154 31. rXERIS, § EUPTERIS. 



Hab. Tropical and warm temperate regions all round the world ; Spain, Dalmatia, 

 Sicily, Algiers, Abyssinia, Canaries, and Cape Verde Islands southward through Tropical 

 Africa to Angola, Macalisberg, Mauritius, and Bourbon ; Lebanon, Himalayas (up to 

 4,000 ft.), Chusan and Loo-choo southward to S. Australia ; West Indies, Mexico, and 

 "Venezuela, 



2. P. moluccana^ Blume ; st. strong, erect, naked, polished, dark-brown ; fr. 

 2-3 ft. 1., oblong, simply pinnate ; pinnce in numerous nearly opposite pairs, 

 linear, cuneate at the base, spinuloso-serrated towards the point, the largest 

 12-18 in. I., ^-| in. br. ; rachis naked, like the stipe, both surfaces bright-green 

 and shining ; texUire subcoriaceous ; veins conspicuous, fine, close (about 6 

 to aline), usually simple ; invol. narrow, membranous. — Hk. Sp. 2. p. 158. t. 

 112. B. 



Hab. Malayan and Solomon Islands. — According to Gaudichaud, this is P. indica, 

 Lam, 



.3. P. opaca, J. Sm. ; st. strong, erect, pale, finely pubescent ; fr. 2-8 ft. 1., 

 oblong, simply pinnate ; pinnce in numerous opposite pairs, linear, cuneate at 

 the base, quite entire towards the point, the largest about 1 ft. 1., \ in. br. / rachis 

 pubescent, like the stipe ; texture coriaceous, both surfaces naked except the 

 midrib beneath ; veins sunk in the frond and only visible as faint striations ; 

 invol. narrow, brownish. — Hk. Sp. 2. p. 159. t. 114. A. Pycnodoria, Presl. 



Hab. Island of Samar, one of the Philippines, Cuming, 342. — A well-marked species, 

 out of which Presl made a new genus upon a mistaken view of the involucre, which is 

 that of typical Pteris. 



** Furcatce. Lower pinnce forked or sligMly pinnate below, with a long linear 

 entire point. Sp. 4r-ll. 



1. P. cretica, L. ; st. 6-12 in. 1., erect, wiry, naked, straw-coloured, or pale- 

 i)rown, polished ; /;-. 6-12 in. L, 4-8 in. br. ; lateral pinnce usually in 2 to 6 

 opposite sessile pairs, of which the upper one is sometimes a little decurrent, 

 3-6 in. 1., ^-| in. br., the sterile ones considerably the broadest and spinuloso- 

 serrated, the lower pairs often cleft down nearly to the base into two or three 

 linQSiV pinnl. ; rachis and both surfaces naked; texture coriaceous; veins fine, 

 close, parallel, simple or once forked ; invol. pale, membranous. — Hk. S/j. 2. 

 p. 159.— /3, P. ste7iophi/lla,'W^. & Gr. Ic. t. 1.30 ; pinnce 3 to 5 only, clustered at 

 the apex of the stipe. P. digitata, Wallich. — y, P. melanocaulon. Fee; stipe 

 dark-coloured ; veins sometimes scarcely visible. — P. scabripes. Wall. 



Hab. Italy, Crete, Corsica, Abyssinia, Bourbon, Natal, Cape Colony, Ural, Caucasus, 

 Arabia, Persia, Japan, Himalayas (up to 8-9,000 ft.), Neilgherries, Philippine Islands, 

 Fiji and Sandwich Islands, Florida, Mexico, and Guatemala. — A variegated form (albo- 

 lineata, Hort.) is figured in Bot. Mag. t. 5194. It has been gathered lately in Brazil by 

 Dr. Glaziou. 



5. P. pellucida, Presl ; st. 1 ft. or more 1., erect, naked, straw-coloured or 

 brown; fr. 12-18 in. 1., ovate-lanceolate, simply pinnate; pinnce usually in 

 3 to 6 sessile pairs, linear, entire or serrated towards the point, the upper ones 

 slightly decurrent, the lower ones often 8 in. 1., 1 in. br., usually all simple, 

 but occasionally the lowest forked ; rachis naked ; texture coriaceous, both 

 surfaces bright-green, often glossy ; veins conspicuous, fine, close (about three 

 to a line), simple or once forked ; invol. membranous, brownish. — Hk. Sp. 2. 

 p. 101. t. 129. B. (o simple-froncled state). P. venusta, Kunze. P. venulosa, Blume. 



Hab. Himalayas, Indian Peninsula, Malayan Peninsula, Philippines, Guinea Coast. 

 — Different in the typical statefiomP. cretica, but not satisfactorily distinct. Pinnae 

 of the sterile frond not much broader thaa the others, scarcely toothed, but sometimes 

 crisped at the edge. 



