116 PTERIS ARGUTA. 



From the islands of Madeira, St. Helena, the Canaries, Azores, 

 and Portugal. 



Introduced into the Royal Gardens, Kew, in the year 1778. 



The fronds are glabrous, spreading, somewhat deltoid, char- 

 taceous, bitripinnate. Pinnules linear-acuminate, with linear- 

 oblong segments, which are obtuse, and having a dentate margin. 



Stipes usually about half the length of the frond. Both stipes 

 and rachis of a shining greenish brown colour, with two blackish 

 narrow bands. Terminal adherent to an erect rhizoma. Stipes 

 having few long hair-like scales. In a section the stipes is 

 rounded beneath and fluted above. 



Length of frond from three to five feet; colour pale green. 

 In my specimens in fronds five feet in length, three feet are 

 naked. 



Sori linear, extending from the base to nearly the apex of 

 the pinnules, and half way down the decurrent portions. Veins 

 well seen being much paler in colour than that of the frond. 



My thanks are due to Sir Oswald Mosley, Bart., of Rolleston 

 Hall; Mr. Lamb, gardener to F. Wright, Esq., of Osmaston 

 Manor, near Ashbourn; and to Mr. Sim, of Foot's Cray; for 

 plants of P. arguta; and to Mr. Norman, of Hull, for fronds. 



It is in the Catalogues of Messrs. Sim, of Foot's Cray; Yeitch, 

 Jun., of Chelsea; Parker, of Holloway; Kennedy, of Covent 

 Garden; Booth, of Hamburg; and Cooling, of Derby. 



The mature fronds are too large to figure entire: the illus- 

 tration is from a young plant in my own collection. 



