polypodiace^e. 243 



Root-stock long, black, and creeping, closely imbricated with oblong, 

 caudate-acuminate scales. Stipes slender and nearly round, with a 

 slight furrow in front. Fronds deltoid-ovate, smooth and coriaceous, 

 constantly quinate-pinnate ; the height of the fertile one, with the 

 stipes, from 6 to 8 inches. Pinnae subopposite, nearly sessile, the 

 terminal one the longest, linear-lanceolate, obtuse, the margin doubly- 

 toothed, the inferior pair furnished with a segment or lobe below. 

 Sterile frond smaller, strictly quinate; the pinnse sessile, opposite, 

 and lanceolate, their margins finely serrate, both surfaces smooth 

 and glossy, the under one can scarcely be called silvery, although 

 paler than the upper. Indusium short, oblong, truncate; the sori 

 forming a continuous marginal chain the whole length of the pinna. 

 Veins immersed, either wholly simple or forked. 



Closely related to the preceding ; yet distinct from it in the smaller 

 quinate fronds, the narrower pinnse, with a doubly-toothed margin 

 soriferous the whole length, and in the shorter and more cup-shaped 

 indusium. 



Plate 35. — Fig. 2. Portion of a plant, of the natural size. 2 a. 

 View of a portion of a pinna, from below. 2 b. Cross section of the 

 rhizoma. 2 c. A scale, from the same. 2 d. A sorus, with the 

 special indusium removed. 2 e. Sporangium. — The details more or 

 less magnified. 



* * * Frondes tripinnatce seu decomposite. 



5. Davallia Canariensis, 8m. 



Davallia Canariensis, Sm. ex Sw. Syn. Fil. p. 134; Willd. Spec. PL 5, p. 474; 

 Hook. Spec. Fil. 1, p. 169, t. 56, A. 



Hab. Island of Madeira: on trees and rocks; frequent on the 

 north side of the island. 



This has been long and well known as the " Hare's-foot Fern," on 

 account of the appearance of its stout and creeping, scaly, brown 

 rootstock. 



