872 ON A COLLECTION OF FERNS MADE IN MADAGASCAR. 



squarrose lanceolate pale brown palese with a conspicuously ciliated 

 dark brown margin. Barren frond linear, entire, firm in texture, 

 bright green on both sides, about half a foot long, \- f in. broad, 

 cuneate at the base, narrowed gradually from the middle to the tip, 

 slighly scaly when young, naked when mature on the upper surface, 

 scattered all over beneath with minute stellate-laciniate brown 

 paleae, the edge fringed with a dense border of minute lanceolate 

 ciliated pale&, like those of the stipe. Veins close, obscure, erecto- 

 patent, simple or forked. Fertile frond not seen. Tanala. This 

 comes nearest to the Angolan A. Welwitschii, Baker, but may be 

 readily distinguished from all its neighbours by the beautiful 

 ciliated squarrose scales of the stipes. 



A. squamosum, Sw. Ankaratra mountains. 



A. sorbifolium, L. Forest of Andrangaloaka. 



Osmunda regalis, L. Tanala, and between Tamatave and Anta- 

 nanarivo. 



Mohria cajfrorum, Desv. Tanala. 



Lygodium lanceolatum, Desv. Tanala. 



Schkcea dichotoma, Sw. Forest of Andrangaloaka. 



Mar aula fraxinea, Smith. Tanala, and between Tamatave and 

 Antananarivo. 



Ophiog loss urn vulgatum, L. Tanala. 



Lycopodiiun clavatum, L. Forest of Andrangaloaka, and between 

 Tamatave and Antananarivo. 



L. cemuum, L. Between Tamatave and Antananarivo. 



L. complanatmn, L. Forest of Andrangaloaka. A variety 

 approaching the Indian L. Wightianum , Spring. 



L. carulinianum : L. Betsileo country. 



Selaginella laevigata, Baker. Between Tamatave and Antana- 

 narivo. 



S. fissidentoides, Spring. Tanala. 



S. madagascariensis, Baker, n. sp. Stems erect, pale straw- 

 coloured, ±-1 ft. long, copiously pinnate, the lower branches with 

 numerous compound branchlets. Leaves of the lower plane 

 spaced even on the branchlets, erecto-patent, those of the main 

 stem spreading, oblong-lanceolate, acute, pale green, membranous, 

 very unequal-sided, a line long, broadly rounded, serrulate and 

 slightly imbricated over the stem on the upper side at the base ; 

 leaves of the upper plane |yj as long, ovate-lanceolate, cuspidate. 

 Spikes short, copious, resupinate, 1 lin. diam. ; bracts of the upper 

 plane ovate-lanceolate, erecto-patent; of the lower plane pale, 

 ovate-lanceolate, more ascending. Between Tamatave and Anta- 

 nanarivo, gathered previously by Mr. Pool and Miss Gilpin. A 

 near ally of 8. mollicep$, Spring. 



S. Melleri, Jjahrr, n. sp. Stems f-1 ft. long, erect, copiously 

 pinnate, the erecto-patent branches copiously compound. Leaves 

 of the lower plane contiguous and erecto-patent on the branchlets, 

 much spaced and spreading on the main stem, oblique oblong, 

 acute, pale green, membranous, J-f lin. long, more rigid in texture 

 than iu S. madagascaiieimt, not so unequal-sided, serrulate all down 

 the upper edge, broadly rounded and imbricated over the stem on 



