160 31. PTERIS, § EUPTERIS 



linear erecto-patent contiguous lobes, which are |-1 in. 1., J in. hr., and serrated 

 when barren ; lateral pinnce numerous, contiguous, similar to the terminal one, 

 the lower ones much larger, deltoid, and again compound ; texture herbaceous ; 

 racMses bright-coloured like the stipe, both surfaces naked ; vmns not conspicuous, 

 simple or once forked, about 1 Hn. apart at the base ; sort absent from the upper 

 part of the segm. ; invol. membranous, conspicuous, 4 lin. br. — Hi:. Sp. 2. 

 p. 189. 



Hab. New Caledonia ; discovered by Mr. C. Moore of Sydney, and since gathered by 

 MM. Vieillard and Deplanche. — Mr. Moore saya that the fronds are sometimes 10 feet in 

 height. One of M. Deplancbe's specimens shows the lower pinnffi, which measure nearly 

 1 ft. 1., 9 in. br., and have five large pinnules on each side. 



29. P. lictesropjii/lla, L. ; St. wiry, slender, erect, naked, straw-coloured ; fr. 

 6-12 in. 1., 8-6 in. br., ovate-deltoid, tripinnate ; pinnce all, except two "or three 

 of the highest, compound, the lowest deltoid, with the pinnl. again pinnatiiid ; 

 ult. segm, of the barren frond ovate, sharply and deeply toothed, cuneate and 

 entire at the base, about J in. 1., J in. br., of the fertile frond about | in. 1., J in. br., 

 the tip sterile and toothed ; texture herbaceous, both surfaces naked, bright-green ; 

 veins obscure ; invol. broad, pale, membranous. — Hk. Sp. 2. p. 166. 



Hab. West-Indian Islands and Brazil. 



30. P. gracilis, Fee ; St. 6-9 in. 1., slender, erect, wiry, naked, polished, pale ; 

 fr. 9-12 in. 1., 6-9 in. br., deltoid, tri- or even quadripinnate ; only the very upper- 

 most pinnce simple, the lower ones hardly more than 1 in. apart, erecto-patent, 

 with numerous closely-placed />i»«Z. on each side, the lower ones sometimes with 

 the segm. again compound ; the ult. divisions linear, when simple not much over 

 f in. 1., less than 1 lin. br., those of the barren frond sharply and deeply spinuloso- 

 serrated ; texture herbaceous ; racMs and both surfaces naked ; veins about \ in. 

 apart, simple or once forked ; invol. pale, membranous. — Hk. Sp. 2. p. 172. 

 t. 128. A. P. semidentata, Fie, Hk. I. c. 



Hab. New Granada and South Brazil. — In some of the specimens with most of the 

 veins simple they anastomose casually in the broader segments, so that it is probable that 

 this is a free-veined form of P. leptophylla, with which in general habit it coincides. 



31. P. laciniata, Willd. ; st. 1 ft. or more 1., stout, erect, very hairy ; fr. 2-4 

 ft. 1., 1-2 ft. br., deltoid, tripinnatifid, the upper part not cut down to the rachis, 

 with oblong entire lobes ^-f in. 1., f in. br. ; lower pinnce 12-18 in. 1., 6-9 in. br., 

 with numerous lanceolate pinnl. on each side, which are cut down to a broadly- 

 winged rachis into lobes which are about ^ in. 1., J in. br. ; texture herbaceous ; 

 rachis and both surfaces hairy ; veins few, often J in. apart at the base, usually 

 once forked ; sori lateral in the ultimate lobes, but not reaching the apex. — 

 Hk. Sp. 2. p. 176. t. 132. B. Lonchitis hirsuta, Linn, 



Hab. Mexico and West Indies southward to Peru. — Though In technical character a 

 Pteris, this is far more like the two species of Lonchitis in habit. Lonchitis Cfhiesbreglltii 

 of Linden (Pteris, J. Smith) is a less hairy Mexican variety. 



32. P. arguta, Alton ; St. 1 ft. or more 1., strong, erect, naked, glossy, bright 

 straw-coloured or reddish-brown ; fr. 1-3 ft. 1., 1 ft. or more br. ; terminal pinna 

 C-9 in. 1., lJ-2 in. br., made up of numerous contiguous erecto-patent linear lobes 

 about 1 in. 1., 2 lin. br., which reach down nearly to the rachis, and are slightly 

 toothed when baiTeu ; pinnce several in number on each side, similar to the ter- 

 minal one, the lowest forked or with one or two similar smaller pinnl. from the 

 base on the lower side ; texture herbaceous ; rachis and both surfaces naked ; veins 

 once forked, about 1 lin. distant at the base ; sori nearly \ lin. br., not usually 

 extending beyond the lower half of the lobes. — Hk, Sp, 2. p. 184. 



Hab, Portugal, Azores, Madeira, Canaries, 



