PTERIS. 



283 



and naked on both surfaces. The spore masses fall short of the extremity 

 of the leafits. P. pellucens is identical with this species. — Hooker, Species 

 Filicum, ii., p. 191. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, hi., p. 243. 



P. longipinnula — long-ip-in'-nul-a (having long leafits), Wallich. 



This species, which is found in India, Borneo, and Japan, and which is 

 stated to occur at elevations between 2000ft. and 4000ft. on the Himalayas, 

 is so closely related to P. quadriaurita that Baker considers it as very 

 doubtfully distinct from that species. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 159. 



P. (Doryopteris) ludens — Dor-y-op'-ter-is ; lu'-dens (sportive), Wallich. 



This very distinct, stove species, native of Malaysia and the Philippine 

 Islands, is of medium dimensions only, and produces, from a wide-creeping 

 rootstock thicker than a crow's quill, barren and 

 fertile fronds which are totally distinct from each 

 other. The former, borne on slender, nearly 

 black, polished stalks 3in. to 4in. long, vary in 

 shape from triangular with two slightly-deflexed 

 basal lobes to hastate (halbert-shaped), and have 

 their margin entire. The fertile ones are borne 

 on stalks often 1ft. long ; they are 4in. to Gin. 

 each way, and are cut down into five narrow - 

 spear-shaped lobes, one (the terminal) erect, two 

 spreading, and two (the lowest ones) deflexed, all 

 of which except the terminal one are sometimes 

 again forked (Fig. 79, reduced from Col. Beddome's 

 " Ferns of British India," by the kind permission 

 of the author). They are of a leathery texture, 

 and the sori (spore masses) form a continuous line 

 all round the margin. — Hooker, Species Filicum, 



° ' r ' Fig. 79. Pteris ludens 



ii., p. 210. Beddome, Ferns of British India, t. 27. (J nat. size). 



P. (Litobrochia) macilenta — Li-tob-roch/-i-a ; mac-il-en'-ta (thin), 

 Cunningham. 



This particularly well-marked, greenhouse species, is a native of New 

 Zealand only. Its fronds, produced from a compact crown, and borne on 



