688 yiLICES. 



Fern; frond 2-pinnate: leaflets adianiiform : veins dichotomous, free t aori in a line, 

 parallel to the margin. 



330. D. luuulata, Desv. — Plum. Fil. t. 56. Kze. Farnh: t. 84. Hoolc. Gen. t. 8. — 

 Adiantum, Houtt. Aspidium truncatulum, Sio. — Leaflets dimidiate-trapezoid, blunt, 10'"- 

 6'" long ; sori either justamarginal or distant from the margin. — Hab. Trinidad !, Cr. ; 

 [Cuba! to Brazil!; Pacific islands ! ; trop. Asia! and Africa to Natal]. 



40. ASPIDIUM, Sw. 



.^Sori round (rarely oval), usually dorsal on a slender veinlet : indusinm above the sorus, 

 or abortive (-suppressed) .-^Petiole not jointed at the base. 



There is no other universal character to distinguish Aspidium from Folypodi-um, but the 

 indusium : but from a series of examples, in which the indusium is present and suppressed 

 in the same species, it is probable, as Mcttenius has suggested, that most forms of Polypo- 

 dium, sect. Phegopteris, will eventually prove to possess an indusium (though it may be 

 suppressed in most individuals). Hence I put the names of the West Indian species o( Phe- 

 gopteris at the head of those divisions of Aspidium, to which they would belong if an indu- 

 sium was observed : such forms are easily distinguished from Ewpolypodiuni by the dorsal 

 insertion of the sori, the slender veinlets, and the petiole not jointed at the base, though all' ' 

 these characters have no universal, generic value. 



§ 1. Veinlets thiclcened at the summit, forked-dichotomom, free, 



* Leaf pinnate ; sori terminal on the anterior branch of forked veinlets 

 (Nephrolepis, Schott). 



231. A. pectinatum, W. Leaf pinnate: leaflets shortly oblong, blunt, dimidiate- 

 truncate and upwards auricled at the base ; sori half as much distant from the margin as 

 from the midrib : indusium semilunar, with a broad sinus. — Schk. Grypt. t. 29. b. dextr. 

 — Nephrolepis, Schott. A. trapezoides, Schk. (non Sio.). N. tuberosa. Hook, {ex parte, 

 Lechl. 2155,).— 1'-2' high; leaflets 6"'-8"' long.— Hab. Jamaica!, Macf., Wils., Jl. : 

 [Venezuela! to Peru!]. 

 ^ 232. A. exaUatnm, Sw. Leaf pinnate : leaflets oblong-lanceolate, acute, or bluutish, 

 truncate or subcordate and upwards auricled at the base ; sori half as much distant from 

 the margin as from tlie midrib, or juxtamarginal : indusium cordate-orbicular, or reniform, 

 with a broad, open sinus. — Sl.t.'6\. Plum. Fit. t. 63. — Poiypodium, Z. Nephrolepis, 

 Schott. — Trailing : " twice in the year (from the rainy seasons), the stem starts afresh by a 

 prolongation of the rhachis, remaining afterwards in a quiescent state, at length often attain- 

 ing a height of 15-20', supporting itself on the bushes and trees " [Al.) ; leaflets l"-2" long. 

 — Hab. Jamaica !, Pi^., Hdrtw., Jl. ; S. Vincent!, Guild.; [Cuba ! to Brazil ! ; Pacific is- 

 lands ! ; trop. Asia and Africa]. 



28'3. A. punctnlatum, Sw. Leaf pinnate: leaflets oblong-linear, seti-a\aie,&m.mms.ii, 

 intncate or shortly cuneate at the base, rarely produced upwards, into a short auricle, lowest 

 short, blunt ; sori half as much distant from the margin as from the midrib or juxtamarginal : 

 indusium cordate-orbicular, with a narrow sinus and usually superincumbent auricles.— - 

 Plum. Fil. t. 11 2. Fde, Polypod. t. 23. C.f. 1. — Nephrolepis acuta, Sjo/i,— Variable, com- 

 prising e.g. A. acutum, Schk. (Crypt, t. 31) : a form with the rhachis and leaflets hairy be- 

 neath (Syn. A. paraense, "W., Kze. !), A. acuminatum., W. : a glabrous form, A.ensifolium, 

 Schk. (Crypt, t. 33), Kze. ! : the form with juxtamarginal sori. Leaflets 2"-4" long. — 

 Hab. Jamaica !, P<^. ,• Dominica !, Jmr. ; [Cuba! to Brazil!, and all tropical countries]. 



334. A. sesquipedale, W. Leaf pinnate : leaflets oblong-lanceolate, bluntish, cre- 

 nate-serrate above, truncate and upward produced into a deltoid auricle at the base; sori 

 half as much distant from the margin as from the midrib, or juxtamarginal ; indusium 

 cordate-orbicular, with a narrow sinus and usually accumbent auricles. — Schk. Cri/pt. t. 

 82. b. — A. exaltatum, Schk., Sieb. Mart. 357. Nephrolepis neglecta, Eze. (ex Schk., non 

 Mortor.). N. exaltata, i?ooi. {ex parte, Lechl. ihlh). N. valida, j^ze. .'; a form with the 

 sori distant from the margin. — Several feet high ; leaflets l"-2" long. — Hab. West Indies 

 (Sic.); [Martinique!; Guiana! to Peru !]. 



