236 



F I L I C E S. 



Rootstoch short and creeping. Fronds smooth, very large, elastic, 

 and of a rigid consistence, iripinnate, the upper surface glossy, the 

 lower of a pale green colour ; the divisions both primary and secon- 

 dary alternate, petiolate, spreading, above confluent, and contracted 

 gradually into a narrow serrate point. Ultimate pinna somewhat 

 rhombic-lanceolate, or oblong-lanceolate, the point acute, the base some- 

 what oblique and cwieate, and pinnatifid almost to the costa., or else 

 incisely serrate; the segments lance-oblong, slightly falcate, toothed. 

 Bhachis of the ultimate pinnae margined with a very narrow wing. 

 Sori small, from 2 to 6 on a segment, and seated either close to the 

 point of a main or at the base of an axillary tooth; the indusium 

 thin and scarious, half cup-shaped, attenuated at the base, its some- 

 what truncated apex about equalling the margin of the sinus or 

 tooth. 



Plate 33. — Fig. 1. A portion of a frond, of the natural size. 1 a. 

 View of a portion of an ultimate pinna, from underneath. 1 b. 

 A single sorus, showing the form of the indusium. 1 c. A sin- 

 gle sorus, with the indusium removed, so as to show the inser- 

 tion of the sporangia. 1 d, d. Sporangia.— The details more or less 

 magnified. 



3. MlCROLEPlA TENUIS, Sp. Nov. 



M. rhizomate repente; stipitibus Icevibus teretibus hinc sulcatis ; frondibus 

 membranaceis glabris oblongo-lanceolatis acuminatis tripinnatis divi- 

 sionibus primariis et secundariis alternis petiolatis distantibus apice 

 caudato-acuminatis serratisque; pinnulis subrhombeo-oblongis acutis 

 inciso-serratis basi cuneatis; laciniis lineari-oblongis obtusis bi-tri- 

 dentatis; venis utrinque promimdis ; soris parvis singulis juxta basim 

 dentis; indusio scarioso oblongo basi attenuato. 



Hab. Feejee Islands ; frequent. 



Rootstoch creeping. Stipes about a foot in length, of the thickness 

 of a crowquill, smooth, round, yellowish-brown, grooved with a shallow 

 channel in front, bearing a few stiff scales at the base. D-onds from a 

 span to 15 inches loug, rather membranaceous, smooth, oblong-lanceolate, 



