6. ALSOPHILA. 3D 



in Mexico, and from the Copenhagen Garden, where it is cultivated ; but, gave iu the 

 caudate apices of the pinnules, it possesses scarcely any distinguishing characters. 



T may here mention, of S. American " Alsnphike," A. tenera, J. Sm., from St. Vincents, 

 alluded to at p. 18 of this vol. under 0. gvaciUn, Gris. ; a fine-looking species from Tarapota, 

 E. Peru, Spruce, n. 472, with very long, dense, subulato-crinite scales ; a.x\ Ahophila from 

 Porto Alegre, S. Brazil, Mr. Fox, n. 247, of which the two lowest lobes of the pinnule are 

 BJugularly reflexed upon the rachis ; a Guatemala species from Messrs. Salviii & Godman, 

 " n. 1 ;" a Cuban species, C. Wrirjht, n. 1053, with oblong, falcate lobes, an inch long; 

 and other Cuban species from the same collector, Nos. 1833, 1834, and 1834c{. These, 

 however, and some other dubious species, I dare not attempt to characterize. 



** Species oftlie Pacific Isles, Australia, and N. Zealand. Sp. 38-47. 



3S. A. Samoensis, Brack. ; " arborescent, unarmed ; st. and common rachis 

 fulvo-tonientose above ; fr. glabrous, nearly membranaceous, bipinnate ; pinnl. 

 elongato-lanceolate, scarcely acuminate, pinnatifid ; lohcs oblong, obtuse, sub- 

 falcate, serrated ; part, rachises and casta and veins (which are slender, forked, 

 setose above) beneath buUato-squamose ; sori few, infra-axillary, nearer tlie 

 costa than the margin ; reccpt. columnar, with a lacerated scale beneath, and hairs 

 among the capsules." — Brack. Fil. p. 287. t. 40./. 1. 



Hab. Samoan Isles, Brackenridge ; Louisiade Archipelago, McGUUvray. — l have seen 

 no authentic specimen of this ; but some of my specimens fi'om the Louisiade sufficiently 

 accord with the description and figure above quoted. 



39. A. decurrens. Ilk. ; unarmed ; fr. membranaceous, bipinnate above, the 

 rest tripinnate, sparsely villous with long, white hairs on both sides, chiefly on 

 the costules and veins, the former scurfy with small bullato-acuminated scales ; 

 prim. i)innie l-H ff. h, C in w., oblong-acuminate ; second, pinna; 2-3 in. 1., oblong- 

 acuminate, pinnated; %dt. pinnl. 4-6 lines 1., Inline w., from an adnate and 

 decurrent base oblong, obtuse, pinnatihd half-way down to the costule ; lobes 

 ovate, acute, entire or with 1 or 2 teeth ; sori 1 to each lobe of few lax capsules. 

 — Hk. Sp. ]./>. 51. 



Hab. Pacific Islands; Aneiteum, Samoan Islands; N. Caledonia (Vieillard). — A 

 species not likely to be confounded with any other. 



40. A. truncata. Brack. ; main and second, rachises dark purple, glossy, sharply 

 muricate, deciduously furfuraceo-tomentose, as well as the costte and costules 

 beneath ; fr. tripinnate, firm, coriaceous, bright green above, paler beneath ; prim, 

 pinnce 10-16 in. 1., 4-5 in. w., oblong, acuminate ; second, ones 2 3 in. 1., ^-\ in. 

 w., oblong, sessile, pinnated to the very short pinnatifid acumination ; ult. pinnl. 

 very small, rather distant, fiom a truncated shortly petiolated free base, linear- 

 oblong, acute, the margin recurved, sinuato-lobate ; costule thick and prominent, 

 bullato-squamulose ; veins forked, almost from the base ; sori small, dark orange, 

 lax, near the costule. — Brack. Fil. p. 288. 



Hab. Fiji and Samoan Islands, Braclcenridge ; Ngau, Milne. — A very distinct and 

 peculiar species. 



41. A. Novce Calcdonice, Mett. ; main and second, rachises rufo-fuscous, muri- 

 cate and, as well as the costse beneath hirsuto-tomentos ■, and very minutely- 

 paleaceous ; fr. coriaceous, dark blackish green above, glossy as if varnished 

 (beneath in our specimen wholly covered with fructification), tripinnate; 

 2)rim. pinnce 1 \ ft. 1., 6 in. w. ; second, ones sessile, linear-oblong, 4-5 lines w., 

 pinnated, except the acuminated serrated apex ; idt. pinnl. rather distant 2-2^ 

 lines 1., less than 1 line w., linear-oblong, obtuse, sessile, and slightly decurrent 

 at the base, the margins recurved subcrenulate ; sori co])ious, occupying the 

 space between the costule and the margin. — Mett. Fil. N. Caled. n. 1U(J. 



Hab. N. Caledonia, Vieillard, n. 1633. — Mettenius compares this with A. truncata, 

 Brack. ; no doubt its nearest affinity, but it is truly distinct 



