ACROSTICIIUM, § PHOTINOPTEKIS. 281 



cen(ling,fronds tufted 12-lG inches long 1 inch wide subh)rato- 

 lanceolate coriaceo-nieml^ranaceous costate attenuated at the 

 base into a very short petiole, soriferous appendage broad- 

 oblong 1-2^ inches long i an inch wide, the disk only covered 

 with capsules leaving a broad spreading margin. — Kze.inSclik. 

 Fil. Suppl.p. 101 {no figure) . Hook. Ic. Plant, t. 999. Gym- 

 nopteris, J. Sm. in Hook. Journ. Bot. m. p. 403 {riame only). 

 Macroplethus, Fr. Epimel. Bot. p. 142. 



Hab. Luzou, Cuming, n. 196. — A very rare and remarkably distinct species. 



§ 15. Photinopteris. — Fronds ample, uniform, fertile at the extremity, and 

 that portion pinnated with narrow-linear or almost filiform pinnce ; sterile por- 

 tion very hard-coriaceous, pinnate vnth pinnae articulated on a large scntifoi-m 

 base of the petiole ; or simple but deeply pinnatifid, and when dry readily de- 

 taching itself from the rachis. Venation as in § Gymnopteris and § Lepto- 

 chilus.- — (This section corresponds with § Drynaria, among Poli/podiece, and, 

 our second species especially, with Pol. Meyenianum, Schott, and P. splendens, 

 Hook.) Gen. Photinopteris, J. Sm. 



166. A. (Photinopteris) rigidiim, Wall., Hook.; caudex 

 repent or scandent paleaceous with elongated brown subulate 

 fringed scales mixed Avith hair-like ones in age allio-glauces- 

 cent, stipites short nearly as thick as a wTiting-pen, fronds 

 li-2-3 feet long broad-lanceolate very hard-coriaceous 

 glossy pinnate; sterile pinnae long-petiolate distant 3-6 

 inches and more long broad-ovate acuminate, the apex gene- 

 rally caudate and curved upwards, venation manifest ele- 

 vated on both sides, costules subflexuose united by trans- 

 verse veins into four angled areoles wdiich are again divided 

 into lesser areoles including branched free clavate veinlets, 

 petioles articulated on the rachis and dilated into a large or- 

 bicular scutiform base ; sometimes these sterile pinnsc occupy 

 the whole frond, more frequently the rachis is suddenly elon- 

 gated at the apex and bears 1-12-13 distant very contracted 

 narrow-linear ?iX\(\ fertile pinnae from 5-12 inches long sori- 

 ferous except on the costa and on the slightly revolute mar- 

 gin. — JValL Cat. n. 27 (1822). Lomaria speciosa, Bl. Fil. 

 Jav. p. 202. Photinopteris simplex, ./. -S/w. P. Horsfieldii, 

 J. Sm. {no description or character). Hook. Gen. Fil. t. 92. 

 Fr. Moore. Brack. Fee, Acrost. p. 102. t. 63. 



Hab. Singapore, Wallich, Cuming, n. 3^3, De Vriese {in Ilerh. nostr.). Java 

 lilume, Ilorsfield. Mindora and Isle of Bohol, Cuming, n. 352. Labuan, Thos. 

 Lobb. Luzon, lirackenridge, Cuming, n. 64. Isle of Panay, Cuming, n. 362. 

 — This magnificent Fern is described by Dr. Wallich as parasitic on the trunks of 

 trees, and Brackenridge remarks that the very peculiar asjicct which the sterile ])or- 

 tion of this plant presents is not unlike some scandent >pecies of the genus Ficns. 



VOL. v. 2 o 



