176 
ASPIDIACEvE. 
than A, aculeatum, and the more copious, distinct, rounded, 
auricled leaflets give the whole a rich and elegant aspect.”* 
Aspidium lohatum, This is most akin to A. aculeatum^ n, 
6, but Ray, in his excellent ‘ Synopsis,’ has well marked their 
differences. The fronds of the present species, though nearly 
as long as in that, are narrower, the leaves, or pinnae, being 
shorter, and they are shorter still than in A. angulare. They are 
also more crowded, especially at the base, where the foremost 
leaflet of each lowermost pair lies close to the main rib, and is 
so much larger than any of the other leaflets, as to leave no va- 
cancy along the middle part of the frond, sometimes overlaying 
the rib itself. The leaflets in general are rather larger than in 
either of the foregoing, more pointed, and of a firmer texture, as 
well as of a lighter or paler green, more polished, and less hairy, 
the main rib only being scaly, the partial ones but slightly so 
towards the base. The decurrent character of the leaflets was 
first pointed out to me by Mr. D. Turner.”f 
Sir W. J. Hooker retains all these species, but adds a doubt 
as to their distinctness. His descriptions are as follow. 
A. lohatum. “ Fronds oblong-lanceolate bipinnate, pinnules 
rigid convex ovate sub-lunate acuminate aristate oblique and 
cuneated at the base and decurrent, the margins faintly serrated 
spinulose, with a distinct tooth at the base on the upper side, 
the one next the main rachis longer than the rest, stipes and ra- 
chis more or less chaffy, fructifications confined to the upper 
half of the fronds.”J 
A. aculeaUim. ‘‘ Fronds broadly lanceolate bipinnate, pin- 
nules subrigid somewhat convex slightly petioled ovato-sublu- 
nate acuminate or acute aristate obliquely truncate and auricled 
at the base on the upper side, the one next the main rachis some- 
what larger than the rest, the margins distinctly serrated and 
spinulose, stipes and rachis chaffy, fructifications copious.”§ 
A. angulare. “ Fronds broadly lanceolate bipinnate, pinnules 
thin and membranaceous plane petioled ovate sublunate obtuse 
aristate obliquely truncate at the base with a large auricle on the 
upper side, the margins deeply serrated spinulose, the lowermost 
* Eng. Flor. iv. 278. f Id. 279. 
+ Brit. Flor. 438. § Id. 
