H. XKniUODIUM, § LA.STUEA. 275 



central ones are tlie largest, and cut into close lubes more than halfway down to 

 the rachis, but the upper and lower ones nearly entire ; texture herbaceous ; 

 rachises fiuely fibrillose, untler side opaque, and scattered over with short, stiff, 

 siiining hairs ; mw/c^s forked or subi)inaate in the lobes ; sori in rows a short 

 distance from the midvein of the latter ; invol. small, hairy. 



Hab. Angola, Wclwllzsch. — This seems a very distinct plant. 



■"■***"* Group of N. spinnlosum ; caudex erect, fronds small or middle-sized, 

 tri- or quadripinnatifid ; involucres firm, persistent. Sp. 88-117. Lophodium^ 

 Ncwm. 



t Fronds oblong-lanceolate or oblong -deltoid. Sp. 88-101. 



88. N. (Last.) viridescens. Baker; 5^ tufted, 12-18 in. 1,, naked, polished, 

 brownish, glossy, with a few lanceolate scales near the base ; fr. H-2 ft. 1., 1 ft. 

 br. ; lower pinn<e the largest ; pinul. oblong-lanceolate, pinnatifid, with broad, 

 blunt lobes with a few sharp teeth, the lowest 2-3 in. 1., and cut down nearly to 

 the rachis ; texture herbaceous ; colour bright green ; rachis polished ; both sides 

 naked ; sori in rows near the midribs of the pinuls. ; inml. \ lin. br., naked. 



Hab. Japan, Oldham, 89, 377- — A connecting link between this group and the last. 



89. N. (Last.) fragrans, Rich. ; st. densely tufted, very short, clothed with 

 large ovate concolorous scales ; fr. 6-9 in. 1., li-2 in. br., oblong-lanceolate ; 

 pinnce |-1 in. 1., j-§ in. br., cut down nearly to the rachis below into oblong 

 lobes, which are again toothed or piunatitid ; lower pinnje reduced gradually ; 

 texture coriaceous ; rachises densely scaly ; veins subpinnate in the lower lobes of 

 the pinnules, the lower part of which is often quite covered with the sori ; invol, 

 very large and membranous. — Hk. Sp. 4. p. 122. Hk. S^- Gr, t. 70. 



Hab. Caucasus to Kamschatka, and Arctic America to Wisconsin. 



90. N. (Last.) rigidum, Desv. ; st. tufted, 6 in. 1., densely clothed below with 

 large lanceolate or ovate concolorous scales ; fr. 12-18 in. 1., 4-6 in. br., oblong- 

 lanceolate ; largest pinnce 2-3 in. 1., 1-1|^ in. br., the pinnl. of the lower half 

 free, ovate-rhomboidal, cut down nearly to the rachis below ; te.eth mucronate ; 

 texture herbaceous ; rachises usually scaly ; under side slightly glandular ; veinlets 

 subpinnate in the lower lobes of the pinnules ; sori close to the midrib ; invol. 

 firm, i)rominent, fringed with glands. — Idk. Sp. 4. p. 160. B. F. t. 16. 



Hab. Britain to Spain, Greece, Syria, and Asia Minor; California, N. W. Mexico. — 

 The S. European and American forma (A. pallidum. Link, and .4. argutwm, Kaulf.) have 

 the lower pinnules often 1-14 in. 1., witli the veins copiously pinnate in the lower lobes. 



91. N. (Last.) spiniilosum, Desv. ; st. tufted, about 1 ft. 1., sparingly clothed 

 with ovate concolorous scales; /)•. 12-18 in. 1., 6-8 in. br., oblong-lanceolate; 

 \ower pinme subdeltoid, 3-4 in. 1., 1^2 in. br., the lowest pair about equal to the 

 next ; pinnl. ovate-lanceolate, the largest about 1 in. 1., k in. br., cut down to 

 the rachis below into close oblong lobes with copious aristate teeth ; texture 

 herbaceous ; rachis stramineous, scarcely scaly ; under surface not glandular ; 

 colour pale-green ; invol. not gland-ciliated. — Hk. Brit. F. t. 20. — /3, N. dila- 

 tatum, Desv. ; scales denser and narrower, dark-brown in the centre ; fr. ovate- 

 lanceolate or subdeltoid, larger and more deeply cut, the colour a darker and 

 brigliter green, the pinnw closer, the under surface often finely glandular, the 

 invol. gland-ciliated. — Hk. B. F. 1. 19. — y, N. remotuin (A. Br. sub Aspid.) ; scales 

 lanceolate, concolorous, extending to the rachis ; fr. oblong-lanceolate, about 

 2 ft. 1., 6 in. br. ; jnnnce lanceolate, close ; pinnl. ovate-oblong, only the lowest 

 free, the largest about 1 in. 1., \ in. br., cut halfway down to the rachis or 

 more, spinulose teeth few ; under side and invol. not glandular. — Hk. Brit. F. 

 t. 22.— S, N. Boottii (Tucker., sub Aspid.) ; habit and scales of a ; 2»nna; distant. 



