6. ALsoniiLA. 43 



Hab. Sarawak, Borneo ; alt. 2,700, T. Luhh. — Its nearest affinity is perhaps with 

 A. squamulata, from which the fronds ditfer in colour and texture ; and- it is remarkable 

 for the large and curiously branched spines at the basws of the stipe 



5Q. A. podophi/lla, Hk. ; 5^ generally sharply mucronato-aculeate and, as \vell 

 as the viain racMscs, purple-brown ; fr. fiubcoriaceo-nienibranaceous ; pi-im. 

 jnnnce H-2 ft. and more Ion;,'-, pinnatifid at the apex ; pinnl. extremely variable 

 ill size and shape, ])etiolate, 4-8 in. 1., \-\ in. \v., from a truncate, or subhastate, 

 <ir cordate base svord-shaped, acuminate, entire, or serrated only towards the 

 apex, or sliirhtly lobed, or more or less pinnatifid, rarely deeply pinnatifid and 

 even pinnate towards the base ; veins pinnated ; veinlcts often united in the more 

 entire pinnules towards the margin, bearing a sorus near their base, and conse- 

 quently parallel with the primary vein. — Hk. K. Gard. Misc. 8. p. 334, and in 

 27id Cent, of Ferns, t. m. 



Hab. Chusan ; Hong-Kong, frequent. Variable as is this handsome species, I cannot 

 but consider it quite distinct from A. glabra of BI. 



57. A. commutata, Mett.; st. paleaceous, at the base tuberculato-asperous, and,- 

 as well as the rachiscs, dark ebeneous-purple, subulato-squamulose ; fr. singu- 

 larly firm and coriaceous, rich brown when dry ; prim, pinme 1| ft. 1., 6-8 in. 

 w., stipitate ; pinnl. rather distant, all petiolate {petiole often 2 lines 1.), oblong- 

 acuminate, pinnatifid rather less than half-way to the thickened costule ; lobes 

 ovato-or rotundato-serrated ; costule with a few deciduous bullate scales; sori 

 few, close to the costule. — A. squamulata, edit, 1. non Mctt. 



Hab. Malacca, Mt. Ophir, Griffith, Cuming. 



58. A. glabra, Ilk. ; st. asperous, paleaceous at the base, and, as well as the 

 main r«c7;z5c5, purple-ebeneous, polished ;fr. subcoriaceo-membranaceous ; prim, 

 pinnce 1^-2 and more ft. 1., deeply pinnatifid at the apex ; pinnl., tipper ones 

 sessile, lower ones petiolate, from a truncated base, oblong-acuminate, 3-6 in. 1., 

 .5-9 1. w., pinnatifid, j-^ way to the costule, rarely more ; lobes triangular or 

 rounded, rarely ovate, serrated ; reins pinnated, veinlcts all simple ; sori on most 

 of the lobes, generally arranged in the shape of a V inverted, not extending to 

 the apex of the lo^Q.—Hk. \Sp. 1. ^a 51. Bedd. Fil. p. 20. t. 60 {very good). 

 Als. gigantea, Hk. 1. c. p. 53. 



Hab. Java and Malay Islands, generally (Moulmein, u. 3. Parish) ; China and 

 throughout India ; Ceylon. 



59. A. latebrosa, Hk. ; st. aculeate at the base, muricated upwards, dark maho- 

 gan3'-brown in colour ; prim, pinnai oblong-acuminate, 12-24 in. 1., 6-8 in. br. ; 

 pinnl. lanceolate-acuminate, 3-4 in. 1., \ in. br., cut down nearly to the rachis 

 into numerous linear-oblong, blunt, slightly-toothed lobes on each side ; texture 

 herbaceous, upper surface dark-green, naked, lower surface naked, or slightly 

 hairy and scaly ; veins all once forked ; sori elevated, conspicuous, occupj'ino 

 often the lower two-thirds of the segment. — Hk. Sp. 1.^9. 37. Bedd. Fil. p. 19. 

 ^.58. Polypodium, TVall. llemiteliaf Mett. in 3Iiq. 1. p. Bi. 



Hab. Common almost throughout India proper and the Malay Islands, Formosa, 

 &c. — ^There are plenty of scales amongst the fructifications, but none, I think, thai 

 can constitute a Hemeteloid involucre. The Himalayan plant included here is A. 

 hhasyana, Moore, Kuhn Liuncea, 36, x>. 15i, and A, Oldhami, Eeddome, Ferns Erit. 

 Iiid. t. 313. 



60. A. lurida, Hk. ; st. smooth ; rachis slightly scabrous and scaly below, 

 densely tomentose and scaly above ; fr. broadly lanceolate ; /);•/;«. jnnnce 1 ft. 1. ; 

 pinnl. more than 2 in. 1., i in. br., cut down to the rachis into numerous linear- 

 oblong nearly entire segments ; texture subcoriaceous, upper surface dark-jjreen, 

 naked, lower densely scaly on the rachis and costse. — Chnoophora, Bl. Mett. in 

 Miq. Ann. Mus. Bot. L. Bat. 1. p. 53. 



