64 III GYMXOGRAMMA. 
tuft of. about half a dozen fronds, which vary much in 
their size and division, and are of a delicately membranous 
texture. When the plants have reached maturity then 
are usually present, first, a very small fan-shaped frond 
half an inch high, divided into two or three lobes, anc 
probably the first developed from the primordial scale 
then one or two pinnate fronds, one or two niches long 
and having obliquely fan-shaped three-lobed pinnae, mor 
or less tapering to the base and decurrent with the rachia 
both these forms of frond are spreading, more leafy thai 
the rest of the plant, and usually barren. The plant 
reach their full development by producing two or thra 
larger, more erect, and more compound fertile fronds 
which vary from three or four to six or eight inches ii 
height; of these the stipes is stoutish, glossy, ligh 
brown, and about half the entire length ; the frond i 
ovate twice or three-times pinnate, the pinnae alternate 
ovate, with alternate pinnules. The ultimate pinnule 
are three-lobed at the apex and wedge-shaped a 
the base, and hence become roundish-cuneate, the lobe 
being rather distinct, and usually slightly and bluntl; 
notched at the apex, so as to become two-toothed ; th 
little stalk of the pinnules is somewhat decurrent witJ 
the rachis. The venation is very simple : a vein break 
off from the rachis into each pinnule, and branches twic 
so as to send a venule into each lobe, the venules usuall; 
becoming forked, and one veinlet proceeding nearly to th 
apex of each of the little teeth into which the lobe i 
divided ; the spore cases are borne along the whole lengt 
of the veinlets and on a portion of the venule, so that th 
sori form two lines on each lobe of the pinnule* divergin 
from then* base where they are united. Occasionally th 
lobe is not toothed, and there is but a simple venule an 
one line of spore-cases. The sori at length become con 
fluent, and cover the under surface of the pinnules. 
This interesting little fern has long been known as 
native of Madeira and the Azores, extending throug 
Portugal and Spain northwards to France. It is furth< 
