156 OLEANDRA. 



5. Oleandra, Car. 



(Hook. Gen. Fil. tab. XLV. B. Aspidium, Auct. 

 Neuronia, Don.) 



Soj'i dorsal, sjlobose, generally inserted near the base of the 

 very compact free veinlets, and often in a more or less inter- 

 rupted and chain-like series. Involucres cordato-reniform. — 

 A small but very natural genus of tropical or subtropical Ferns. 

 Caudex creeping. Stipes nodoso-articulate below the middle. 

 Fronds simple, entire, lanceolate or suhelliptical, acuminate, 

 coriaceous or membranaceous, often very glossy or satiny. 



1. O. wmi/onnw, Cav. ; caudices suberect or scandent stout 

 woody knotted branched and here and there beset with short 

 spines which are the persistent basal joints of the petioles of 

 fallen fronds, copiously rooting below, densely clothed with 

 appressed imbricated subulate scales at first ferruginous then 

 diaphanous at length deciduous or leaving only small black 

 spots the remains of the persistent scales, fronds 6 inches to 

 1^ foot long scattered or often in terminal whorls lanceolate 

 caudato-acuminate varying in breadth coriaceous and glossy 

 or firm-mem bran aceous glabrous or partially villous or pu- 

 bescent on the veins and costae, petiole 2 lines to an inch 

 long rarely more, jointed very near the base, glabrous or se- 

 tose or rarely scaly, sori in a continuous but flexuose line, 

 involucres reniform. — " Cav. Prcel. 1801. n. 623. et Hort. 

 Reg. Madrit. cum. Tab." [Sw.) Hook. Fil. Exot. t. 58. O. 

 neriifolia, Pr. Aspid. neriiforme, Siv. Si/n. Fil. pp. 42 and 

 237. Willd. Sp. PI. p. 58. Bl. En. Fil. Jav.p. 140. Kunze, 

 in Schk. Fil. Suppl. p. 35. t. 18. Aspidium articulatum, Siv. 

 Syn. pp. 42 and 236. Oleandra, Pr. Aspid. Wallichianum, 

 Belang. et Bory, Fl. Ind. Or. Crypt, p. 56. /. 9. A. Salaciense, 

 Kze. in Bot. Zeit. iv. p. 461. Ophiopteris verticillata, Reinw. 

 O. niicans, Kze. in Bot. Zeit. ix. p. 346. — a, vulgaris ; fronds 

 6-8 inches long firm coriaceous glossy often narrow-lanceo- 

 late, petiole |-J of an inch long with the articulation below 

 the middle. — /3, brad/ypus ; fronds 4-5 inches long exactly 

 lanceolate very coriaceous and glossy, petiole 2 lines long 

 with the articulation at its summit. — j, hirtella, Moore ; 

 more or less villous with fine soft hairs. Oleandra moHis, 

 Pr. O. pilosa, Hook, in Gen. Fil. t. 45 b. O. Trujulensis, 

 Kai'st. Fl. Columb. i. /. 73, and Miq. in Herb, nostr. O. hir- 

 tella, Miq. in Schk. Fil. Suppl. t. 129. 



