7 



but, terminating in a caudate point; segments linear-oblong, straight or subfalcate, in. 1. 2 li. w- 

 blunt, an open rounded sinus between ; veins pellucid, close, spreading at a wide angle, all forked ex- 

 cept those springing from the narrow transverse costal arch which spans from rib to rib of the seg, 

 merits; sori falling little short of the apex. — Canipteria, Presl., Plum. t. 15, (venation not shown), 



Var. subpinnatifida. — Fronds smaller, paler ; pinnao irregularly lobed, or lobate-sinuate ; veins 

 occasionally united beyond the costal arcs. 



Frequent among brushwood and grass in half-open places among the lower hills. Not nearly so 

 common, but closely resembling quadriaurita, the pinnte less deeply pinnatifid, sinuses more open 

 and rounded, and clearly distinguished by the curved veins which uniformly connect the bases of the 

 ribs of the ultimate segments. 



10. P. podophylla, Swartz. — Rootstock, erect, 6-8 in. thick, the crown scaly ; stipites 4-8 ft. 1. 

 CEespitose, stout, erect, \\ in. thick, faintly channelled, the base muricate, and clothed with linear 

 acuminate dark scales ; fronds pedatiform, spreading horizontally, 3-4 ft. each way, subcoriaceous 

 naked, dark glossy green ; primary divisions three, the central not branched again from the base, and, 

 longest, 2-4 ft. 1. f-1 J ft. w. lateral divisions usually four-times branched, the branching occurring 

 outwardly in succession, each branch shorter than the preceding and all oblong in shape ; pinnae very 

 numerous, approximate, spreading nearly at right angles, a similar terminal one, 6-9 in. 1. 1|- in. w. 

 the inferior reduced, sessile, passing gradually at the apex into a serrato-entire, acuminate point; 

 within this cut deeply into short, broadly subacute, falcate segments ^-f in. 1. J in. w. with an acute 

 or rounded sinus between, the costas above spinulose ; vein-meshes 1-3 senate, with or without free 

 exterior branches, the transverse costal areola) very shallow, reaching from rib to rib ; sori continuous 

 from the sinus, falling short of the finely spinulose-serrate apex. — Hook. Gard. Ferns, t. 55. Lito- 

 brochia, Presl. 



Common in wet situations in open and half open places from 4,000-6,000 ft. alt. The fronds 

 spread sub-horizontally, and the gradual shortening of the exterior branches gives them a somewhat 

 circular outline. The pinnae are a uniform width from the base outwards, and narrower than in any of 

 the local allies. The petioles are only muricate at the base, the upper parts being quite smooth. 

 This and gigantea are among the noblest plants in the fern flora. 



11. P aculeata, Swartz. — Stipites 1^-2 ft. 1. stramineous, slightly scaly at the base, freely beset 

 throughout with short prickles ; fronds ample, naked, thin and pellucid, pale green, tripinnate below, 

 3-4 ft. each way, tripartite, the lateral divisions greatly developed on the lower side, l|-2 ft. 1, 1 ft. 

 or more w. petiolate, the inferior pinnulao largest ; pinnae of the central division equilateral, contiguous, 

 longest 1-1^ ft. 1. 2^-3 in. w. deeply pinnatifid and passing gradually into the serrate acuminate apex, 

 the lower petiolate, the upper sessile, terminal pinnas similar to the lateral ; final segments contig- 

 uous 1^-2 in. 1. 4-5 li. w, broadest and connected at the base, the sinuses sharp or rounded, serrate, 

 eepeoially in the acuminate outer part, but not spinulose-toothed ; rachis and costae stramineous the 

 former distinctly muricate below ; veins fine, costal areolae narrow, extending completely from rib to 

 rib, a single row between this and the sinus, areolte of the segments 1-2 serial with copious free cla- 

 vate exterior branches ; sori fallinar short of the dentate point of the segments. — Litobrochia, Presl. 

 Plum. Fil. t. 5. 



Infrequent ; gathered on Mount Diablo, 2000 ft. alt. the only locality from which I have seen 

 the true plant. It is distinguished by the freely prickly stipites, costal areolae reaching uniformly 

 from base to base of the ribs of the final segments, pale straw colour, thinner texture, and deeper ser- 

 ration than of its allies. I have not seen the rootstock. There is much confusion in herbaria and 

 books in regard to this species, and indeed to the whole group, but to one who has had a field and 

 forest acquaintance with them each is sufficiently distinct, even in minor characters, as to be readily 

 recognized by herbarium specimens alone, which unavoidably do not show the chief characters of such 

 large plants. 



12. P. Kunzeana, Agardh. — Rootstock woody, stout, decumbent, shortly repent, the extending 

 end densely clothed with narrow ferrugineous scales ; stipites tufted, strong, erect, 1^-3 ft. 1. green or 

 brown, the scales of the rootstock ascending the base, smooth and faintly channelled ; fronds ample, 

 tripartite, tripinnate, deltoid, about 2 ft. 1. 2^ ft. w., glabrous, dark glossy green above, pale beneath, 

 subcoriaceous ; central division larger, equilateral, otherwise similar to the lateral which are distant 

 by the naked rachis and deeper on the inferior side; pinnae 6-10 to a side, with a similar terminal one, 

 |-1 ft. 1. 1^-3 in. w., the acuminate spinulose-serrate apex forming a segment 1-2 in. 1. within this 

 deeply pinnatifid into broadish, spinulose-serrate subfalcate, acute, segments, f-1^ in. 1. ^-J in. w. ; 

 rachis channelled, light green, costules spiuulose on the upper side at the base of the final ribs ; vein- 

 meshes 1-2 or 3 seriate, the exterior branches free, and a single line of long narrow costal areoles that 

 span from rib to rib or not ; sori short of the top of the segments ; involucres silvery. — Hook. Sp. Fil. 

 vol. 2. t. 139. Litobrochia, Presl. Common in moist woods among the lower hills, ascending to about 

 2,000 ft. alt. Grisebach in his flora mistakingly united it with. podophijUa. It is darker and stifler than 

 the preceding and not so lax as the noxt, possessing, as well, several other minor individual features in 

 the fronds. The nature and vestiture of the rootstock however clearly distinguish it. Sloane was ita 

 first discoverer. 



CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DEPARTMENT. 



Library. 



Cioionial and Consular Reports. [Hon Colonial Secretary.] 



Kew Bulletin No. 73, January, and Appendix I., 1893. The Export of Cape Fruit. [Kow; 

 Plantas novas cultivadas no Jaidim Botanlco do Rio do Jaueii'o. [Director, Bot. Gard.] 

 Bulletin, Colonial Museum, Haarlem. Feb. and Sept., 1892 and Jan., 1893. [Editor.] 



