24 4. CYATHEA. 



fragile membrane, at first covering the whole sorus,' breaking down into irregular 

 lobes. 

 Hab. Sarawak, Borneo, UTios. LoVb, n. 166.— Apparently a very distinct species, which 



1 only possess from the above locality. 



40. C. assimilis, Hk. ; caud. 20 ft. high ; st. bright chestnut, slightly muricated 

 and fringed on one side with long, ferruginous scales ; fr. ample, coriaceo-mem- 

 branaceous, bi-tripinnate ; prim. pinn<B nearly 1 ft. 1., 3-4 in. w., broad-oblong 

 acuminate, petiolate, glabrous ; pinnl. a,ni prim, sup.pinnm deeply, almost to the 

 costa, pinnatifid (lowest inf. lobe always the smallest), from 4-6 lines 1., oblong, 

 very obtuse, subfalcate, coarsely toothed ; sup. rachis and underside of the cost(B 

 subsquamose ; veins simple or once or twice forked ; sori dorsal or, in the axis of 

 the fork, subglobose ; invol. at first entire, very thin and filmy, breaking down 

 into very irregular lobes, 



Hab. Hills, Sarawak, Borneo, T. Zobh, n. 168. — This has much the general aspect 

 of Alsophila s^amulaia {GymnoB^hdsrs,, Bl.), but is more compound, and has the true 

 involucre of a Cyathea. 



41. C. LohMana, Hk. ; Jr. ample, subcoriaceous, pinnate, pinnatifid at the 

 acuminated apex, everywhere smooth, glabrous, and destitute of scales ; pinnce 

 petiolate ; inferior ones (the largest of our specimens) 9-10 in. 1., 2-2^ in. w., 

 oblong, deeply acuminate nearly to the rachis, pinnatifid, or pinnate only at the 

 very base ; lowest inferior pinnl. always the smallest ; loies or pinnl. horizontal, 

 spreading, obtuse, obscurely serrated ; super, pinnae gradually smaller, obtuse, 

 sessile ; veins distinct, approximate, simple or forked ; sori globose, dorsal, or 

 rarely in the axil of the veins, in 2 rows, one on each side the costule ; invol. a 

 very thin, delicate membrane, at first investing the whole sorus, at length deli- 

 quescent, as it were, at the summit, and breaking down irregularly. 



Hab. Sarawak, Borneo, T. Lobb. — My largest pinnse have a very close affinity with 

 those of A Uophila alternans ; but here is a most distinct though almost filmy involucre. 



42. C. h/menoAes, Mett. ; glabrous ; prim, rachis dark purple-brown, subas- 

 perous ; pinnl. 3 in. 1., oblong, acuminate, sessile, subcoriaceous, dark lurid green 

 on both sides ; costae beneath minutely and sparsely scaly ; lohes very compact, 

 so as to close the sinus, oblong-falcate, very obtuse, obscurely serrate ; sori, at 

 the base of the lobes, few, close to the costule ; " invol. membranaceous, fragile, 

 soon breaking down and falling away." — Mett. in Miq. Ann. Mus. Bot. L. Bat. 

 p. 67. 



Hab. Sumatra, Koj-thals. — My authentic specimen has the sori far advanced and 

 imperfect. May it not rather be an AlsopliUa ? 



43. C. orientaUs, Moore (name only) ; rachises scarcely punctato-muricate ; Jr. 

 ample, coriaceous, black-green, paler beneath, glabrous, bi-tripinnate ; prim, pinnae 



2 ft. 1. ; pinnl. 3-4 in. 1., 6-7 lines w., sessile, oblong-lanceolate, suddenly caudato- 

 acuminate (acumen serrated), deeply near to the costa pinnatifid ; costw beneath 

 ferrugineo-furfuraceous ; lobes linear-oblong, subfalcate, the margin serrated and 

 recurved ; sori copious, close to the costule which they quite conceal ; invol. dark- 

 brown, flrm-membranaceous, persistent, cupshaped, subglobose, rich chestnut- 

 brown, the mouth a little contracted, perfectly orbicular and even at the edge. 



Mett. in Miq. Ann. Bot. L. Bat. l.p. 38. C. arborea /3 pallida, Hass/k. 



Hab. 3m&, Zippd, Zollimger, De Vnese, n. 98,118, 130. — It is no wonder that Hasskarl 

 was disposed to consider this a var. of C. arhorea, of the W. Indies : the involucre forms 

 an equally perfect cup, -which seems to persist in that state without ever becoming 

 fragmentary. 



« 



44. C. arachnoidea, Hk. ; all the rachises dark-coloured and opaque, muricated 

 with short, black, sharp 'spjwM, and clothed with rusty tomentum ifr. tripinnate 

 firm-coriaceous, glabrous above, cobwebby beneath ; second, pinnce 4-4^ in. 1., 

 i in. w., oblong, pinnate, pinnatifid only near the narrow acuminated apex ; pinnl. 



