1952 CLVI. FILICES. [Davallia. 



5. D. dubia (doubtful), R. Br. Prod. 157 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 716. 

 Mountain Bracken. Fronds large, resembling those of Dicksonia davalhotdes 

 but more rigid, twice or thrice pinnate. Pinnules ^ to l^in. long, lanceolate, 

 deeply pinnatifid and the lowest segments often again toothed or lobed, somewhat 

 coriaceous. Sori at the base of the obtuse teeth or lobes which are often curved 

 over them as in Dicksonia but quite independent of them. Indusium about ^ line 

 broad and very short, attached only by the broad base as in B. pedata, without 

 any trace of the upper valve or complete ring of Dicksonia. — Hook, and Bak. 

 Syn. Fil. 468; Sieb. Filic. Exs. n. Ill, Fl. Mixt. n. 247; Bail. Litho. Ferns 

 Ql. 47 ; Dicksonia dubia, Gaudich. in Freyc. Voy. Bot. 367 ; Hook. Spec. Filic. 

 i. 71, t. 24; Hook. f. Fl. Tasm. ii. 132; Balantium Brownianum. Presl. 

 Pteridogr. 134. 



Hab.: Moreton Bay, F. v. Mueller ; Port Denison and Mount Elliott, FiUalan ; Rockingham 

 Bay, Dallachy ; usually found on hillsides. 



6. D. spelunC8e (of caves). Baker, Syn. Fil. 100 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 717. 

 Fronds large, twice or thrice pinnate. Secondary pinnae lanceolate, 2 to 4in. 

 long, pinnate in the lower part, pinnatifid towards the end, membranous, hairy 

 underneath as well as the rhachis. Lower pinnules \ to fin. long, pinnatifid, 

 the upper ones gradually smaller and confluent, reduced towards the end to 

 small lobes. Sori several on each pinnule below the sinus of the lobes, forming 

 2 rows at some distance from the margin. Indusium broad, short, membranous, 

 slightly toothed or jagged, attached only by the broad base. — Bail. Litho. Ferns 

 Ql. 48 ; Polypodium speluncm, Linn. ; Microlopia speluncm, T. Moore ; Bail. 

 Ql. Ferns, 52 ; Davallia flaccida, R. Br. Prod. 157 ; F. v. M. Fragm. v. 

 118, D. polypodioides, Don ; Hook. Spec. Filie. i. 181. 



Hab.: Endeavour River, Banks and Solander;. Broadsound, Bowman; Rockingham Bay, 

 W. Hill. Dallachy. A common fern of tropical localities. 



Widely spread over tropical Asia and Africa. 



7. I>. tripinnata (3-pinnate), F. v. M. ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 717 ; Bail. 

 3rd Suppl. Syn. Ql. Fl. 91, with plate. Hairy Fern. Stem very short, bearing at its 

 apex a crown of softly hairy fronds, hairs nearly white. Frond 8 or more in. long, 

 6in. broad at the base, on a hairy stipes of 6in., thrice pinnate, the main rhachis 

 hairy. Primary pinnse lanceolate, secondary oblong \ to lin. long, pinnules 2 to 

 4 lines, deeply divided into 2 to 4 obovate obtuse lobes dark green on both sides 

 but rather thin, the lower pinnse and pinnules quite distinct, the upper ones smaller 

 and confluent at the base. Sori few or numerous under the sinus of some of the 

 smaller lobes. Indusium membranous, broad and somewhat jagged, attached 

 only by the broad base. — Bail. Litho. Ferns Ql. 49. 



Hab. ; On the Bellenden-Ker Range, first found by W. Hill. In 1889 I found it very abundant 

 in the dark damp gullies of the same Range. 



18; VITTARIA, Sm. 



(From vitta, a ribbon ; shape of frond.) 

 B,hizome creeping. Fronds simple, linear, the very oblique veins connected in 

 an intramarginal vein. Sori continuous along the intramarginal vein, with a 

 two-valved indusium of the substance of the frond, opening from the outer 

 margin inwards as an inner valve, the margin of the frond recurved over the 

 sorus forming the outer valve, the sorus thus appearing embedded in a double 

 margin of the frond. 



The genus is limited to a very few species dispersed over the tropical regions of the globe. 



Fronds from a few in. to 2ft. long, and 1 to 5 lines broad x y elonaata 



Fronds 4 to Sin. long and 1 J line broad 2 V falcata ' 



Fronds 1 to IJin. long and 2 to 3 lines broad .' ' .' 3." F.' wooroonooran. 



