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M A T O N IA . B r .
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Soci dorsales, solitarii, rarius bini, ad basin inferiorem (nunc superiorem) la c iniæsiti,
rotundi, e puncto confluentiæ venularum pluriiim orti. Indusium orbiculatum,
peltatum, margine insigniter inflexum, subgloboso-hemisphæricum, depressum,
medio umbonatum, stipitiitum. Sporangia subsex, ad basin stipitis inserta, sessilia,
late oblique annulata, annulo fere completo.— Sporafe obtuse trigonæ— Filix
Malaccensis ; fronde Upinnata coriacea, subtus glauca; pinnis secundis profunde p in -
natifidis; laciniis obtusis. Venæ pinnatæ utrinque prominentes, simplices vel
furcatæ, ad marginem attingentes, basin versus anastomosantes, et ad soros radiatim
convergentes, punctoque insertionis confluentes.
ÎÂiLtoxiia pectinaia. Br. in Wall. P l. A s îa t.B a r . I. t. 16. ( I a b . X L I I I .)
One of the rarest and most interesting of Ferns known to us. I t has been hitherto
only found near the summit of Mount Ophir, about thirty-six miles from the town of
Malacca, by Col. W. Farquhar ; and the specimen described by Dr Wallich is still, we
believe, as that gentleman stated it to be, the only one in Europe. Dr Wallich favoured
me with a single pinna o f that plant, from which our figures are made. I find the indusium
to be pretty regnlarly, but obscurely, 6-lohed, and containing six sporangia: the margin
so completely involute as to reach the base of the stipes, and even to be united
with it, thus closed on every side, and when removed only exhibiting a slightly torn
aperture where it joined the stipes (as shown at / 7.) The sporangia, witli the broad
and slightly oblique annulus, resemble those of tlie Cyatheaceæ: tlie Indusium is, as far
as I know, quite peculiar to this Genus.
Fig. 1. Portion of a fertile pinna, seen from beneath : nat. size ; / . 2. Lesser portion, upper side ;
f. 3. Do. under side ; / 4. Segment of do. upper side ; / 5, do. Under side ; / 6. Upper, a n d / . 7.
under view of a sorus ; / 8. Section of a sorus showing the insertion of the sporangia ; / . 9. Section
of indusium ; / 10, I I . Sporangia ; / . 12. Sporules more or less magnified.