90 DAVALLIA POLYPODIOIDES. 



Davallia — In honour of Edmund Davall, a Swiss Botanist. 

 Polypodioides — Polypodium-like. 



In the Section Microlepia of Authors. 



An ornamental large Fern. 



An evergreen stove species. 



Native of Asia, Ceylon, East Indies, Madras, Assam, Nepal, 

 Singapore, Java, China, Brazil, Oahu, New Holland, Tovay, 

 Luzon, Khasiya, Polynesia, Fernando Po, Penang, and Am- 

 boyna. 



We are indebted to Mr. G. Norman, of Hull, for introducing 

 this species, he having received it from the continent. 



Fronds ample, triangularly-elongate, tripinnate, and flaccid; 

 pinnules oblong-acuminate, segments membranous, roundish, and 

 deeply pinnatifid; base decurrent, margin bluntly crenate; pri- 

 mary pinnae distant. 



Fronds lateral, very hirsute, especially on the veins and 

 costa, beneath. 



Rhizoma creeping. 



Length of frond thirty-five to fifty inches; colour a grass 

 green. 



Sori large, mostly solitary on the entire lobes, and having 

 several on the pinnatifid ones. 



Sir W. J. Hooker describes four varieties, namely, — 



Subglabra. — Fronds nearly glabrous. 



Pubescens. — Fronds pubescent, with close short down. 



Hispida. — Fronds hairy. 



Rhomboidea. — A much larger Fern. It is the Davallia rliom- 

 boidea of Wallich, and Microlepia rhomboidea of Presl. 



Introduced into England in 1826. 



For plants of this species, and the variety Rhomboidea , I am 

 indebted to Messrs. Rollisson, of Tooting, and Mr. R. Sim, of 

 Foot's Cray; and for fronds to Mr. R. Sim. 



It may be procured from Messrs. Rollisson, of Tooting; Sim, 

 of Foot's Cray; and Veitch, of Chelsea. 



The illustrations are from Mr. Sim's fronds. — An engraving 

 of a pinna of a Variety is given at page D'2. 



