6. ALSOPHILA. 43 



Hab. Sarawak, Borneo ; alt. 2,700, T. Lobh. — Its nearest affinity is perhaps with 

 A, squamulata, from which the fronds differ in colour and texture ; and it is remarkable 

 for the large and curiously branched spines at the bases of the stipe 



66. K. podophylla, Hk. ; si. generally sharply muoronato-aculeate and, as well 

 as the main rachises, purple-brown ; /r. subcoriaceo-raembranaceous ; prim. 

 pinncB 1^-2 ft. and more long, pinnatifid at the apex ; pinnl. extremely variable 

 in size and shape, petiolate, 4-8 in. 1., ^-1 in. w., from a truncate, or subhastate, 

 or cordate base s-^rord-shaped, acuminate, entire, or serrated only towards the 

 apex, or slightly lobed, or more or less pinnatifid, rarely deeply pinnatifid and 

 even pinnate towards the base ; veins pinnated ; minlets often united in the more 

 entire pinnules towards the margin, bearing a sonis near their base, and conse- 

 quently parallel with the primaiy vein. — Hk. K. Gard. Misc. 8. p. 334, and in 

 2nd Cent, of Ferns, t. 66. 



Hab. Chusan ; Hong-Kong, frequent. Variable as is this handsome species, I cannot 

 but consider it quite distinct from A. glabra of Bl. 



67. A. commutata, Mett.; st. paleaceous, at the base tuberculatorasperous, and, 

 as well as the rachises, dark ebeneous-purple, subulato-squamulose ; fr. singu- 

 lai-ly firm and coriaceous, rich brown when dry ; prim, pinnoe 1^ ft. 1., 6-8 in. 

 w., stipitate ; pinnl. rather distant, all petiolate (^petiole often 2 lines 1.), oblong- 

 acuminate, pinnatifid rather less than half-way to the thickened costule ; lobes 

 ovato-or rotundato-serrated ; costule with a few deciduous buUate scales; sori 

 iew, close to the costule. — A. squamulata, edit, 1 . non Mett. 



Hab. Malacca, Mt. Ophir, Qriffiih, Cuming. 



68. A. glabra, Hk. ; st. asperous, paleaceous at the base, and, as well as the 

 main rachises, purple-ebeneous, polished j/r. subcoriaceo-membranaceous ; prim,, 

 pinnae 1-^-2 and more ft. 1., deeply pinnatifid at the apex ; pinnl., upper ones 

 sessile, lower ones petiolate, from a truncated base, oblong-acuminate, 3-6 in. 1., 

 5-9 1. w., pinnatiiid, J-^ way to the costule, rarely more ; lobes triangular or 

 rounded, rarely ovate, serrated ; veins pinnated, veinlets all simple ; sori on most 

 of the lobes, generally arranged in the shape of a V inverted, not extending to 

 the apex of the lobe. — HJc. Sp. 1. p. 61. Bedd. Fil. p. 20. t. CO {very good). 

 Als. gigantea, Hk. 1. c. p. 63. 



Hab. Java and Malay Islands, generally (Moulmein, n. 3. Parish) ; China and 

 throughout India ; Ceylon. 



59. A. latebrosa, Hk. ; st. aculeate at the base, muricated upwards, dark maho- 

 gany-brown in colour ; prim, pinnae oblong-acuminate, 12-24 in. 1., 6-8 in. br._; 

 pinnl. lanceolate-acuminate, 3-4 in. 1., \ in. br., cut down nearly to the rachis 

 into numerous linear-oblong, blunt, slightly-toothed lobes on each side ; texture 

 herbaceous, upper surface dark-green, naked, lower surface naked, or slightly 

 hairy and scaly ; veins all once forked ; sori elevated, conspicuous, occupying 

 often the lower two-thirds of the segment.— i/*. Sp. 1. p. 37. Bedd. Fil. p. 19. 

 «. 68. 'Poly^oimm, Wall. HemiteWa, Mett. in Miq. \. p. 5^. 



Hab. Common almost throughout India proper and the Malay Islands, Formosa, 



^(._ There are plenty of scales amongst the fructifications, but none, I think, thai 



can constitute a Hemeteloid involucre. The Himalayan plant included here is A. 

 Ihasyaria, Moore, Kuhn Linnsea, 36. p. 154, and A. Oldhami, Beddome, Ferns Brit, 

 Ind. t. 343. 



60. A. lurida, Hk. ; st. smooth; rachis slightly scabrous and scaly below, 

 densely tomentose and scaly above ; fr. broadly lanceolate ; prim, pinnae 1 ft. 1. ; 

 pinnl. more than 2 in. 1., | in. br., cut down to the rachis into numerous linear- 

 oblong nearly entire segments ; texture subcoriaceous, upper surface dark-green, 

 naked lower densely scaly on the rachis and costse. — Cnnoophora, Bl. Mett. irt 

 Miq. Ann. Mus. Bot. L. Bat. 1. p. 63. 



