127 



in. w., contiguous and narrowly confluent in the upper part, below 

 this more or less adnate, chiefly in the upper base, the lower ones 

 almost or quite free, and usually narrowed or rounded, often auricled 

 or lobed on the inferior base, rachis rather slender, grayish or dark 

 brown, puberulous or naked, with slight marginal lines ; veins two or 

 three times forked, the thickened apices not reaching the margins, the 

 lowest anterior branch fertile at the end ; sori yellow, oblong or oval 

 the rows nearer the pale raised midrib than the margins ; receptacles 

 elongated. — P. sororium, Kth. 



Frequent on rocks and trees, chiefly the former, in very moist woods 

 among the lower hills, ascending to 2,000 ft. alt. ; well distinguished 

 by the alternately branched little oblique, veins, thin texture, adnate 

 pinnae, and bright aureate oval sori. The lower veins, near the base of 

 the pinnae usually unite, the branches of the same group often connec- 

 ting. In some fronds the auricle or lobe at the base of the pinnae is 

 not shown, while in others all the unconnected ones have it in. deep. 



42. P. microchasmwn, Baker : — Rootstock shortly repent, rather 

 slender, clothed with bright brown scales ; stipites apart, erect l|-2 in. 

 1. pale brown or stramineous, slender, glabrous^ winged to the base, 

 where there are a few scales like those of the rootstock ; fronds oblong 

 lanceolate, 5-8 in. L, 1^-2 in. w., pinnatifid to the narrowly winged 

 rachis, or fully pinnate below, with an entire terminal segment ; light 

 green, darker beneath, the surfaces naked except on the slender rachis 

 beneath, which is clothed with deciduous dark brown minute and very 

 acuminate scattered scales ; pinnae spreading obliquely, fully adnate 

 and all but the lowest contiguous, £-1 in. 1. 2 li. b. rounded at the end, 

 and open with a more or less rounded oblique sinus between, the mar- 

 gins slightly notched at intervals ; veins obscure, slender, simple or 

 forked, terminating within the margin in pellucid clavate apices ; sori 

 circular, medial between the midrib and margin, terminal on the ante- 

 rior branch of the veins, somewhat immersed. — Journ. Bot , 1887, p. 44. 



Gathered at Tweedside by Mrs. Barrington Baker ; differs only from 

 JP. vulgare of the north temperate zone by its more slender rootstock, 

 and winged petioles. The only fronds I have seen are the size described. 

 The lower pinnae are most open between with a deep well rounded 

 sinus ; in the upper ones the sinus is acute. The notches of the other- 

 wise even and straight margin are shallow, but regular and distinct. 

 On the upper side there is a cavity over the very pellucid and thickened 

 apex of each vein. The sori, too, are slightly depressed. Including 

 the wings, the petioles are 1 li. w. 



43. P. hastcefolium, Swartz. — Rootstock small, upright, with strong 

 wiry descending roots, the crown clothed with small brown scales; stipites 

 densely caespitose 1-2 in. 1., grayish, clothed with scattered deciduous 

 scales like those of the rootstock ; fronds erecto-spreading, lanceolate, 

 5-10 in. 1. l-2f in. w. the apex terminating in a lobato-entire point, 

 gradually dwindling to nothing at the base, charactaceous or subeoriaceous, 

 naked, dark- green above, paler beneath ; pinnao numerous, usually con- 

 tiguous nearly or quite horizontal, f-1^ in 1. l|-2£ 1. b., linear-oblong 

 or ligulate, the point blunt, the base quite free and dilated equally on 

 each side into a pair of sharp auricles, lower segments minute triangular 

 with sharp angles, margins even or faintly crenulate, rachis and ribs 

 puberulous, the former grayish and channelled; veins forked, but sim- 



