252 43. ASPIDIUM, § POLYSTICHUM. 



mucronate, the central one the largest, and all sometimes a little toothed, the 

 base cuneate, nearly equal on both sides, the lower ones distinctly stalked ; 

 texture very coriaceous ; veins obscure ; sori in two close rows. — Hk. Sp. 4. 

 p. IS. t. 216. 



Hab. Jamaica ; gathered by Purdie and Wilson. — ^This and the preceding are both 

 united by Grisebach with triangulum. 



*** Lower pinnas once pinnate. Sp. 18-29. 



18. A. (Polyst.) aculeatum, Sw. ; St. tufted, 6-12 in. 1., more or less clothed 

 with ovate-lanceolate and fibrillose pale brown-scales ; fr. 1-2 ft. 1., 8-12 in. hr., 

 ovate-lanceolate ; lower pinnm close, lanceolate, 4-6 in. 1., J-f in. br. ; pinnl. 

 ovate-rhomboidal, unequal-sided, auricled on the upper side at the base ; teeth 

 aristate ; texture subcoriaceous ; rachis straw^-coloured, more or less scaly ; 

 under- surface slightly fibrillose ; sari principally in two rows nearer the midrib 

 than the edge. — a, A. hbatum, Sw. ; texture coriaceous ; pinnl. confluent at the 

 base.^-ft A. aculeatum, Sw. ; texture less rigid ; pinnl, sessile, the lower ones free. 

 — 7, A. angidare, Willd. ; texture less rigid, lower pinnl. stalked, sometimes 

 deeply pinnatifid. — Hk. Sp. 4./>. 18. 



Hab. Throughout the world ; rare in the Arctic regions and Eastern N. America. — 

 A. sgumromm, Don {rufo-iartatwm, Wall.) has the rachis densely clothed with reddish- 

 brown fibrillose scales ; A . proUferum, Br., is a proliferous Australian form ; A. vestitum,, 

 Sw., has the rachis densely clothed to the point both with reddish-brown fibrillose and 

 large lanceolate dark-brown scales ; A. bia/nstatvm, Blume, has the frond narrowed sud- 

 denly upwards, and large rhomboidal pinnules, aristate principally at the point and 

 auricle ; the Cape A. luctuomm, Kunze, has the scales of the rachis fibrillose and nearly 

 black ; A. Tsua-Simense, Hk., ia probably a slender form ; and A. ordinatmn and Moritz- 

 ianwm, Kunze, and Polyp, muricatimo, L., are luxuriant forms from S. America. We 

 have non-indusiatelbrms from New Zealand (Polyp. aylmaticMm, Colenso), Britain (var. 

 pimiwaum, Moore) ; and there is a wide range of forms in S. America included under 

 Polyp, rigidiimi^^. Fil. 4. p. 246 ; lo. Fil. t. 163), which correspond to the various forms 

 of this species, difiering only by the want lOf an involucre. 



19. A. (Polyst.) pungens, Kaulf. ; rhizome stout, wide-creeping ; st. scattered, 

 1 ft. 1., stramineous, scaly only below ; fr. 2-.3 ft. 1., 9-12 in. br. ; Xovtex pinnm 

 6-12 in. 1., 1-2 in. br. ; pinnl. ovate-rhomboidal, unequal-sided, often deeply 

 pinnatifid, the teeth awned ; texture subcoriaceous ; loth surfaces naked ; sori 

 principally in two rows nearer the midrib than the edge. — Schlecht. Adumb. 

 p. 21. t. 10. 



Hab. Cape Colony and Natal. — Best distinguished from aculeatum by its creeping 

 rhizome. 



20. A. (Polyst.) mohrimdes, Bory; st. tufted, 2-6 in. 1., stout, more or less 

 densely clothed with lanceolate dark-brown scales ; fr. 6-12 in 1., 2-3 in. br., 

 with numerous dense, often imbricated, lanceolate pinnm, which are cut down 

 below into slightly-toothed ohlong-rliomboidal pinul. ; teeth blunt or mucronate ; 

 texture coriaceous ; both surfaces naked ; rachis stout, compressed, scaly ; veins 

 close, immersed ; sori copious. — Hk. Sp. 4. p. 26. 



Hab. Patagonia and the Cordilleras of Chili. — Like a stout reduced form of Icbalum, ; 

 but teeth in the typical specimens not at all spinulose. Gathered lately on Marion 

 Island by Mr. Moseley, of the Challenger expedition. 



21. A. (Polyst,) Qbpsum, Mett. ; st. tufted, 4-6 in. 1., densely clothed with 

 large,'ovate-acuhiinate, ''bright-brown scales; fr. 1 ft. or more 1., 4-6 in. br., 

 lanceolate, with numerous distant linear-lanceolate pinnm, the lower ones 3-4 

 in. 1,, I in. br. ; pinnl. distinct, obk)ng-rhomhoida1, the obscure teeth blunt or 



