HEM I TELIA. 



291 



somewbat spear-shaped, Ijft, to 2ft. long, and fiirnistied with nearly stalldess, 

 spear-shaped pmnules (leafits) 4in. to 5in. long, nearly lin. broad, and cut 

 down to the midrib or to a narrow wing. The ultimate segments or sub- 

 divisions, of a sub-coriaceous (almost leathery) texture, are about one line 

 broad, falcate (sickle -shaped), pointed, and toothed. The upj)er surface is of 

 a dark green colour, and the fronds are hairy on the ribs only. The sori 

 (spore masses), small and costular (disposed on the - mid vein or costa), are 

 enclosed in a half-cup-shaped, irregular involucre of a very fragile nature. — 

 Hooker.^ Synoj^sis Filicum, p. 455. Beddome, Ferns of British India, t. oil. 



H. denticulata — den-tic-ul-a'-ta (furnished with small teeth), Hooker. 



A native of Elizabeth Island, South Pacific, readily distmguished by the 

 membranous but firm texture of its ample, smooth fronds. These fronds are 

 bi- or tripinnate (twice or three times divided to the midrib) ; the leaflets 

 are 14in. to loin, long, 4in. to 6in. broad, distinctly stalked, pinnate about 

 two-thirds of their length, but pinnatifid (cleft partly to the midrib) only at 

 their pointed extremity. The pinnules (leafits), almost stalkless and pinnatifid 

 half-way to the midrib, are Sin. to Sin. long, Jin. broad, oblong, and divided 

 into broadly-egg-shaped, finely toothed and notched lobes. The small and 

 abundant sori (spore masses) are situated on the back of the unbranched 

 veins or in the axils (forkings) of the forked ones, nearer the margin than 

 the costule (midrib). — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 31. 



H. DurYillei — Dur-vib-le-i (Durville's). A synonym of H. tahitensis. 



H. grandifolia — gran-dif-or-i-a (large-fronded). Spruce. 



This species is a native of the West Indies, New Granada, and Guiana, 

 where it is abundant, producing from a trunk 4ft. to 5ft. high its ample, 

 pinnate fronds, which are borne on conspicuously prickly stalks. These 

 fronds are furnished with sessile pinnae (stalkless leaflets) of a somewhat 

 leathery texture, 1ft. to IJft. long, lin. to 2in. broad, pinnatifid half or three- 

 quarters of the way to the midrib, their broadly -oblong, blunt lobes being 

 toothed like a saw at the extremity. The sori (spore masses) are situated on 

 the free veins and disposed in an uninterrupted line between the midrib and 

 the margin, often nearer the latter. — Hooker, Species Filicum, i., p. 30, t. 14a. 

 Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, ii., p. 135. 



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