38. ASPLENIUM, §§ EUASPLEHIUM. 207 



spreading pinnae on each side, wliioh are 4-8 in. 1., |-1 J in. br., tlie point acu- 

 minate, tlie edge sliarply inciao-serrate, the upper base rounded, the lower 

 cuneate ; texture coriaceous ; racMs strong, erect, brown, sometimes polished ; 

 veins very oblique ; sori mostly in 2 parallel rows, close to the midrib. — Hk. Sp. 3. 

 p. 154. A. camptosorum, Mett. A. progrediens. Fie. 



Hab. Tropical America, from Cuba and Guatemala southward to Organ Mountains and 

 Peru, and gathered also by Mann on the Cameroon Mountains and at Fernando Po, — 

 Var. Jmray<mum,'Sk., is a large form with the pinnae often deeply lobed. 



87. A. iya''invr/!,, Li'in. ; St. tufted, .3-6 in. 1., naked, except at the base, 

 polishc'.J, ciiesnut-brown, the scales linear, nearly black ; Jr. 6-12 in. ]., 2-3 

 in. br., oblong-lanceolate, the apex pinnatifld ; pinnae of the lovver half quite 

 distinct, spreading horizontally, 1 in. or more 1., f in. br., oblong or lanceolate- 

 deltoid, the point acute or obtuse, the margin crenato-dentate, sometimes deeply 

 sinuated, the base slightly truncate below, and often auricled above ; texttire 

 subcoriaceous ; veins usually once forked ; sori broad, falling short of the edge. 

 —H/c. Sp. 3. p. 95. Brit. F. *. 31. 



Hab. Coast of W. Europe, from the Orkneys to the Canaries and Azores ; and there 

 are specimens also in the Kew Herbarium from Nova Scotia, the island ol St. Vincent, 

 and S. Brazil. 



88. A. ohtusatum, Forst. ; si. tufted, 3-6 in. 1., firm, greyish, densely clothed 

 at the base with large, thin, grey, lanceolate scales ; fr. 6-12 in, 1., 3-4 in. br., 

 oblong or ovate-deltoid, with a terminal ^z^ma not much larger than 'the others, 

 and 2-6 pairs on each side, which are 1-2 in. 1., ^-| in. br., obtuse at the point, 

 the edge crenate, the base truncato-cuneate, especially on the lower side, and 

 shortly stalked ; texture cartilaginous ; rctchis firm, broad, often compressed and 

 channelled, both surfaces naked ; colour pale-green ; veins immersed and incon- 

 spicuous ; sori copious, broad, linear-oblong, falling short of the edge. — Hk. Sp, 

 Fil. 3. p. 96. Fil. Ex. t. 46. — /3, A. obliquum, Forst. ; fr. often more than 1 ft. 1., 

 6 in. br. ; pinnm more numerous, often 4 in. 1., 1 in. br., narrowed gradually to 

 an acute point, with the lines of fruit -^-J in. 1. and closer ; texture still carti- 

 laginous.^ — y, A. lucidum, Forst. •,jfr. sometimes 2 ft. 1., with 16-20 pairs of pinnce 

 on each side, which are more herbaceous in texture, darker green in colour, the 

 lowest 6 in. 1., 1-1^ in. br., narrowed gradually to a long acuminated point, 

 the edge more deeply toothed, the rachis often dark-coloured. — Hk. Sp. S.p. 99. 



Hab. Peru and Chili, Polynesian Islands, and plentiful in New Zealand and Australia. 

 — The three well known plants here united appear to glide into one another by the most 

 gradual intermediate stages of transition ; and what complicates the matter still more is 

 the occurrence of forms with the pinnae pinnatifld or even fully pinnate, which cannot be 

 separated clearly.- Of these A. scleropium^ Hombr. & Jacq., is most like /3 in texture, 

 with the pinnas regularly and closely toothed throughout to a depth of two lines or more ; 

 A. difforme, R. Br., has an ovate-deltoid frond of coriaceous texture, with pinnae quite 

 cut down to a narrow-winged rachis in the lower part into distinctly separated roundish 

 or oblong sinuated pinnules ; and A. Lyallii, Moore {A. lucidum, var. Lyallii, Hk. fil. 

 Fl. N. Z. t. 77), has a herbaceous frond nearly 18 in. 1., 9 in. br., with lauceolate deltoid 

 lower pinnae 6 in. 1., 3 in. br. ; in the extreme form cut down into deeply-toothed pin- 

 nules, which are cuneate at the base and distinctly stalked, 



89. A. gemmiferum, Schrad. ; st. tufted, 3-6 in. 1., firm, greyish, the base and 

 lower part scaly ; fr. 1-2 ft. 1,, 4-8 in. br., oblong, generally proliferous at the 

 apex, with 6-12 erecto-patent distinctly-stalked pinnce on each side, the lowest 

 of which are 4-6 in. 1., |-1 in. br., narrowed gradually to an acute point ; the 

 edge crenato-dentate, the base truncato-cuneate ; texture herbaceous or subcori- 

 aceous ; rachis firm, naked, compressed below ; veins immersed and incon- 

 spicuous ; sori copious, broad, falling short of both edge and midrib. — Hk. Sp. 3. 

 p. 100. 



