be sitisbactonily accounted for tig the more advanced : state x the 
fructification in the specimen, now before US 3 for, as I have ob- 
served under Pleopeltis ensifolia, there is not a vestige of the 
involucres to be found upon. the old sori or spots of fructification 
in that species. — = 
My specimens were gathered upon old walls, i in the neigh- a 
bourhood of Rio de J aneiro, by Professor Rapp1 of Florence, 
who sent them to me under the name of Pleopeltis angusta a 
of HuMBOLDT, but who was afterwards induced, from not find- 
ing the involucres, to refer the plant to Polypodium, with the 
appellation given in the above synonym; an alteration which, 
in my opinion, would not have taken place, had ‘Professor 
Rappt been aware of the fugaceous nature of the involucresi in 
_ other species of this genus. 
"This is the individual which gave rise to the generic cha- 
racter of Pleopeltis ; and. it was first discovered, by MM. Aom- 
BOLDT and Bonrianp, near Ario, in the Kingdom « of Mexico, 
growing in shady places, at a height of 994 toises, (about 6000 
feet) above the level of the sea. Those authors observe, that 
its habit much resembles that of Eolypodium phymatodes. 
Fig. 1. Portion of the frond, with an old} cluster of capsules, from which 
the involucres have disappeared, as well as many of the capsules them- 
“selves, the old stalks of which only remain. Fig. 2, 3. Scales of the 
- frond. ae 4. Capsule. Fig. 5. Seeds. —All more or less magne ufied. 
