261 



erally it is much more slender, smaller and paler than cordifolia, with 

 which it is sometimes united ; common with fronds £-1 in. w. and only 

 a few inches high, quite fertile. The curvature of the inferior base of 

 the pinna? to the point of attachment, more slender, more miked, stipes 

 and rachises, and absence of tubers to the roots clearly mark it. 



sub-sp. pendula much stronger ; fronds 2-4 ft. 1. 2-3J in. b., pin- 

 nae acuminate, often falcate, serrate, \\ in. 1. base auricled on both 

 sides, that of the superior deltoid, or developed into an acute point, 

 the under truncated, — N. pendula, Pr. Aspidium pendulum. Rudd. Fil. 

 Bras. p. 30. t. 45. 



The much larger size, pendulous habit, narrow acuminated segments 

 that are auricled on both sides of the base are its distinguishing cha- 

 racters. 



2. N. sesquipedale, Jenm. — Rootstock erect, slender, with numerous 

 superficial brown wiry stolons spreading from it ; stipites strong, erect 

 or spreading, slightly scaly, evjntually naked, dark .brown, channeled 

 deciduosly paleaceous beneath, furfuraceous down the face ; fronds 

 pinnate, chartaceous, dark green, naked, 2-4 or more ft. 1. 2^-4 in w. 

 uniformly narrowed to the base ; pinnae numerous, close, spreading 

 usually more or less up-curved at the end, serrate in the outer half, 

 plain-edged within, obtuse or acute, 1^-2 in. 1., 3 4 li. w., the inferior 

 base narrowed and cut away with a curve to the axis, superior expanded 

 into a deltoid auricle ; veins oblique, curved, once forked ; sori apical 

 on the shorter-anterior veinlet, (not transverse) and slightly nearer the 

 rib than margins ; involucres reniform with a narrow sinus. — Aspi- 

 dium. 



Gathered on high rocky banks, where it is plentiful, on the slope of 

 Stony Hill at about 800 ft alt. In size and general habit and aspect 

 this resembles most exaltata, but differs in the sori, and their character 

 and the uniform contraction of the inferior base of the pinnap clearly dis- 

 tinguish it. I cannot find that under Willdenow's specific name, ses- 

 quipedale, it has ever been removed from Aspidium. 



In the Guianas this is the commonest species, abounding in great 

 profusion in the decaying de'bris of spathes and spadices which accu- 

 mulate under the lofty crowns of Maximiliana regia. 



3. N. cordifolia, Presl. — Rootstock slender erect, stoloniferous, the 

 wiry flexuose roots bearing subterraneous ovoid potato-like tubers ; 

 si ipites strong erect, tufted, 2 6 in. 1. clothed with deciduous rather 

 matted fibrillose tomentura ; fr>mds erect, curved, 1-2 ft. 1. 1J-2J in. 

 w. narrowed at the base ; firm and rather opaque ; bright or dark 

 green ; rachis stiff channeled, polished dark horn brown, freely deci- 

 duously fibrillose, ultimately devoid of pinnae, surfaces otherwise 

 naked ; pinnae very numerous, close and often imbricating, horizontal 

 and converging forward in growth, 1-1 J in. 1. 4-5 li. b., sessile, rather 

 cordate at the base, the upper side dilated into a trihngular auricle, 

 over-lapping the rachis, the inferior rounded ; point obtuse or acute ; 

 margins entire or serrulate ; veins close, obscure, once or twice forked; 

 the upper surface often cretaceous dotted at their ends, midrib fine, 

 purple distinct ; sori medial, broader than deep ; involucres pale, ob- 

 lique or transverse with the margin with a broad sinus, at length 

 semilunar. PI. Fil. t. 64. N. tuberosa, Hook. 



Abundant at 4000-6000 ft. altitude on banks, rocks, open ground, 



