18 
COPELAND. 
each one very oblique sporangium and its indusium. A genus of about 
30 species, in the tropics of both hemispheres, and reaching to New 
Zealand, Japan and New England. 
Veins free. 
Pinnae dichotomous or palmate. 
Pinnules cuneate at base 1. L. circinnatum 
Pinnules auriculate on the outer side 2. L. semihastatum 
Pinnae pinnate. 
Ultimate pinnules articulate to stalks 3. L. scandens 
Ultimate pinnules not articulate. 
Fertile fronds not more compound than sterile. 
Dwarf-brancli short or obsolete. 
Ultimate pinnules regularly pinnately lobed 4. L. polys tachyum 
Ultimate pinnules not regularly pinnately lobed 5. L. flexuosum 
Dwarf-branch long 6. L. mearnsii 
Fertile fronds more compound than sterile 7. L. japonicum 
Venation reticulate. 
Terminal segments about 6 8. L. mat-thewi 
Terminal segments usually 2 9. L. merrilli 
1. Lygodium circinnatum ( Bunn. ) Sw. 
Dwarf -branches 0 mm long ; pinna? with stalks 5 cm long, more or less, 
the sterile ones then dichotomously palmate but simple, or once or twice 
dichotomous and each division cut almost to the base into 2 or 3 lobes, 
cuneate at the base and slightly decurrent ; lobes lanceolate, acuminate, 
entire, 10 to 30 (usually about 15) cm long, 1.5 to 3 cm wide, herbaceous 
or subeoriaceous, young tips hairy ; veins free, close; fertile pinnae usually 
twice dichotomous and the ultimate division cleft very nearly to the 
base; lobes linear, lamina sometimes slightly, sometimes very much 
reduced, venation lax; spikes continuous along the margin, 2-5 mm long, 
brown. 1 suspect that L. basil anicum Christ is a dwarfed form of this 
species. Van Alderwerelt reports from Banca a plant seemingly inter- 
mediate between L. circinatum and L. trifurcatum Baker. L. digitatum 
Presl can not be distinguished as a species. 
Queensland to northern India, southern China, and the Batanes Islands. 
L. trifurcatum Baker, a Melanesian plant reported from Celebes by van 
Alderwerelt. has the spikes in groups of two or three. 
2. Lygodium semihastatum (C'av.) Desv. 
Like L. circinnatum in plan, but usually larger throughout, the final 
pinnules auriclecT on one side (sometimes on both sides) at the base, the 
lobes less acuminate, and the sterile margins almost always finely crenate- 
serrate. L. teysmannii v. A. v. R. is, judging by the description, very 
like this species; in Philippine L. semihastatum the pinna? are often 
twice forked. 
Luzon to Mindanao and Borneo; Mariannes (?). 
