212 
POLYPODIUM. 
E OLYPODIUM HIRTELLUM. (Bl) ` Claudex small ascending scaly above, stipites tufted j to 15 inch long, slender fili- 
form villous with spreading reddish-brown hairs, 
to lrd of an inch broad, quite entire at the margin, attenuated at the 
of the stipites, veins spreading simple or often forked near the base, 
soriferous near their base, when forked soriferous at the apex of the short fork, Bl, En. Fil. Jav, p. 123. Hook. Sp. Fil. iv. 166 ;一 
Polypodium hirtum. Hook, Sp. Fil. iv. 170. (not Mett.) e | à 
The specimen figured is from Ceylon. Fig. clxxii. of this work (or P. lasisorum Hook.) is only a small form of this species 
` and that name must consequently be reduced. I have just received copious specimens from Mr. Thwaites from Ceylon, which clearly 
show that the two forms belong to one species. Grammitis adspersa ( Bl.) which I have received from Java is in no way diferent 
and Gram. pusilla (Bl.) which I have from Java, though it has a different look, is probably only a form of this species (and ts referred 
to it by Sir W. Hooker), «t has much narrower fronds and is not so copiously hairy, but the venation and position of the sori are the 
same. Polypodium hirtum ) Mett.) not Hook. (which I have from Java under the name of Gram. fasciculata, Bl.) 5 in its veins, 
being several times forked and in tts much thicker texture, it is besides a much larger fern. Without copious specimens it would be im- 
possible to determine the limits of the species of this group. I have latel y received a species from Bourbon under the name of P. rufo-pilum 
(probably the P. setigeram of Blume) it has just the aspect of the fern here figured, and only differs in the veins being generally twice 
forked, and the sori ( which are not so regular ) being situated on both the superior and inferior fork, the upper portion of the frond could 
not however be distinguished from P. hirtellum, as the veins are there only once forked or even simple, and intermediate forms may prove 
base ràther densely villous and ciliated with similar hairs to those 
sori in a single regular series close to the costa, veins when simple. 
this to be a form of “ ۲ 
PLATE No. CCXII. 
fronds firm-membranaceous, linear-oblong to lanceolate, 1 to 4 or more inches long, jth ` | 
