TAB. XYIL 
Asplenium mucronatum, Pr. 
Humile pendens (?) tenerrimum glaberrimum, frondibus 
subsessilibus caispitosis lineari-lanceolatis pinnatis, pinnis 
approximatis cordato-ovatis acuminatis refractis pinnatifidis, 
lobis ovatis mucronatis duobus inferioribus majoribus bitri- 
lobis divaricatis, soris oblongis, stipitibus perbrevibus fuscis 
nudis, rachi viridi gracili anguste alata. 
Asplenium mucronatum, Presl. Delic. Prag. 1 . p. 178. 
A. retortum, Kaulf. En . Fil. p. 171. 
A. p ter opus, Kaulf. En. Fil. p. 170. (fide Preslii). 
A. laxum, Raddi, Fil. Bras. p. 37. t. 22. bis. f 4. 
Hab. South Brazil, on the rough trunks of trees, Chamisso, 
Pohl , Tweedie , Raddi. 
A very delicate and distinctly marked species. The tallest 
of the fronds is not a span long, extremely delicate, membra- 
naceous, pale green, pinnated to the very apex with closely 
placed, refracted, cordato-ovate pinnas ; each of which is 
rather deeply pinnatifid with ovate apiculated simple lobes ; 
the two lower ones only being again divided, bifid, or more 
rarely trifid, and the lower and usually larger lobe laps over 
the pale coloured rachis, so as, on the underside of the Fern, 
to conceal a considerable portion. Sori rather large in pro- 
portion to the size of the plant, placed on the nerve which 
occupies the centre of the side lobes, the terminal and 
generally the lower lobes being sterile. The stipites rise 
several together, apparently from a tufted root, (our speci- 
mens exhibit no caudex) : they scarcely exceed half an inch 
in length, and are dark coloured, while all the rest of the 
plant is a very pale subdiaphanous green. 
Fig . 1 . Fertile pinna, seen from above, f. 2. The same 
seen from beneath : — magnified. 
