6. ALSOPHILA. 39 



in Mexico, and from the Copenhagen Garden, where it ia cultivated ; but, save in the 

 caudate apices of the pinnules, it possesses scarcely any distinguishing characters. 



37*. A. oUgocarpa, Fee; ^r. ample, quadripinnatifid ; rcscMsw gi-ey-stramineous, 

 smooth, glabrous ; pinnce oblong, 1^-2 ft. 1. ; pinnl. lanceolate, stalked, 5-6 in. 1., 

 18-21 lin. br., lower reduced ; segm. free, ligulate, 3-4 lin. br., deeply pinnatifid, 

 with oblong blunt lobes ; tea:ture moderately firm ; both surfaces green, glaibrous ; 

 veins pinnate in the quaternary lobes, with simple veiulets ; sort minute, medial, 

 4-6 to the lower lobes. — A. decomposita, Karst. Fl. Golumh. 2. p. 186. t. 198. 



Hab. Andes of Columbia. — Pinnae largest and most compound of all the known 

 species. 



** Species of the Pacific Isles, Australia, and N. Zealand. Sp. 38-47. 



38. A. samoemis. Brack. ; " arborescent, unarmed ; st. and common rachis 

 fulvo-tomentoae above ; fr, glabrous, nearly membranaceous, bipinnate ; pinnl. 

 elongato-lanceolate, scarcely acuminate, pinnatifid ; lobes' oblong, obtuse, sub- 

 falcate, serrated ; part. racTiises and costa and veins (which, are slender, forked, 

 setose above) beneath buUato-squamose ; sori few, infra-axillary, nearer the 

 costa than the margin ; recept. columnar, with a lacerated scale beneath, and hairs 

 among the capsules." — Brack. Fil. p. 287. *. 40./. 1. 



Hab. Samoan Isles, Brackem^dge ; Louisiade Archipelago, McGUliiyray. — I have seen 

 no authentic specimen of this ; but some of my specimens from the Louisiade sufficiently 

 accord with the description and figure above quoted. 



39. A. decwrrens, Hk. ; unarmed ; fr. membranaceous, bipinnate above, the 

 rest tripinnate, sparsely villous with long, white hairs on both sides, chiefly on 

 the costules and veins, the former scurfy with small buUato-acuminated «cofe ,■ 

 prim, pinnce 1-1^ ft. 1., 6 in w., oblong-acuminate ; second, pinnw 2-3 in. 1., oblong- 

 acuminate, pinnated ; ult. pinnl. 4-6 lines 1,, 1^ line w., from an adnate and 

 decurrent base oblong, obtuse, pinnatifid half-way down to the costule ; lobes 

 ovate, acute, entire or with 1 or 2 teeth ; sori 1 to each lobe of few lax capsules. 

 —Hk.Sp. l.p.bl. 



Hab. Pacific Islands; Aneiteum, Samoan Islands; N. Caledonia (Tieillai'd). — A 

 species not likely to be confounded with any other. 



40. A. truncata. Brack. ; main and second. racMses dark purple, glossy, sharply 

 muricate, deciduously furfuraceo-tomentose, as well as the costse and costules 

 Iteneath ; fr. tripinnate, firm, coriaceous, bright green above, paler beneath ; prim, 

 pinnce 10-16 in. 1., 4-5 in. w., oblong, acuminate ; second, ones 2 3 in. ]., J-^ in. 

 w., oblong, sessile, pinnated to the very short pinnatifid acumination ; uU. pinnl. 

 very small, rather distant, from a truncated shortly petiolated free base, linear- 

 oblong, acute, the margin recurved, sinuato-lobate ; costule thick and prominent, 

 bullato-squamulose ; veins forked, almost from the base ; sori small, dark orange, 

 lax, near the costule. — Brack. Fil. p. 288. 



Hab. Fiji and Samoan Islands, Brackenridge ; Ngau, Milne. — A very distinct and 

 peculiar species. 



41 . A. novcE-caledonice, Mett. ; main and second, rachises rufo-fuscous, muri- 

 cate and, as well as the costee beneath hirsuto-tomentose, and very minutely 

 paleaceous ; fr. coriaceous, dark blackish green above, glossy as if varnished 

 (beneath in our specimen wholly covered with fructification), tripinnate ; 

 prim, pinnce If ft. 1., 6 in. w. ; second, ones sessile, linear-oblong, 4-5 lines w., 

 pinnated, except the acuminated serrated apex ; vM. pinnl. rather distant 2-2J 

 lines 1., less than 1 line w., linear-oblong, obtuse, sessile, and slightly decurrent 

 at the base, the margins recurved siibcrenulate ; sori copious, occupying the 

 space between the costule and the margin. — Mett. Fil. N. Caled. n. 100. 



Hab. N. Caledonia, VieUlard, n. 1633. — Mettenius compares this with A. trimcata, 

 Brack, ; no doubt its nearest aifinity, but it is truly distinct 



