7 



ing lunate ; in others the uppor margin is hollow and the under upcurved. In the former the sori 

 extend round the outer margin ; in the latter they are confined to the upper margin only.* 



22. A cultratum, J. Smith. — Stipes strong, erect, polished, black ; fronds tri-quadri-piunate, 1-1£ 

 ft. 1. and w, firmly chartaceous, naked, bright green on both sides, the upper glossy and finely striated, 

 rachises polished and black ; pinna} spreading, lower compound, upper simply pinnate ; segments sub- 

 dimidiate, pedicillate, approximate, f-lj in. 1. \-\ in. w. oblong-rhomboidal, terminal and basal ones 

 deltoid-rhomboid, the under margin plain the upper and outer inciso-lobate, parallel, straight or de- 

 curved, terminating in an acute bluntish or rounded point, the sterile finely denticulate ; veins free, 

 close, fine, radiating, repeatedly forked ; sori one to each lobule of the upper and outer margins ; in- 

 volucres deep, rounded, cernuous. — Plum. Fil. t. 95. 



Infrequent, gathered by Syme near Castleton, St. Mary, and ascribed also to the Island by G rise- 

 bach. Resembling trapeziforme, but with much smaller more oblong rounded segments, in which the 

 interior base is rather rounded and laps over the slender rachis, and the pedicels are not articulate at 

 the top. 



23. A. trapeziforme, Linn. — Stipes erect, tufted, 1J-3 ft. {., strong, black, polished, with a few 

 deciduous scales at the base ; fronds ample, spreading, 1^-2| ft. 1. ani w. usually broader than deep, 

 tri-quadri-pinnate, naked, firmly chartaceous, bright green and glossy above, pale or rather glaucescent 

 beneath, rachises flexuose or zigzag, polished, black ; pinnae distant, spreading, the lowest largest and 

 most compound with the branches on the inferior side longest, the next above less developed, simply 

 pinnate; segments subdimidiate, in. 1. in. w. on black filiform pedicels 3-4 li. 1. upper and 

 lower margins straight or curved, nearly parallel, the outer more or less oblique and forming with the 

 upper an acute or acuminate point, both inciso-lobate, terminal and basal segments the same shape ; 

 veins free, radiating, fine, close, repeatedly forked ; sori contiguous along the upper and outer mar- 

 gins, as wide and deep as the marginal incisions; involucres deep, rounded, cernuous. — Sloane t. 59. 



Common in shady situations and light woods below 1,500 ft. alt., extending from the eastern to 

 the central and western parishes. The stipites are stiffly erect, but the fronds spread rather flatly. 

 In small plants the habit is pedato-ternate, the central not much exceeding the lateral branches. 



24. A. tenerum, Swartz. — Stipes tufted, erect, polished, ebeneous f-lj ft. 1. slightly scaly at the 

 base, fronds 1-1^ ft. 1. and w. quadri- pinnate, chartaceous, dark green, naked, rachises polished, black, 

 slender ; pinnae much the same shape as the fronds, spreading lowest largest, all divisions freely petio- 

 late ; segments, same obliquely flabellate-cuneate, others rhomboid-dimidiate, in. w. and d. on arti- 

 culated filiform pedicels 1-2 li. 1. base unequally cuneate, outer margin cut into shallow uniform 

 lobules ; veins free, flabellate, fine and close, repeatedly forked ; sori more or less contiguous, oblong 

 or occasionally rather subreniform, between the marginal incisions. — Eat. Fer.. N. Am. pi. 124. 



Abundant throughout the greater part of the country on limestone banks and on old ruins of 

 coffee and other properties, from sea level up to 3,000 ft. alt The outline of the fertile margin of the 

 segments is not even, and by a sharp incision on each side forms three inconspicuous lobes ; there 

 being fainter incisions or slight notches between as well. The general habit is lax and spreading. 

 This is the commonest species of the typical maiden hair group. Sloane's specimen ascribed to A. Ca- 

 pillus ventris, is this in a young state. 



25. A. emarginatum, Bory. — Stipes tufted, polished, ebeneous or dark chesnut, slender, 5-10 in. 1. ; 

 fronds tripinnate, £-1 ft. 1. nearly as w. papyraceous-herbaceous, clear green, naked, rachis slender, 

 polished ; pinnae spreading, lower largest and most compound, upper simply pinnate, all parts freely 

 petiolate ; segments deciduous, £-1 in. b. and d. varying from rhomboidal to flabellate-cuneate, the 

 outer margin usually rounded, and freely incised, the incisions deeper in the barren fronds, pedicels 

 hair-like 1-1^ li. 1. articulated at the top ; veins free, flabellate, fine and close, repeatedly forked; sori 

 oblong or subreniform, varying in length as the lobes of the margin vary in width. — Hook. Sp. Fil. 

 vol. 2. t. 75. a. 



Very abundant on the rocky cliffs of the north coast, in some places within wash of the sea spray, 

 and gathered recently by Mr. Fawcett at Mt. Industry on the road from Gordon Town to Newcastle. 

 The freely and deeply incised margins give this a close resemblance to Capillus veneris, from which it 

 is however clearly distinguished by the articulation of the segments, which are almost as deciduous 

 as those of fragile. It is generally a smaller plant than tenerum, which in general habit it resembles, 

 the segments larger and much more deeply cut, the incisions being from 1-3 li. d. The plant figured 

 by Hooker is not so deeply incised and has more evenly rounded segments. West Indian specimens of 

 A. Capillus-veneris, gathered in Cuba, St. Vincent and Trinidad I have verified, possessing the charac- 

 teristic unjointed pedicels of the leaflets, and the species is reported as having been gathered in Ja- 

 maica in Pedro Cave, St. Ann's parish, but I have seen no true specimens. 



26. A fragile, Swartz. — Stipes 1-8 in. 1. tufted, naked, polished, dark ; fronds ovate, quadripin- 

 nate, \ -\\ ft. 1. 4-7 in. w. papyraceous-herbaceous, naked, green on both sides, rachises dark, polished ; 

 pinnae erect-spreading, petiolate, lowest pair not much the largest, the simply pinnate upper ones ex- 

 tending to near the apex of the frond ; segments very deciduous, orbicular-cuneate, 4-7 li. d. and w. 

 the outer margin rounded, very slightly incised, the dark filiform pedicels 1-1^ li. 1. and jointed at the' 

 top ; veins free, ^ flabellate, fine, repeatedly forked ; sori slightly obreniform, contiguous, around tho 

 outer margin, with slight notches between. — Hook. Icon. PI. t. 965 a. 



Very plentiful on calcareous rocks below 2,000 ft. alt. in many parts of the country. The specie a 



* A hispidulum, Swartz, in which the fronds are about a span long, pedatiform, the central pinnro simply pinnato 

 and the lateral shortly branched at tho base, all extending upwards together side by side, segments oblong, dimidiato 

 hairy, rounded and laxly dentate at the end, with numerous close punctif orm sori along tho upper margin, was found at 

 King's House by Mr. Hart, among a collection of ferns, brought in from the hills, all of which wore supposed to bo 

 ative. It was probably introduced. 



