133 



reduced at the base ; pinnae apart or sub-distant, spreading or erecto- 

 spreading, 6-9 to a side with a similar free terminal one, 5-8 in. 1. f— I 

 in., or rather over, w., those of the barren fronds being the wider, the 

 base sub-entire cuneate and shortly stipitate, the upper ones more 

 rounded and often slightly adnate, the apex acuminate, rather long- 

 pointed, and entire, the margins within this very shallowly cut into 

 broad appressed or oblique rounded lobes, which are 2-3 li. b. and less 

 than a li. d. ; veins pinnate, branches simple, 6-9 to a side, most con- 

 nected with the casually interrupted veins that run to the sinus ; sori 

 purple, copious, dorsal ; biserial extending from the costso to the mar- 

 gins, and to the acuminate points of the pinnae. — Hook. Icon. Pit. 

 Third series, PI. 1669. 



Common in woods and stony half open ground among the lower hills, 

 up to 2,000 or 3,000 ft. altitude. In the early stage ot growth trace of 

 a rudimentary involucre is observable, which however soon disappears. 

 Intermediate between crenatum and tetragonum, and distinguished by 

 its stiff texture, very slightly incised pinnae, with generally appressed flat 

 lobes, naked surfaces, dark colour and purple sori. Goniopteris hastata, 

 Fee. (Nephrodium, Jenm.) and G. Kivoirei, Fee Fil. Ant. t. 18 are near 

 this, if not the same. 



55. P. cenatum, Swartz. — Stipites subtufted, erect from a creeping 

 under-ground rootstock, 1-2 ft. 1., strong, light coloured, glabrescent, 

 subangular, channelled ; fronds erect 1-1^ ft. 1. and nearly as w., at first 

 flaccid, at length thinly chartaceous, pubescent, mostly on the ribs and 

 veins, dark dull green, composed of 3-6 pairs of spreading or erecto- 

 spreading lateral pinnae and a free similar large terminal one , pinnae 

 6-9 in. 1. 1^-2 in. b., shortly acuminate, the lower ones subcuneate, at 

 the base, the upper rounded, lowest pair as large or larger, the upper- 

 most one often shortly adnate to the pubescent or naked subangular 

 rachis ; margins subentire or cut into very shallow rounded or rather 

 appressed lobes which are a J in. w. and hardly more than \ li. d. ; 

 veins pinnate, the branches simple, nearly all connected with the vein 

 running to the rims, the latter casually interrupted ; sori copious, round 

 or oblong, dorsal, the lines reaching from the midrib to the margin. — 

 PI. Fil. t. 111. 



Common in woods and shady places among the lower hills ; very well 

 marked by the few large slightly cut pinnae, thin texture, and pube- 

 scence. The pinnae are sometimes bulbiferous near the base on the up- 

 perside, and the terminal one is not more lobed than the lateral. I have 

 a Jamaica specimen every sorus covered completely by a much ciliated 

 involucre. Its nearest alliance is with the next species. 



56. P. tetragonum, Linn. — Stipites erect, few, subtufted from a strong 

 short-creeping epigeous rootstock, 1-2 ft. 1., subangular, glabrescent or 

 puberulous, stramineous; fronds firm, pellucid, bright clear green, naked, 

 or slightly ciliate on ribs and margins, 1-1^ ft. 1. 7-10 in. w., pinnate, 

 not reduced at the base; pinnae apart or distant, 8-10 to a side, spread- 

 ing, often horizontally, with a rather larger pinnatifid free terminal one, 

 only the lower 1-2 pair shortly narrowed at the base, 4-6 in. 1. ^-1 in. 

 w., the barren wider, acuminate with an entire point, within this uni- 

 formly lobed to \ the depth to the costae; lobes close, oblique, rounded, 

 1^-2 li. w. entire ; veins pinnate, about eight to a side, simple, 2-4 lower 



. pair united with the branch to the sinus, which is often interrupted ; 



