52 13. DICKSONIA, §§§ PATAXIA. 



lower divisions of the pinnL deltoid-acuminate, their segments cut down to the 

 rachis, except at the very apex, with ovate-rhomboidal, acute, sharply, and deeply- 

 toothed lobes ; texture coriaceous ; upper surface naked, lower naked, or some- 

 what haiv3' ; sori 2 to 12 to a lobe, minute, orbicular; the outer valve l?»rge, 

 cucullate, the inner one inconspicuous.-^^/C'. aS/?. Fil. \. p. 71. Carruth. Fl. Vit. 

 p. 335. D. Torreyana, Brack, t. 88. /. 2. 



Hab. New Caledonia, Aneitum, Fiji group and other Polj'nesian islands. 



15. D. Plumieri, Hk. ; fr. bipinnate ; loicer pinnae 12-18 in. 1., 6-9 in. br. ; 

 lower pinnl. lanceolate-triangular, 6-8 in. 1., 2-3 in. br,, cut down at the lower 

 part to the rachis, with linear-acuminate broadly-toothed segments ; upper pinnl. 

 linear only, slightly lobed ; rachis and surface quite naked ; texture herbaceous ; 

 lateral veins of the segments simple or once or twice forked ; sori 2 to 20 to a 

 segment ; invol. small, membranaceous, suborbicular, deeply 2-valved, the outer 

 valve at length cucullate. — HIc. Sp. Fil. 1. 72. D. Lindeni, Hk. Sp. Fil. 1. 72. 

 t. 25. B. Davallia adiantoides, Swartz, Grisebach. Cibotium, Presl. 



Hab. West Indian Islands and Columbia. — At first the involucre is that of a Davallia 

 rather than a Dicksonia, but the outer valve is ultimately hooded. Adiantoides is the 

 oldest specific name. 



16. D. sorbifolia, Smith ; /;•. bipinnate ; lower pinnoe about 1 ft. 1., 3-4 in. br. ; 

 pinnl. slightly stalked, linear, truncate or cordate at the base, undivided, with 

 small sharp serrations towards the apex ; rachis naked or slightly hairy ; tex- 

 ture subcori^ceous ; lateral veins of the segments usually once forked ; sori very 

 numerous to a pinnule ; invol. subglobose, membranaceous ; outer valve cucullate. 

 —Hk. Sp. Fil. J. p. 72. t. 25. A. 



Hab. Moluccas and Isle of Henimoe, Hindostan. 



17. D. ahrupta, Bory ; fr. simply pinnate, 12-18 in. L, 4-6 in. br, ; pinnce ses- 

 sile, lanceolate, hardly toothed, the lower about 3 in. 1., 1 in. br., the two halves 

 rather unequal, the base of the upper one truncate, that of the lower slightly auri- 

 culate ; rachis naked ; texture coriaceous ; veins close, fine, inconspicuous ; fertile 

 pinnce narrow, acuminate ; sori numerous, placed along both edges ; outer valve 

 reniform, nearly a line broad, inner smaller, suborbicular. — Hk. Sp. Fil. 1. p. 72. 

 Kephrolepis, Mett. Leptopleuria, Presl. 



Hab. Bourbon. — Very like Nephrolepis davallioides in habit and general appearance. 



§§§ Patania, Presl. Dennstsedia, Bernh., Moore. — Involucre cup-shaped, noS 

 at all or only very indistinctly 2-valved. Sp. 18-29. 



* Fronds ample ; lower.pinnoe 0-24 in. iii length, Sp. 18-25. 



18. D. adiantoides, H. B. K. ; rhizome creeping ; fr. bipinnate ; lower pinnce 

 12-24 in. 1., 6-12 in. br. ; jAnnl. linear, cut down in the lower part nearly to the 

 rachis ; the segm. oblong-rhomboidal, blunt, with 2 to 4 bluntish lobes in each 

 side, which do not reach half-way to the rachis ; texture herbaceous, under surface 

 and rachises finely hairy ; sori 2 to 8 to a segment, placed at the base of the 

 sinuses, about \ line across ; invol. cup-shaped. — Hk. Sp. Fil. 1. p. 75. t. 26. B. 

 D, erosa, Hk. Sp. Fil. 1. p. 75. D. obtusa, Moritz. D. consaiiguinea, 

 Klotzsch, D. dissecta, Grisebach, non Hooker. D. obtusifolia, Willd. (oldest 

 name). 



Hab. Tropical America, from the West Indies southward to Brazil. — Fronds often 

 12 ft. 1. ; segments of the lower pinnules |-1 in. 1., ^ in. br. D. Sprucci, Moore, seems 

 closely allied to this ; but our specimens are very imperfect. 



