XRPIIROLKIMS. 151 



4. Nepiirolei»is, Scliott. 



(Hook. Gen. Eil. tab. XXV. Aspidium and Ncpliro- 

 dium, Auct. Lepidoneuron, Fee.) 



Sort dorsal, arising from the apex of the superior l)raneh 

 of a veinlet, generally at or near the margin. Involucres 

 cordiform or reniform or almost crescent-shaped, attached 

 by a broad base to the receptacle, hence resembling some of 

 the Humata-grou]) of Davallia. — Tropical or suhtroincal Ferns 

 tuith a creeping caudex or, more generally, it is slender, snherect, 

 flexuose, apparently a prolongation of the stipes, and sends 

 out strong sarmentose and often rooting fibres, in one species 

 bearing large fleshy tubers. Fronds generally coriaceous, pin- 

 nated. Pinnoe entire or mostly pinnatifid, articulated upon 

 the rachis, and hailing a strong central costa. — Ferns with 

 a peculiar habit in most of the species, and the Genus is 

 maintained l)y most Fern-authors. 



1. N. tuberosa, Pr. ; caudex indistinct, apparently wiry root- 

 fibres frequently bear large oval scaly tubers, stipites I— ^1 inches 

 and more long deciduously paleaceous, fronds 1-2-3 feet long 

 linear-lanceolate coriaceo-submemljranaceous acuminate pin- 

 nate, pinnte numerous approximate ^-1 inch long glabrous 

 horizontal from a truncate or cordate base more or less 

 auricled above, ol)long obtuse or especially the fertile ones 

 crenated rarely acuminate often subfalcate, lower and sterile 

 ones shorter and more obtuse, auricle acute, sori transverse 

 about equidistant from the margin and the costa, involucres 

 firm coriaceous reniform or nearly halfmoon-shaped brown 

 opening towards the apex of the pinnee, the base and ]:)oint 

 of insertion broad and generally l)lack. — Aspid., Bory, in 

 Willd. Sp. PL V. p. 234. Nephrolepis, Pr. Met ten. Fil. 

 Hort. Lips, {who refers to it N. imbricata, Kaulf. N. undu- 

 lata, /. Sm. and Sw. .?) Aspid. sublanosum, IVall. Cat. n. 

 365 {in part). — Var. /3, pendula ; elongated and pendulous 

 from trees. Aspid. pendulum, Raddi, Fil. Bras. p. 30. t. 45. 

 Nephrolepis, Pr. — Var. 7, delicatula ; small, pinnae membra- 

 naceous. Nephrodium delicatulum, Dene, in ./ac(/em. Voy. 

 Bot.p. 178. t. 179. Aspid. Tavoyanum, Wall. Cat. n. 1032. 

 Hab. Bourbon and Mauritius, Sieher, F I. n. 41 (Aspirl. imbricatum). and Klfs. 

 and Sieber, Fl. Mixta, n. 246. Western Tropical Africa, Voffel, Irving, G. Maun 

 (both broad and narrow fronds). East Indies: Madras Peninsula, lVight,n. 114 ; 

 Northern India, ll'allic/i, Griffith, Jacqnemont, Hunker fit. et Thommn ; and 

 Khasya and .\ssam to .Moulineiii, Parish, n. 20 ; Ceylon, Gardner, n. 1877 ; Java, 



