38. ASPLEKIUM, §§§§§§§ HEMlDICTYUir. 2 15 



275. A. (Aniso.) Smithiamim, Baker ; caudcx oblique, decumbent ; st. tliiclc, 

 1 ft. ]., sligbtly scaly below, furfuraceous throii.Kliout, and rather densely 

 niuricated ; yh 18-2-i in. 1., by nearly as broad, with 4-5 pinnate /»/?jHa? and 

 4-5 that are only pinnatifid below the point on each side, the lowest 3 in. apart, 

 about 9 in. 1., 4 in. br. ; piiml. sessile, 2-3 in. 1., §-| in. br., the edge subentire, 

 the point slightly tootlied, acuminated, the base rounded on both sides ; texture 

 subcoriaceous ; both surfaces and racMs naked, the latter muricated in the lower 

 part ; veins in groups of 2-3 on a side, the groups usually joining halfway across 

 to the edge ; sori often ^ in. 1. — A. dilatatum, J. Sm. {non Blume). 



Hab. Ceylon, Gardner, 1351. — Our description here is taken from the living Qultivated 

 plant. It ditFers from latifolium by its oblique caudex and anastomosing veuatiou and 

 asperous stipe. 



276. A. (Aniso.) vitietise. Baker ; fr. ample ; lower piiiiioe 1 ft. 1., G in. br., 

 with numerous close distinctly-stalkt'd lanceolate jnnnl. on each side, which are 

 2-3 in. 1., I in. br., narrowed gradually from the truncate base to an acuminate 

 point, and bluntly lobed about one-third of the way down to the midrib ; texture 

 herbaceous ; rachis finely pubescent, both sides nearly naked ; vei7is pinnate 

 in the lobes with 6-9 veinlets on a side, the lowest of contiguous groups 

 joining midway between the midrib and sinus ; sori copious, medial ; invol. 

 membranous. 



Hab. Fiji, Dacmtl ; communicated by Prof. Eeichenbach. — I now look on this as a 

 mere form of esculentum. 



§§§§§§§ Ilemidictyum, Presl. Veins anastomosing towards the margin. ,S'ori 

 single. Fig. 38, h. Sp. 277-280. 



277. A. (Hemi.) Ceferach, L. ; st. densely tufted, 1-3 in. 1., wiry, ebcneous, 

 chaffy ; fr. 4-6 in. 1., 1 in. or less br., cut down nearly or quite to the rachis 

 into alternate, blunt subentire broadly-oblong or roundish lobes, g-^ in. 1., 

 ^-§ in. br., with a rounded sinus between them ; texture subcoriaceous ; upper 

 surface naked ; lower densely coated with small pale reddish-brown ovate 

 membranous scales ; sori linear, oblique ; inrol. very rudimentary. — Brit. F. 

 t. 36. Ceterach officinarum, WiUcl. — j8, C. aureum, Link ; //•. 6-12 in. I., 1^-2 

 in. br., lobes oblong, scales toothed. — Hk. Sp. 3. p. 273. 



Hab. Britain and Gothland to Spain, Greece, Himalayas, and the Caucasus ; /3, Cana- 

 ries and Madeira. — The involucre is so very nearly absent, that this is placed by most 

 authors in Grammitidece. There ia a Cape specimen in Herb. Rawson. 



27B. A. (Hemi.) Purdieanum, Hk. ; st. 6-9 in. 1., clothed copiously with 

 greyish-brown lanceolate-acuminate scales ; fr. 6-9 in. each way, deltoid, 

 cordate, with a terminal and 2-3 pairs of opposite lateral pinme, the largest 

 4-5 in. 1., 1^-2 in. br., acute at the point, narrowed at the base, the edge entire ; 

 texture subcoriaceous ; both surfaces naked ; veins fine, the primary ones very 

 obHque, anastomosing copiously halfway from the midrib to the edge, connected 

 by a vague line within the margin ; lower sori sometimes 1 in. 1. — HL Sp. 3. 

 p. 273. Ic. t. 938. 



Hab. Discovered by Mr. Purdie in Venezuela (not Jamaica), and since gathered by 

 Dr. Spruce in Peru. 



279. A. (Hemi.) Finlaj/sonianum, Wall. ; st. 6-9 in. I., green, subcompressed, 

 nearly naked ; fr. 12-18 in. 1., 6-8 in. br., simply pinnate, with 2-6 opposite pairs 

 of lateral pinna;, the lower ones 4-8 in. 1., 1^-2 in. br., tlie point very acuminate, 

 the base narrowed very gradually on both sides to a distinct petiole, the edge 

 entire, the two sides often unequal ; texture coriaceous ; veins subflabellate, very 

 obli(iue, anastomosing slightly towards the edge, sometimes bounded by an 



