14 2. GLEICHENIA, § MEETENSIA, 



2 ft. 1., 1-2 in. br., pectinato-pinnatifid, clothed with cohwebby, deciduous 

 pubescence, generally ferruginous beneath ; segm. spreading, linear, obtuse or 

 retuse ; caps. 2-5, often concealed among the pubescence. — Hk. Sp. l.p. 8. M. im- 

 mersa, Klf. Hh. et Orev. Ic. F. t.\5 {excellent). Gl. tomentosa, Sw. Hk. Sp. 1. p. 13. 

 — 13 more or less glabrous. M; furcata, Sw. G. Mathewsii, Hk. Sp. p. 9. t. 7. B. 

 M. farinosa, Klf. Hk. Sp. p, 9. — t longipinnata ; pinnce 2 ft. 1., 3 in. wide. 

 G. longipinnata, Hk. Sp. i.p. 9, M. grandis, F&e, in Hb. nostr. 



Hab. Tropical America, abundant ; very variable in the more or leas decurrent lobeB 

 of the fr^d, and in tiie presence or absence of tomentum and scales. 



18. G. (Mert.-) owh/hmsis, Hk.; st. above much compressed, and winged with 

 2 elevated ciliated lateral lines ; fronds subcoriaceous, 3-4, times or more dicho- 

 tomous, leafy ; pinnce lanceolate, acuminate, a span to 1 ft. 1., 2-2J in. w. ; segm. 

 liriSar, horizontal, tapering and acute, cobwebby on the costa and veins beneath j 

 caps. 2-4. — Hk. Sp. l.p. 9. Mert. Hawaiensis, Brack. Ml. U.S.Expl.Exp.p.^dS. 



Hab. Owhyhee. Macme, Brachenndge. 



19. G. {M-evi.) flagellaris, B'^\. ■; branches of the fr. glabrous, repeatedly dicho- 

 Joracitrs,' copiously fuijaceous, glabrous,"*'often glaucous beneath, subooriaceo-mem- 

 branaceous ; pinnce erecto-patent or divaricating, extremely variable, broad- or 

 narrow- or linear-lanceolate, 5-6 in. to a ft. and moi-e 1. ; segm. ^-2 in. ajid more 1., 

 linear, sometimes ferrugineo-tomentose at the base beneath; caps. 2-4. — Hk. Sp. 1. 

 p. 10. Mertensia, Bory. G. Itevigata, JV. Hk. Sp, 1. p. 10. G._.bi£urcata^^;. 

 Hk. Sp. l.p. 11. Mert. plumaeformis, Pr. Epim. p. 24. t. 15 (verfgood). S". hi'ac- 

 f eata, Bl. in Hb. Hook, {axillary gemmce psctinato-bracteated ; bra,nches of the/r. 

 contracted). V 



Hab. Mauritius and Bourbon, Madagascar ; J-ava and Malay Islands, abundant ; Fiji, 

 Milne. — Tlie Malayan form of tliis is very large and rigid, yet the ramification and the 

 copious foliaoeous branches ai-e the same as in the Mauritian and Madagascar form. 



20. G. (Mert.) Mrta, Bl. ; "fr, chartaceous when dry, opaque, green above, 

 beneath cajruleo-pruinate (very glaucous on the rachise and costs), together 

 with the (small ) gemmce densely paleaceous with ferruginous, lanceolate scales, 

 paler at the margin and ciliated, at length bare on the costae, many times dicho- 

 tomous ; branches adscendenti-flabellate ; prim, ones 1 in. 1., nudate ; second, ones 

 IJ in. i.) subnudate ; tertiary ones subelongate ; ult. ones {or pinnce") 7-Q in. \., 

 standing at an angle of 30°, linear, gradually attenuated, deeply pinnatifld ; lobes 

 8 in. 1., Ij in. br. (oblong-) linear, obtuse, slightly curved, the margin revolute, 

 the sides entire, the apex denticulate ; veins lax, slender ; sori between the costa 

 and the margih, of 3-5 caps." Mett. — Hk. Sp. l.p. 11. Mett. in Miq. Ann. Mus, 

 Bot. L. Bat. 1. p. 48. 



Hab. Malay Islands, Seimwardt, Sir W. Norris. — It is but recently that I have re- 

 ceived specimens of this from Sir W. Norris, but unfortunately all sterile ones. 



21. G. (Mert.) vestita, Bl. ; " fr. chartaceous or subcoriaceous, dark opaque- 

 green above, pruinose beneath, ferruginously fimbriato-paleaceous an the rachises, 

 costce, and gemmce, many times dichotomous ; inf. branches 1-2 in. 1., subdivergent ; 

 ult. ones {or pinnce) 6-8 in. 1., all deeply pinnatifld ; segm. approximate, patent, 4-5 

 lines 1., 2^ lines br., oblong, or ovato-oblong, rather obtuge or shortly apiculate, 

 entire; ^«»2»!«pinnatifidly bracteated; veinslax, evident beneath, prominent above; 

 caps. 5, large." Mett. — Hk. Sp. 1.^.10. Mett. in Miq. Ann. Mus. Bot. L. Bat. p. 48. 



Hab. Malay Islands, Slume, Van Easult. — I possess authentic specimens of this 

 from Blume, quite glaucous beneath ; those from Ged^ ( Van Hasadl) are not at all 

 glaucous. Blume notices its close affinity with Q. lavigata, which we unite with G.flagel- 

 laris. It is a stouter-growing plant, with broader and shorter segments. Mettenius, with 

 equal justice, says it is almost to be looked upon as a large form of 0. revoluta (n. 15), 

 with large and less ciliated chaffy scales and more distinct veins. 



§§§ Stipes aigsag, branched ; branches .beming from 1-3 pairs of forked divari- 

 cating pinnae; segments never decurrent. Sp. 22. 



