POLYPODIACE^E. 171 



Although this is altogether a very distinct plant, yet its habit in 

 some measure resembles the A. patens of Kaulfuss, from which it 

 differs in the fronds being more deeply divided, and seldom bearing 

 more than one sorus on a segment. 



Plate 24. — Fig. 1. Frond, of the natural size. 1 a. Pinnule, 

 showing the indusium. 1 b. A scale, from the base of the stipe. 1 c. 

 Sporangium. — All more or less magnified. 



54. Asplenium MULTiFiDUM, Sp. Nov. (Tab. 23.) 



A. stipitibus Icevibus angulatis sulcatis squamosisj frondibus membra- 

 naceis tripinnatis; divisionibus primariis alternis imbricatis oblongis 

 acuminatis; pinnulis oblongis obtusis pinnatipar litis, laciniis lineari- 

 oblongis obtusis, inferioribus bi-trifidis ; rhachi parce squamosa ; soris 

 semi-oblongis submarginalibus ; indusio integerrimo. 



Hab. Tahiti, Society Islands, and Ovolau, Feejee Islands : in 

 mountain forests. 



Plant large and graceful in its habit. /Stipes lb feet long, and 

 about the thickness of a goosequill, of a grayish-brown colour, smooth, 

 angular, sulcate in front, chaffy with scattered, peltate, lacerated, 

 brown scales, which continue upwards on the rhachis and costa. 

 Fronds membranaceous, glabrous, 2 feet and upwards in length, tripin- 

 nate, the primary divisions alternate, imbricated, spreading, and with 

 the secondary ones contracting into a sharp pinnatifid point. Pinnules 

 oblong, obtuse, deeply pinnatifid ; the segments linear-oblong, obtuse, 2 or 

 3 lines long and less than a line in breadth, the inferior ones twice or 

 thrice divided, bearing a single oblong sorus on their inner margin, 

 which has an entire indusium. 



This is one of the most graceful Ferns of the tribe, and is allied to 

 the A. (Darea) cicutarium of Willdenow : but that is bipinnate, and 

 its sori are shorter. 



Plate 23. — Fig. 2. Portion of a frond, of the natural size. 2 a. 

 A segment, showing the indusium. 2 b. Sporangia. — The details 

 magnified. 



