Islands, Ctiminr/, n. 221, 

 Mindanao, n. 290, Zebu, n. 339 and 340 (according to Mr. J. Smitii). New 

 Guinea, Ilindos. Amboyna (Delesserl in Herb. Nostr.). Fcejec Islands, Ovalau, 

 fertile pinnai broad, not evidently contracted, Naviti Levu, and Solomon's group, 

 Milne. Moluccas, De Vriese and Teijsmann, n. 76 and 208. — My specimens 

 from Cuming, as numbered from his catalogue, present very different appearances, 

 but without figures I could hardly hope to render any notes u])on them intelligi- 

 ble. In most, but not in all, the fertile fronds put on a very different appearance 

 from the sterile ones; my n. 224 however is the most singular, 2-3 feet long, 

 having the basal pinnre on the lower side deeply laciniato-pinnatifid with lan- 

 ceolate segments G and 7 inches long. 



Mettenius' figures admirably represent what may be considered the normal 

 form of this species, especially in tlie venation and position of the sori. On this 

 subject this author says : " Secondary " (primary with us) "veins costajform ; ter- 

 tiary consjjicuous, constituting the primary areolcs : the rest forming secondary, 

 irregular, appendiculated areoles. Sori in two series between the secondary costae, 

 always terminal on the clavate apex of the anterior l)ranch of the tertiary veins, 

 the posterior branch more or less forked, free, or forming primary and also srcondary 

 areoles between the secondary costal, regularly biseriate, and their areoles in- 

 clude th£ soriferous branches." — Accurate as this description maybe in some spe- 

 cimens of this variable plant, it does not seem to hold good in all. Indeed, in 

 alluding to Mr. Cuming's series of this very plant, Mr. Smith speaks of the 

 variable character of the venation, according as the pinnaj are more or less con- 

 tracted. 



71. A. (Euaspidium) Memjanthidis, Pr. ; caudex? stipes a 

 span to a foot long, frond oblong or subovate \\ foot long (in 

 my specimens) coriaceo-membranaceous pinnate, pinncC 10 

 inches to a foot long 1-1 ^ inch broad lanceolate finely acumi- 

 nate entire or eroso-subsinuate below gradually tapering into 

 a short ])etiole in the lowest pinnse, terminal one long-potio- 

 late uniform in my specimens all undivided (*' lowest pinna 

 abbreviated or bisected ") costate, costa prominent beneath, 

 primary costal veins patent subfalcate connected by ficxuose 

 transverse secondary veins whose areoles are occujHcd by 

 anastomosing veinlets forming angles and including in their 

 areole-s, numerous free sira])le or forked veinlets, sori co})ious 

 small irregularly placed all compital, involucres " subrotund 

 or oval fixed by the centre" {Presl ; reniform, Metten.). — Pr. 

 Reliq. Hicnk. i. p. 28. Metten. Aspid. p. 124 {excl. syn. Aspid. 

 irriguum,* J. Sm.) . Sagenia, Moore, Polydictyum, Pr. Epini. 



* This has little affinity with Asjndium Menyanthidis, and is Microsoriwu tnti- 

 dum. Foe, Gen. Fil. p. 2C9, with the sori oi Dr7/omenis, Fee. 



VOL. IV. I 



