254 43. ASPIDIUM, § POLYSTICHUM. 



densely clothed, especially below, with large lanceolate pale-brown scales ; fr. 

 2-3 ft. 1., 1 ft. or more br. ; \o\s^x jnnnce 6-9 in. 1., 2-3 in. br. ; jnnnl. lanceolate, 

 cut down in the lower part into oblong segm. ; teeth blunt or slightly mucronate ; 

 texture subcoriaceous ; racMs more or less scaly ; both surfaces naked ; veins 

 obscure ; swi placed near the sinuses of the pinnl. — Hk. Sp. 4. p. 27. A'ew 

 Gard. Misc. 8. ^. 11. 



Hab. Ceylon. — A very curious plant, perhaps an abnormal form of 18. The sori are 

 often upon the upper surface, and sometimes quite destitute of involucre. 



28. A. (Polyst.) amabile, Blume ; st. scattered, 6-12 in. 1., slender, polished, 

 slightly scaly below ; fr. 1 ft. or more 1., 6-9 in. br., with a lanceolate terminal 

 pinna and 3-6 lateral ones on each side, which are 6-8 in. 1., 1-1 1 in. br., the 

 lowest sometimes slightly compound at the base ; segm. subrhomboidal, with at 

 least half the lower side cut away, ^-f in. 1., J-§ in. br., the upper side and 

 outer part of the lower lobed and sharjdy spinuloso-serrated ; texture subcoria- 

 ceous ; rachis and both surfaces naked j lower veinlets in groups of 3-5 ; sori 

 submarginal. — Hk. Sp. 4. p. 25. t. 225. 



Hab. Nepaul, Ceylon, Malaccas, Formosa, Japan. — This is nearest the simpler forms 

 oi aristatum, but has a long terminal pinna, with subuniform large rhomboidal segments. 



29. A. (Polyst.) tripteron, Kunze ; st. 6-9 in. 1., densely clothed at the base 

 with large ovate dark-brown scales ; fr. 12-18 in. 1., with a large terminal 

 and two small spreading lateral pinnm at the base of it, the former 2^-8 in. br., 

 with very numerous spreading pinnl. on each side, 1\ in. 1., f-| in br., very 

 unequal-sided, the point acute, the edge deeply inciso-pinnatifid, the lower lobes 

 again toothed, the upper side abruptly narrowed and the lower obliquely 

 truncate at the base ; lat. pinnce 3-5 in. 1., 1^-2 in. br., with numerous 

 similar pinnl. ; texture herbaceous ; rachis nearly naked, stramineous ; sori 

 principally in two rows midway between midrib and edge. — Hk. Sp. 4. p. 15. 

 2nd Cent. t. 56. 



Hab. Japan and Tsus-Sima. — A very distinct plant. 



**** Lower pinnce more than once pinnate. Sp. 30-41. 



30. A. (Polyst.) laserpitiifolium, Mett. ; st. 4 in. 1., stramineous, scaly at the 

 base ; fr. 12-18 in. 1., 6-9 in. br., ovate-deltoid, tripinnate ; lower pinnae the 

 largest, with pinnl. on the lower side prolonged, lanceolate, imbricated with 

 small, distinct, bluntly, not deeply lobed segm.; texture subcoriaceous ; colour 

 light-green ; both sides and rachis glabrous ; sori in two rows occupying nearly 

 the whole space between the edge and midrib. — Mett. Fit. Ind.p. 227. t. Q.f. 2. 



Hab. Japan. — DifiFers from A. amabile by being more compound, with smaller, cuneate, 

 oblong, less-toothed segments and larger sori. Is Laslrea Standishii of gardens. 



31. A. (Polyst.) varium, Sw. ; rhizome subrepent ; st. 6-12 in. 1., densely 

 fibrillose below ; fr. 12-18 in. 1,, 9-12 in. br., lanceolate-deltoid ; lower pinnce 

 much the largest, subdeltoid, unequal-sided, 4-6 in. 1., 3-4 in. br. ; pinnl. 

 lanceolate, imbricated, the lowest one on the under side much larger than tlie 

 others ; segm. oblong, blunt, faintly toothed, the teeth not awned ; texture sub- 

 coriaceous ; both surfaces naked ; rachis slightly fibrillose ; sori principally in 

 two rows near the midrib; invol. peltate or reniform. — Hk. Sp. 4. J9.'30. 

 t. 226. Lastrea, Hk. olim. 



Hab. Japan, southward to Hong-Kong. — Habit intermediate between that of a 

 Lastrea and typical Polystichum. 



32. A. (Polyst.) capense, Willd. ; st. scattered, 1-2 ft. h., firm, erect, greyish. 



