POLYPODIUM, § EUPOLYPODIUM. 197 



81. P. (Eupolypodium) asplennfolium, L. ; " caudex creep- 

 ing clothed with ferruginous densely setose scales, stipes 3-4 

 inches long, fronds villous with patent ferruginous hairs on 

 all sides (at length glabrous) 1-1 i foot long membranaceous 

 flaccid linear nearly to the costa pinnatipartite, segments all 

 contiguous 6-8 lines long 4 lines wide obliquely ovate or 

 ovato-oblong obtuse the inferior margin subexcised the su- 

 perior obtusely auricled entire, the lowest ones a little ab- 

 breviated, veins manifest forked, sori (pseudodorsal or rather 

 lateral on the veins, according to Mettenius's figure) nearer 

 the costule than the margin, capsules with four or more setcje." 

 Mi'tten. (the same seta3 are attributed to the capsules of P. 

 suspensum by Mettenius). — Linn. Sp. Fl. p. 1554. Sw. Syn. 

 Fil. p. 32. rVilld. Sp. FL v. p. 1 80. Meiten. Folyp. p. 5G. t. 

 I./. 116? {venation only). P. suspensum, Si€b. Fl. Martin, 

 n. 242. Asplenium altius et villosum, Flum. Fil. j). 85. /. 

 102. A (a very unsatisfactory figure). 



Ilab. On trees, Martinique, Plumier, Sieber. West Indies {Mettenius), Ja- 

 maica, Wilson, n. G. — Great confusion prevails in regard to the two Ferns de- 

 scribed in books as P. susjjensian and P. aspleniifoliwn. This group of Eupolypo- 

 dium is rendered difficult enough by nature's variations, but is greatly increased 

 wlien the exaggerated figures of Plumier are taken as the authority for the spe- 

 cies ; inasmuch as many of them bear little similarity to any known kinds. I 

 liave mentioned what I believe to be the distinguishing feature of P. suspennum, 

 but that plant is quite at variance with Plumier's figure. I give Mettenius's de- 

 scription of P. asplenii folium, because it is the most carefully draw n up, and he is 

 likely to be familiar with the plant of the German botanists. 



82. P. (Eupolypodium) villosissimum, Hook. ; caudex 

 short thick horizontal or ascending clothed with rather long 

 linear subulate pale-brown membranaceous scales, stipites 

 aggregated 3-4 inches long often obtusely geniculate patenti- 

 villous with long ferruginous hairs, fronds subcoriaceous 

 dark-green when dry 3-7 inches long 1-lf inch wide lanceo- 

 late scarcely acuminate deeply nearly to the rachis pinnatifid 

 long ciliated villose above densely so beneath with long dark 

 ferruginous hairs, segments patent \ an inch to 1 inch long 

 from a broad decurrent base ol^long and obtuse or ovate and 

 oblong and acute, veinlets obscure internal approximate 

 twice or more forked extending to the margin or nearly so, 

 sori subglobose dorsal in two rows nearer the costa than the 

 margin. 



Hab. West Coast of Africa : Sugar-loaf Mountains, Sierra Leone, Barter 

 (ISf)?); Island of St. Thomas, alt. 6000 feet, Gustav Mann, and Fernando Po 

 (hairs equally long, but less copious, and segments linear-oblong and obtuse). — 

 But for the quite shaggy appearance of the normal form of this plant, and for the 



