294 F I L I C E s. 



5. Mertensia flagellars, Bory. 



Mertensia flagellar is, Bory, in Willd. Spec. PI. 5, p. 74, 

 Gleichenia flagellars, Hook. Spec. El. 1, p. 10. 



Hab. Ovolau, Feejee Islands. 



This is very evidently the plant described by Willdenow and Sir 

 William Hooker. There are a few sporangia on one of our speci- 

 mens, generally 3 or 4 in a cluster. 



6. Mertensia subflabellata, Sp. Nov. 



M. stipite gracili tereti glabro basi palmeeoj frondibus ter dichotomis 

 subflabelliformibus; pinnis linearibus acuminatis pinnatipartitis 

 apice integris, segmentis alternis triangxdari-ovatis subtus glaucis 

 margine revohdis; costa subtus paleis membranaceis elongatis Jim- 

 briata supra pilis gracilibus crinita ; venis furcatis ; sporangiis birds 

 quaternisve majusculis. 



Hab. On the Organ Mountains, Brazil. 



Whole plant from 10 to 15 inches high. Stipe slender, smooth, 

 and terete, chaffy with narrow and rigid ciliated scales at the base. 

 Fronds never more than thrice branched; the pinnae, ascending, linear, 

 acuminate, deeply pinnatifid, with an entire point of about half an inch 

 in length. Segments short, alternate, triangular-ovate, with revolute 

 margins, very glaucous underneath; the costa beneath partially con- 

 cealed by long and brown, fimbriated, chaffy scales, above beset with 

 tufts of long and weah, whitish hairs. Sporangia large, 2 to 4 in 

 a cluster. 



This is evidently related to Gleichenia revoluta, H. B. K. But it 

 differs in the absence of a central main rhachis or stipe to the frond, 

 which is only three times branched ; the branches terminating in an 

 entire point. 



