r
n
have a very limited geographical ran g e ; A . reniforme being
confined to Madeira, Tenerific, and th e Azores; and A . a sa r ifo
lium to the IMauritius and the Islan d of Bourbon. P e tiv e r
describes a th ird very similar p lant, said to have been found
in th e .Ph ilip p in e Islands, and which he has called H . PM lip -
pense. Other botanists having failed in th e ir search for
P e tiv e r’s F e rn , I fear th a t it must be considered as a doubtful
plant.
T h e frond is simple, glabrous, and reniform, th a t is, kidney-
shaped, having a broad shallow sinus; in len g th it is about
six inches, and in width usua lly two inches; termina l, rising
o u t of a scaly and somewhat creeping rhizoma. T h e colour
of the frond a b rillian t shining green.
Sori oblong and contiguous.
A n evergreen greenhouse species, req u irin g attention in its
cultivation.
I am indeb ted to Mr. Sim, of F o o t’s Cray, for a plan t of
this F e rn ; and to Mr. Sim; Mr. N o rm an ; Messrs. Booth; and
Mr. H en d e rso n , o f AVentworth, for fructified fronds.
I t is in the Catalogues of Messrs. A. H en derson, of P in e apple
P la c e ; E . G. H en derson, of St. J o h n ’s Wo o d ; Backhouse,
of Y o rk ; Eollisson, of T o o tin g ; Sim, of F o o t’s C ray ; P a rk e r,
of the P aradise N u rs e ry , Holloway; and Booth, of H am b u rg .
I t is not a common F e rn , being found only in the more
complete British collections.
T h e illustration is taken from a frond forwarded by Mr. Sim,
of th e F o o t’s Cray N u rse ry .
Ml