VII. LASTKEA. 
117 
from one to three feet high, narrow-linear-oblong in out- 
line, not narrowed towards the base. In vernation they 
are circulate, with the pinnae flat, and rolled inwards from 
the point. The stipes is one-third or more the height of 
the fronds, and is very stout and shining, and furnished 
sparingly with broad obtuse uniformly pale brown chaffy 
scales, most abundant at the base. 
The base of the stipes of the older 
fronds bears rude semi-lunar mark- 
ings, indicating the former attach- 
ment of these scales. The fronds 
are pinnate ; the pinnae which are 
produced in pairs, but seldom exactly 
opposite, those towards the apex of 
the fronds becoming decidedly al- 
ternate, and rather distant, the dis- 
tance decreasing from the base 
towards the apex are attached to 
the rachis by a little stalk, and 
though elongate triangular are short 
as compared with the kindred spe- 
cies, and are deeply pinnatifid, so 
that the fronds become almost bipin 
nate. The pinnules are ovate- oblong, 
blunt, almost invariably decurrent 
at the base ; sometimes one or two 
> -of the basal ones are very slightly 
stalked, and they are usually more 
or less crenately lobed, all the lobes 
being fringed with fine sharp bristly 
teeth. In luxuriant fronds the 
pinnas are somewhat more elongated 
than ordinary, and the basal pin- 
nules more distinct. The inferior 
pinnules are generally somewhat 
longer than the superior ones, but 
[Lastrea cristata.] the enlargement is here but slight. 
