140 



of the frond, the opposite surface pitted and often with dot-like white 

 scales. PI. Fil. tabs. 123 and 142. 



Common on rocks, banks and trees, in shady or open places, up to 

 6,000 ft. altitude, infrequent in the lower regions, and abundant 

 in the higher ; dispersed throughout the colony. It is readily distin- 

 guishable from the next species by its thicker texture and, especially, 

 by the single line of large sori between the main veins. The sori are 

 compital, inserted at the junction of the meshes, not on the free vein- 

 lets. I have seen a narrow variety, 1 inch wide, ascribed to Jamaica 

 but amount certain of its authenticity. 



70. P. PhylMidis, Linn — Rootstock strong, ligneous, short-creeping 

 more or less scaly ; stipites strong, erect few or many, usually sub- 

 tufted and crowded, margined and varying from hardly any distinct, 

 from the decurrent sides of the fronds to 6 in. 1. stramineous or castan- 

 eous, glossy ; fronds stiff, erect tapering both ways but more so below, 

 1-3 ft. 1. 1^-3 in., w., generally subcoriaceous, naked, glossy, bright 

 pale or dark-green, entire, the edge thin and cartilaginous ; the rachis 

 strong, 4-gonal below, prominently raised beneath, straw or chest- 

 nut coloured, glossy, primary veins raised, distinct, oblique, inter- 

 mediary immersed, areolae 6—12 serial, all fertile; sori copious, aureo- 

 fulvous, biserial between the main veins, dorsal or terminal, superfi- 

 cial.— PI. Fil. ts. 130 & 131. SI. Herb. p. 4 1. Eat. Ferns N. Am. pl. 42 

 Campyloneuron, Presl. 



a. var. latum. — Fronds larger, 3-4 ft. 1., 3-4 in. w. chartaceous ; 

 margins repand, Campyloneurum latum, Moore. Common on trees, 

 banks and rocks in open and shady situations, chiefly in the lower re- 

 gions but ascending to 3,000 or 4,000 ft. altitude. Very variable in 

 size &c. The smaller and larger states seem to run one into the other 

 differing by the individual conditions of growth. There is a form 

 figured in Plunder, t. 131, gathered by Mr. Sherring at Jericho, Ja- 

 maica, and previously by Purdie, in which the top of the frond is re- 

 peatedly branched and divaricated in the form of a stag's horn. Ano- 

 ther is deeply lacerated or pinnatifid along both margins between the 

 primary veins comb-like. A third is coriaceous, with ovate -lanceolate 

 fronds rounded at the top, 6-8 in. 1., the main veins more prominent 

 and the colour dark. The rootstock of the typical plants often forms 

 large masses of fibre, which, for growing orchids and epiph tal ferns 

 in suspended baskets or pots is a very durable substance, and an excel- 

 lent substitute for peat. All the plants of this group are very closely 

 allied. 



71. P. costale, Kenze. — Rootstock short, repent, clothed with small 

 brown scales at the end ; stipites erect, usually few, subtufted, 2-5 or 

 6 in. 1. brown or stramineous, margined, the tops marked by a slight 

 dilation of the marginal wing where it passes into the frond ; fronds 

 coriaceous, f-lj or 1^ ft. 1. 1^-2% in w., the apex finely acuminate or 

 cuspidate, the base correspondingly tapered, the margins even, cartila- 

 ginous edged, thin, slightly repand, the rachis slender, usually stra- 

 mineous ; primary veins slender, immersed, as are also the interme- 

 diary ; sori minute, dorsal below the clavate summit of the vein, fuga- 

 cious. — Campyloneuron immersum. J. Smith. Seem. Bot. Herald. 



Frequent on trees over-hanging rivers among the hills of the eastera 

 parishes ; 4 well marked from the last by the slender immersed main. 



