275 



Readily recognised by means of the undercoating of dense fur-like 

 tomentum, and long rigid tapering pinnae. The vestiture of the stems 

 and rachises varies considerably, the Jamaica specimens being mostly 

 naked. The colour of the tomentum varies too from gray to rufus. 

 The large states are often mistakingly ascribed to Q. longipiumate, 

 Hook., {Jfertensia, Klf.) a quite distinct plant, founded on Hostman, 

 n. 228. 



2. G. furcata, Spreng. — Stipites and rachises strong, the immature 

 clothed with ragged rufous scales, that ultimately become pale and drop 

 away ; pinnae in two or three pairs, spreading fan-like, the ends of the 

 pinnulae drooping, tri-or quadri-chotomous ; primary petioles devoid of 

 leaf -segments, as are also the secondary, but more or less clothed with 

 red laciniate scales ; costulae scaly beneath, and rusty tomentose above, 

 lJ-2 in. w. ; ultimate segments linear, close and parallel, J-IJ in 1., 

 1-1 J li. w., naked above, but with very minute scattered grayish stel- 

 late scales beneath ; veins once-forked ; sori not plentiful ; sporangia 

 3-4.— PI. Fil. t. 28. Pol podium, Sw. Mertensia furcata, Willd. 



Very common in the mid-region of the great mountain range, above 

 and below 4000 ft. altitude, in forest and on more or less open banks 

 and waysides. Distinguished from the preceding by the plentiful rufous 

 scales, its more repeatedly divided pinnae, narrower and closer ultimate 

 segments, which, too, are absent from the petioles of the primary and 

 secondary divisions, and unmistakeably by the absence of the under- 

 coating of matted tomentum which characterises that species. TVhen 

 growing in the open, the scales contribute a faint aureous tinge to the 

 leafage, by which it may be recognised at a distance. The opposite 

 pinnae spreading from, and laterally toward, each other, with the ends 

 of the pinnulae drooping, are altogether quite umbrella-like in form. 

 The texture is rather brittle and both the pinnulae and segments of old 

 leaves are often much broken. The segments are usually somewhat 

 irregular in length. This by its more repeated branching is the most 

 leafy of the associated species. 



3. G. Matheicsil, Hook. — Stipites and rachises strong, dark brown, 

 deciduously paleaceous ; pinnae in two or three spreading pairs, di-tricho- 

 tomous ; primary petioles usually lined on both sides at the base with 

 leaf-segments, secondary ones lined thus throughout ; pinnulae 6-10 

 in. 1. ^ -1 in. w., naked on both sides, beneath slightly glandulose and 

 subglaucous ; gemmae foliaceous, and with the petioles and costulae 

 densely clothed with chesnut-coloured lacinate-edged acuminate 

 broad-based scales, — the costulae so only beneath ; ultimate segments 

 rather bluntish or acute, J over ^ in. 1. 1-lJ li. w. the edge often revo- 

 lute ; veins once forked, sori sparse ; sporangia 3-4 in a group. — Hook, 

 fip. FiL p. 9 t. 7 B. Mertensia farinosa, Klf. 



Exceedingly abundant along the ridges and higher slopes of the Blue 

 Mountain range, ascending the highest peaks, where it forms dense 

 thickets. It is separated from G. furcata by its smaller and less com- 

 pound pinnae, which are more copiously clothed with scales and more 

 glandulose, by the absence of the stellated scattered scales on the un- 

 derside of that species, and by the presence of the leaf-segments at the 

 base of the primary petioles. The presence or absence, more or less, 

 of this petiolar leafage is a good, though slightly variable, character in 

 distinguishing one from another this and the two preceding species. 



