rachis naked, substramineous ; veinlets slightly hairy, about 10 on a side, the
lowest pairs uniting ; sori nearer the edge th an the midrib ; invol. orbicular,
membranous, reddish in the centre, scariose in the outer half.—A. nephrodioides,
H k . Sp. 4. p. 42. t. 285.' (non KlotzselC).
Hab. Malay Archipelago, Seemann.—This has entirely tbe babit and texture of an
ordinary Eunephrodium, but tbednvolucre is aspidioid.
Euaspidiiim. Veins anastomosing copiously'. Sp. 49-55. A large number
o f species placed here in Sp. F il. which have the involucres o f Nephrodium are
transferred to that genus. Aspidium, NcAo«.
49. A. plantagineum, Griseb. ; S t . subtufted, 3-12 in. 1., often scaly throughout ;
f r . 6-12 in. 1., 2-4 in. br., oblong, narrowed rather suddenly at both ends, entire
or slightly sinuated ; texture papyraceo-herbaceous ; both sides naked ; midrib
below sometimes ra th e r scaly ; p rima ry veins distinct nearly to the edge, connected
by irregular tine areolæ with free included veinlets ; sori in two rows
between each prima ry vein ; invol. often abortive.—H k . Sp. 4. p . 43. Po ly podium,
Jacq. Sw. A. sinuatum, Moore.
Hab. West Indies, southward to Brazil and Peru.—This belongs to tbe genus Bath-
mium of Fée, who makes three species, and Bryomenis and Melanopteris of J . Smith.
Till lately it has always been placed in Polypodiece.
50. A. platanifolium, ]\Iett. ; st. 6-12 in. 1., naked, glossy, ebeneous ; f r . 6-9
in. each way, never compound, cordate, palmately 3- or 5-lobed, terminal division
subdeitoid, acuminate, lateral ones similar but smaller, basal ones sometimes
blu n t ; texture papyraceo-herbaceous ; midrib glossy like tlie stem ; principal
veins distinct to the edge, connected by copious small areolæ with free included
veinlets ; sori small, scattered, very abundant ; invol. often absent.—A. angu-
latum, Hk. Sp. i . p . 44. (not J . Sm.)
Hab. Malayan Islands.
51. A. angulatum, J . Sm. (not Hk.) ; S t . 1-2 ft. 1., glossy, ebeneous, scaly
below ; f r . 1-2 ft. 1., sometimes simple, usually with a large cordate-oblong
entire termina l pinna and 1-2 lateral ones on each side, the lowest 6-12 in. 1.,
2-4 in. hr., often forked a t the base ; texture papyraceo-herbaceous ; midrib
glossy, ebeneous ; primary veins distinct to tlie edge ; areolæ fine, copious, with
free included veinlets ; sori small, scattered, very abundant ; invol. minute,
fugacious.—Polypodium, Willd.
H ab . Malay an Islands.
52. A. trifoliatum, Swz. ; S t . tufted, 1 ft. or more 1., brownish, scaly only at
the b a s e ;/® . 12-18 in. 1., 6-12 in. br., with a large ovate-acuminate terminal
p in n a narrowed or forked a t the base, and 1 or 2 lateral ones on each side, the
lowest mostly foiked ; texture papyraceo-herbaceous ; primary veins distinct to
the edge ; areolæ fine, copious, with free included veinlets ; sori in rows near
the main veins ; invol. 1 lin. br., orbicular, peltate.—H k . Sp. 4. p. 46.
H a b . T ro p ical A m e ric a , from Cuba an d Mexico to Braz il an d P e ru .—A variab le
p la n t. A . heracleifolivm, Willd., is a form with pinnæ p in n a tifid on b o th sides a t th e
haso, aná A . fim ir ia tum , Willd . {A. Plumie ri, Presl), a la rg e form, with mo re copious
an d more s c a tte re d sori, an d a less d is tib c tly p e lta te involucre.
63. A. repandum, Willd ; st. 1-2 ft. 1., naked, greyish-bro-wn -.fr. 2 ft. or more
12-18 in. br., the apex deeply pinnatifid, with linear-oblong, slightly sinuated
lobes ; below this 4-8 pinnæ on each side, 6-8 in. 1., I j - i J in. br., acuminate at
the point, narrowed below, the edge bluntly sinuated, the lowest stalked and
forked ; texture subcoriaceous ; main veins distinct to the edge ; areolæ copious,
with free veinlets ; sori in two distinct rows near the main vein ; invol. orbicular,
peltate, J lin. br.—Mett. Aspid. 226.
H ab . P h ilip p in es, Cuming, 340.—I n h ab it th is is n e a r Sagenia pachyphylla an d poly-
morpha, b u t i t differs from both by its d is tin c tly p e lta te involucre.
54. A. calcareum, Presl ; st. tufted, naked, 4-6 in. 1. ; f r . 1 ft. or more 1.,
6-9 in. hr., with 4-6 stalked distant pinnæ on each side below the pinnatifid
apex, the lowest deltoid, 6 in. 1., 3-4 in. br, cut down to the rachis below
into stalked lanceolate-acuminate deeply and blunt-lobed p in n l.; texture subcoriaceous
; areolæ not very abundant and mainly costular ; invol. orbicular.—
H k . Sp. 4. p. 46.
H ab . P h ilip p in e s, Cuming, 310.
55. A. membranaxeum, Hk. ; st. tufted, about 1 ft. 1., nearly naked, w-ith a few
spreading linear scales below ; f r . 1J-2 ft. 1., 1 ft. br. ; lower pinnæ much the
largest, subdeitoid, 6-8 in. 1., 3-4 in. br. ; pinnl. on lowest side much larger th an
tlie others, witli lanceolate-pinnatifid segm. witli small ohlong, sinuated lobes ;
texture thinly herbaceous ; colour pale-green ; veins anastomosing principally in
costal arches ; sori copious, principally marginal in the lobes.—H k . Sp. 5. p. 105.
A. giganteum, var. minor, Hk. Sp. 4. p . 50.
H ab . Ceylon, J a v a , P h ilip p in es, W . China, F o rmo sa.—Our descrip tio n is ta k en from
living specimens sen t by D r. Thwaites. T b e involucre is tru ly p e lta te .
Gen. 44. Nephrodium, Rich.
Sori subglobose, dorsal or terminal on the veinlets. Invol. cordato-reniform,
attached by tlie sinus. A cosmopolitan genus, the species o f which vary widely in
size, texture, cutting, and venation.\ T ab. V. f. 44.
§ Lastrea, Presl. Veins all fre e . Sp. 1-153.
* Fronds not cut down to the main rachis. Sp. 1-3.
1. N. demrsivo-pinnatum, B a k e r; st. tufted, 3-4 in. 1., wdth linear scales
throughout ; f r . 1 ft. or more 1., 3-4 in. br. ; pinnæ linear, 1-2 in. 1., J in. br.,
the edge more or less deeply pinnatifid, the bases connected by a broad lobed
wing, the lower ones gradually reduced and sometimes distinct ; texture herbaceous
; rachis scaly ; under side slightly hairy ; lower veinlets subpinnate ;
sori copious, scattered ; invol. minute, fugacious.—Polyp. Van Hall, H k . Sp. 4.
p. 231. 2nd Gent. t. 49. Aspid. A£e. L. d e cu rren s,/ . /Sn.
Hab. Japan, China, Formosa.
2. N. CLasi.) pedatum, H k . ; st. tufted, 4-6 in. 1., glossy, ebeneous ; f r . 3-4 in.
each way, cordate-deltoid, deeply pinnatifid ; upper lobes broad, blunt, subentire,
lower deeply lobed on the lovver side ; texture coriaceous ; both sides
t The character furnished by the shape of the involucre divides the original Aspidium
into two unequal halves. The two genera thus obtained have a closely similar range of
variation in cutting and venation, and it is by no means clear in which of the two several
species should be placed. I t is perhaps scarcely needful to w.arn the young student to
bear constantly in mind that an Aspidium with an abortive or obliterated involucre is
not distinguishable from a Desmobryoid Polypodium. The number of species which have
been originally described as non-indusiate, in which a more or less (often very slightly)
developed involucre has been afterwards found to exist, is very considerable, aud uo doubt
more will be added to the list.
I J
^1 if