TAB. LXXXI.
POL Y BOT R Y A CLRVINA.
EILICES.—G y e a t æ . Br. POLYPODIACE®. Kaulf. E i i i c e s v e ræ . Willd., Spreng.
G e n . C i ia r . P O L Y B O T R Y A , I lum b . Capsulæ p ín n u la s fro n d is d isp a ris lin e a re s n n d iq u e dense
te g e n te s . In d u s ium n u llnm . K a u lf.
P o l y b o t r y a c e rv in a ; fro n d ib u s ste rilib u s p in n a tis , p in n is o v a to -la n c e o la tis inæ q u iîa te ra lib u s in teg
e rrim is m a rg in a tis , fe rtilib u s b ip in n a tis , p in n is lin e a rib u s , p iu n u lis o b lo n g is p lan iu s cu lis .
P o ly b o try a c e rvina . K a u l f . E n u m . F il. p . 55. S p r e n g . S y s t. V e g . v . 4 . p . 33.
O lfe rs ia c e rvina. P r e s i, in R e liq . H a n k . p. 1 4 .
A c ro s tic h um c e rv in um . S y n . F i l .p . 14. & 2 0 0 . TVilld. S p . P I . v. b . p . 1 2 0 .
O sm u n d a c e rvina. L in n . S p . P I. p . \ b 2 \ .
O sm u n d a , Lingua? C e rv inæ foliis. P lum . F i l .p . 1 3 2 . i. 1 5 4 .
/3. F o liis lan c eo la tis.
H a b . I n In d ia O c c id en ta li, J am a ic a , M a rtin ic a , loc is um b ro s is . S tv a r tz . In s u la S an c ti V in c
en tii. R e v . L . .Guilding. ß . I n sylvis J am a icæ . B . B a n c r o ft.
Caudex repens, brevis, densissime fusco-squamosus, radiculosus, fibris ramosis, hirsutis.
Stipites plurimi ex eodem caudice, pedales vel bijiedales ei-ecti, semiteretes, facie anteriore sulcati, inferne squamosi,
flavo-fusci.
Frondes sub-bipedales ; steriles et fertiles distinctoe.
S/m7rssimpliciter pinnatæ (juniores lanceolata?, simplices). P in n c E ,l \—13, fere sessiles, alternæ, spithamææ et
ultra, ovato-lanceolatæ, coriaceæ, acuminate, marginatæ, integerrimæ; basi superiore gih'oossE; infe rio re
oblique cuneatæ co s ta te ; nervis numerosis parallelis, basi ramosis. Co7or loete viridis.
Fa-tiles bipinnatæ: P in n a Iineari-lanceolatæ, fere horizontales, alternæ, 3 ad 6 uncias longæ: Pinnulcc suboppositoe,
semiunciam longæ, patentes, planiusculæ, c;ipsulis undique tectoe.
Capsulæ numerosæ, fuscæ, annulo fere completo cinctæ, pedicellatæ, sphæricæ.
Fig. !. Frons juvenis. f. 2. Frondis adu lte sterilis portio. f. 3. Frondis fertilis portio. f. 4 . Pinnæ cum capsulis.
f. 5. Capsulæ.
T h e g cn u s P o ly b o tr y a was fo u n d ed b y H um b o ld t and K u n th u p o n th e sp e c ie s P . osmvndacea :
and th e c h a ra c te r was m ad e to d ep en d u p o n th e c ap su le s o c c u p y in g th e w h o le c ircum fe ren c e o f th e
fe rtile p in n u le s . W e p o sse ss, from J am a ic a , a F e rn th a t we c a n in n o p o in t d is tin g u ish from th is o f
H um b o ld t ; b u t in w h ic h th e y o u n g fe rtile pinna? h av e th e c ap su le s on ly o n o ne side, w h ile in th e ir
m o re ad v an c ed s ta te th e c ap su le s ap p e a r o n aiII sides o f th em . T h is difference in app e a ran c e , in all
p ro b a b ility , a rise s from th e r e v o lu tio n o r re flex io n o f th e m a rg in o f th e s e p im iæ : a n d it p e rfe c tly
ac cords w ith w h a t D r. Sw a rtz says o f th e p r e s e n t p la n t, wh ich h e h a s se en in a g row in g s ta te , an d
o f wh ich h e obse rve s, th a t “ in a n o ld s ta te th e fru c tific a tio n ap p e a rs to be o n b o th sides, in c o n seq
u en c e o f th e r e v o lu tio n o f th e m a rg in o f th e p in næ .” I f such be re a lly th e ca se , a n d if it ex ists
in all th e species ot P o ly b o tr y a , th e n th e g cn u s is sc a rc e ly d is tin g u ish ab le from A a -o s tich um .
N o a u th o r, as fa r as wc k n ow , ha s n o tic ed ‘Cro. y o u n g , q u ite s im p le , fro n d s o f th is spe c ie s. T h e
Rev. M r. G u ild in g h a s s e n t tliem to ns in th a t s ta te .