113 



Ann, at 2,000 ft. altitude, growing on the skirts of forests, and often 

 extending acre after acre, and ascending trees several feet from th« 

 ground, after the manner of Polybotrya and Stenochlcena. In the fer- 

 tile fronds all the membrane is suppressed except a narrow sinuate 

 wing to the ribs, on which the sori are borne, terminal, on the short 

 spur-like veins. Somtimes the fronds partake of the character of both 

 forms. The sori are very abundant, and the dark brown involucres 

 remain till the fronds perish. — Guatemala, gathered by Baron von 

 Turckheim. 



28. N. Grisebachii, Baker. -Rootstock stout, usually decumbent, 

 densely clothed with rusty-brown linear-subulate scales, that are ^-1 

 in. 1. and less than a line w.; stipites caespitose, dark- coloured, 1J-2J 

 ft. 1., hardly channelled, clothed at the base in a dense tuft-like the 

 rootstock, above this with dark squarrose criniferous scales 2-4 li. 1. ; 

 fronds 2£-3£ ft. 1. 2-3 ft. w., tri-quadripinnatifid ; thinly chartaceous or 

 membranous, rather light vivid green, rachis costae and costulae some- 

 what fibrillose-scaly and puberulous-glandulose, surfaces otherwise 

 naked ; pinnae spreading, petiolate, all but the lowest pair, which are 

 enlarged on the inferior side oblong- acuminate, and 1-1 J ft. 1. 4-6 in. 

 w. ; pinnulae contiguous, very numerous, the lower ones slightly stipitate, 

 oblong-acuminate, 2-3J in. 1. f-1 in. w., deeply pinnatifid, but (except 

 those of the enlarged basal pinnae) not fully pinnate ; tertiary segments 

 oblong, blunt, J-f in. 1., 1^-2J li. w., entire, serrulate, toothed or more 

 or less lobed;the teeth sharp, |-f li. w and deep ; veins pinnate 

 branches simple or forked ; sori dorsal, rather nearer the midrib than 

 margin ; involucres pale, at first covering the sori, but fugacious. 



Frequent in damp forests from 3,000 to upwards of 5,000 ft. alti- 

 tude ; of a more delicate texture than any other in the group. In 

 some of the smaller conditions of its growth the basal pinnae are very 

 little, if at all enlarged. The dark petioles and richness have a bluish 

 tinge when growing. It is characterised by the thin substance, vivid 

 colour, the pinnulae of all but the lowest pinnae being simply pinnatifid 

 to the base, the sharp teeth, the outer third or fourth part of every 

 pinnae being usually (though not always) devoid of sori, and the two 

 kinds of scales which form the vestiture of the petioles, &c, The outer 

 part of the pinnae being nearly uniformly barren is a feature peculiar 

 to this species, and sufficient at sight for its identification. 



29. N. a?nplum, Baker. — Rootstock stout, upright, densely clothed 

 with matted wool-like and silky-long tawny scales ; stipites caespitose, 

 erecto-spreading, 2-3 ft. 1., clothed at the base abundantly like the root- 

 stock, and upwards with a rusty grayish, fine, closely appressed vesti- 

 ture of small scales, faintly channelled ; fronds about 3 ft. 1. 2-2J ft. w., 

 tri-quadripinnatifid, dull brownish- green papyraceous, upper surface 

 very slightly cilia te, under naked, rachis costa and costulae furfuraceous- 

 scaly like the stipes ; pinnae spreading, numerous, all but the lowest 

 pair, which are much expanded on the inferior side, oblong-acuminate, 

 the central ones 4-6 in. w. and 12-15 in. L, all petiolate ; pinnulae nume- 

 rous, contiguous, the lower ones shortly stipitate, oblong-acuminate, 

 fully pinnate at the base, upwards pinnatifid almost to the costulae ; 

 ultimate segments mostly adnate-decurrent at the base, oblong, J-J in. 

 1. 1 J-3 li. b., blunt, serrulate lobed or deeply pinnatifid ; the lobes J-l 

 li. w. 1-2 li. d. ; veins pinnate, branches forked once or twice; sori small, 



