209 



marked by the pedate-palmate form of the fronds and copiously re- 

 ticulated venation and elevated sori. Though the stipites are stiff they 

 are fragile, and easily broken by wind or other pressure. Occasionally the 

 fertile fronds, too, produce buds in the axils of their divisions. The 

 plants vary much in size, and on dry banks may be gathered down to 

 an inch in diameter of leaf. In these small fronds the basal divisions 

 are shorter than the others. It is known locally by the name of 

 " Strawberry-fern." 



2. H. pinnata, J. Smith — Stipites tufted from a small erect rootstock, 

 6-9 in. 1. erect castaneous, glossy rusty-pubescent, rachis similar; fronds 

 erect, 5-8 in. 1. 3-5 in. w. membrano-herbaceous, densely pellucid dotted, 

 dark green, tawny-pubescent, the terminal segment subentire lobed or 

 pinnatifid, below this 3-5 pair of spreading distant pinnae, the lowest 

 pair of which are largest, and |— § in. w. 2-3 in, L, the point acute or 

 bluntish, the base free and slightly stipitate, once lobed or forked on the 

 under side, those above simple, oblong-lanceolate, adnate at the base, the 

 upper ones broadly so, margins subentire, or cut into broad shallow 

 appressed lobes; veins repeatedly forked, the branches close, curved, 

 partly free and partly anastomosing; sori thin, following the venatio*. 



Infrequent on grassy banks near Hope and above Dublin Castle near 

 Gordon Town ; first discovered in the same district at the beginning 

 of the century by Wiles. This has somethiug of the aspect of Gymmo- 

 gramme rufa, which also is plentiful in the same region, but the few 

 distant, mostly adnate, pinnae, the lowest pair forked, pinnatifid upper 

 part and narrow oblique areolae of the venation are characters which 

 at a glimpse distinguish it. 



Genus XXX. Anetium, Splitg. 



Sori thinly scattered on the veins, but sparingly diffused as well on 

 the surface between, sometimes in small groups or larger amorphous 

 patches; fronds simple; venation copiously reticulated. 



A monotypic genus, with affinity to two or three generally accepted 

 genera, but presenting in each case sufficient dissimilarity to prevent 

 its association therewith and warrant a separate recognition. The 

 texture, venation, habit and, to some extent, aspect show a near natural 

 alliance with Antrophyum, from which the more diffused sori distin- 

 guishes it. 



1. A. citrifolium, Splitg. — Rootstock fleshy, free-creeping, clothed 

 with much attenuated narrow reticulated distantly toothed scales ; stipites 

 scattered, from hardly any clear to 3 in. 1. or more, dark coloured ; fronds 

 entire membrano-herbaceous, densely pellucid-dotted ; light green ; 

 oblong-lanceolate, pendent variable, in size, J 1£ ft. 1. 1 - 3£ in. w., 

 obtuse acute or shortly acuminate, the base gradually tapering and 

 decurrent on the petioles ; costa prominent below, but evanescent at 

 the apex ; veins reticulated, areolae copious, very oblique ; sori sparse 

 much diffused.sporangia minute. — PI. Fil. t. 116. 



Acrostichum, Linn, Antrophyum, Fee, Hemionitis, Hooker and 

 Baker. 



Infrequent on trees in damp forests of the eastern parishes below 2,000 

 ft. alt. variable in size ; the larger fronds occasionally 3 ft. 1. andf^rd 

 ft. w. and sometimes broadly furcate, or the upper part curiously cut 

 into sharp, shortly extended lobes. While fresh the leaves are fleshy, 

 but in drying become membranous. 



