NEPHRODIUM. 



477 



N. (Lastrea) Blumei — Las'-tre-a ; Blu'-me-i (Blume's). Synonymous 

 with N. intermedium. 



N. (Lastrea) Boivini— Las'-tre-a ; Boi-vi'-ni (Bomn's), Baker. 



This gigantic-growing, stove species, native of Madagascar, is very distinct 

 and ornamental Its ample fronds, deltoid and quadripinnatifid (shaped hke 

 the Greek deha, A, and four times divided nearly to the midrib), have their 

 lower leaflets also deltoid and stalked, IJft. long, 1ft. broad, and divided into 

 oblong-spear-shaped pinnules (leafits) wedge-shaped on the lower side at the 

 base. These fronds are of a thin but firm texture, and their final lobes are 

 blunt and nearly entire, the upper ones being somewhat sickle-shaped. They 

 are of a dark green colour on both surfaces ; the upper one is hairy, and the 

 lower one is finely scaly on the ribs. The copious medium-sized sori (spore 

 masses) are disposed close to the margin, and are covered by a fugacious 

 involucre. — Hooker., Synoi^sis Filicum, p. 501. 



N. (Lastrea) Bojeri— Las'-tre-a ; Bo'-je-ri (Bojer's), Baker. 



A stove species, of medium dimensions, native of the Bourbon and 

 Mauritius Islands, with fronds IJft. to 2ft. long and nearly as broad, borne 

 on straw-coloured stalks 6in. to 9in. long, with spear-shaped scales at the 

 base only. The leaflets are overlapping, spear-shaped, sometimes 1ft. long 

 and 4in. broad, the lowest the largest ; while their pinnules (leafits) are cut 

 down to the rachis (stalk) below into oblong- strap -shaped and almost entire 

 lobes of a soft, papery texture and naked on both surfaces. The sori (spore 

 masses) are distant from the midrib, and are covered by a naked involucre 

 of a firm nature. — Hooker, Species Filicum, iv., p. 126. 



N. (Lastrea) Boottii — Las'-tre-a ; Boott'-i-i (Boott's). A variety of 

 N. spinulosum. 



N. (Lastrea) borneense — Las'-tre-a ; bor-ne-en'-se (Bornean), Hooker. 



This stove species, native of Borneo, is of somewhat similar habit to the 

 better-known N. Jiaccidum, from which it is, however, quite distinct through 

 the more leathery texture of its spear-shaped fronds : these are Ift. to l^ft. 

 long, 4in. to 6m. broad, and borne on firm, erect, naked stalks 6in. long and 

 of a brown colour. It also differs from that species through its fronds being 



