140 NEPHRODIUM, § LASTREA. 



Beddome (Moore). — I willingly adopt Mr. Moore's specific name for this rare and 

 very interesting Fern, but I do not at all concur in his views of its place in the 

 system, viz. among the Dicfcsojiia-trihe, 



135. N. (Lastrea) variabile, Hook.; caudex a stout creep- 

 ing underground rhizome scaly in the younger portions, 

 stipites more or less approximate from a s{)an to 2 feet long 

 brown subglandularly crispato-pilose as are all the rachises and 

 costse (the rest glabrous), fronds rather membranaceous than 

 coriaceous olive-green or black when dry deltoid acuminate 

 or rather five-angled in circumscription from a span to 2 feet 

 long tri-quadripinnate or supradecompound, lowest primary 

 pair of pinnee very large and their basal inferior secondary 

 pinnae much elongated and deflected, tertiary pinnee oblong 

 more or less wide in proportion to the length obliquely cu- 

 neate and decurrent at the base pinnatifid or pinnulated, ulti- 

 mate pinnules obliquely subovate or in the most compound 

 fronds spathulate, in all the tertiary divisions the inferior 

 half is narrower and less deeply divided than the superior, 

 costules of the ultimate pinnules excentric, veinlets forked, 

 sori generally one to each lobule or segment sometimes small 

 and appearing to be destitute of involucre at other times 

 large with a small membranaceous involucre or with a very 

 conspicuous firm involucre flat quite orbicular or with a very 

 small sinus not extending to the point of attachment. — Two 

 forms of this are deserving of notice : var. a, normale, with 

 the ultimate pinnules \ an inch long obliquely subrhomboid ; 

 and /3, Barteri, very decompound, ultimate pinnules about 

 two lines long subspathulate. But I possess several in- 

 termediate grades. 



Hab. Tropical Western Africa and Islands, north and south of the line, Ansell, 

 Barter, Curror, G. Mann (Gaboon River ; large, the stipes very stout, chestnut- 

 colour, quite glabrous). Tropical East Coast of Africa, Isle of Nissobe, Boivin. 

 British Guiana, Appun. n. 178. Sao Gabriel, Amazon, Spruce, n. 2129. — Var. j8. 

 Prince's Island, West Africa, Barter. — The mode of growth, and outline or cir- 

 cumscription, resembles A', svbrjuinqnejiduni ; but the fronds attain a much larger 

 size, are much more compound, even supradecompound, and the ultimate ])in- 

 iiules small. The specimens from tropical America differ in no respect from those 

 of Africa. 



136. N. (Lastrea) S(/?t«m?>e^?/m, Hook. ; caudex short thick 

 erect or nearly so very paleaceous with ferruginous rather 

 linear scales, stipites tufted firm terete stramineous glossy a 

 span to a foot long scaly as is the caudex at the base, the rest 

 and the rachises and costules sparingly setose with subulate 

 ferruginous firm spreading persistent scales, fronds a span to 



