TAB. XV. 



Meniscium PROLIFERUM, Sw. 



Deciduo pubescens, caudice crassiusculo subrepente fibroso, 

 stipitibus csespitosis erectis longitudine variantibus, frondi- 

 bus pedalibus bipedalibus et ultra subcoriaoeis glabris 

 pinnatis apicibus et in axillis pinnarum repetitim proliferis 

 longissime extensis, pinnis 3-6 uncias longis sessilibus 

 oblongo-lanceolatis acurninatis basi equalibus vel junioribus 

 prsecipue inferne dilatato-rotundatis superne auriculatis 

 integris vel (adultis) grosse crenato-serratis, venis pinnatis, 

 venulis omnibus cum iis oppositis junctis et venas spurias 

 intermedias formantibus, soris ovalibus copiosis, singulo in 

 singula venula non raro confluentibus. 



Meniscium proliferum, Sw. Syn. PI. p. 19. and 207. Willd. Sp. 

 PI. 5. p. 135. 



Polypodium proliferum, Roxb. Herb. Wall. Cat. n. 312, (not 

 Kaulfu&s.) 



Polypodium luxurians, Kze. in Linncea, 23. p. 280. 



Phegopteris luxurians, Metten. Phegopt. p. 25. 



Goniopteris prolifera, Pr. Tent. p. 183. J. Sm. in Hook. Journ. 

 Bot. 3, p. 396. 



Ampelopteris elegans, Kze. Bot. Zeit. 6. p. 1 14., Moore, Ind. 

 Fil.p. Ixiv. ; and A. firma, Kze. in Linncea, 24, p. 251. Moore, 

 Index. I. c. 



Hab. India, Koenig. Nepal, Oude, Sylhet, (Wallich,) and 

 apparently all over India; from Nilghiri and N. Western 

 India, Khasya, and Sikhim, Himalaya in the East, Griffith, 

 Hooker, fl. and Thomson, Jacquemont, n. 1419, Schmidt, S(c. 

 Sfc. Luzon, Cuming, n. 168. Java, Zollinger. 



This is, doubtless, a very sportive plant, but its main 

 feature is occasioned by its extraordinary tendency to send 

 out new plants from axillary and terminal gemmae, which 

 take root, cover a great extent of ground, and hinder the 

 real form and structure of the frond from being distinctly 

 seen. One can hardly conceive, why so many names should 

 have been adjudged to this plant, and even the honor of a 

 new genus. 



Fig. 1. Base of a pinna, seen from above. /. 2. Base of a 

 fertile pinna, seen from beneath. /. 3. Portion of a fertile 

 pinna, from near the middle, seen from beneath : — magnified. 



ClH"T. 2, T. 15- 



