TAB. c c x m , CCXIV. c c x v .
ALS OP HI LA A S P E R A .
FILIC ES .— G y r a t æ . B r . P o l y p o d i a c e æ . K a u lf. F i l i c e s v e ræ . W illd ., S p ren g .
Gen. C h a r . A L S O P H I L A , Br. S o ri globosi, sparsi, receptáculo elevato e divisione vena? orto
inserti. Indusia infra sorum inserta, lacero-imiltifida, quandoque obsoleta.
A i.s o p h il a aspera (Br.) ; caudicc arborescente eicatricato superne frondoso, stipitibus muricatis,
frondibus ovatis bipinnatis, pinnulis oblongo-lanceolatis acuminatis coriaceis glabris brevissime
petiolatis profunde pinnatifidis basi truncatis, laciniis oblongis obtusis marginibus recurvis
integerrimis.
Cyathea aspera. S w a r tz , S yn . FU. p . 139? W illd . S p . P l. v. 5 . p . 4 9 6 ? K a u lf. En um . F il.
p . 2 G0 }
P olypodium aspcrum. L in n . S p . P l. p . 1555 ?
F ilix arborescens spinosa, pinnulis in summitate serratis. P lum . F il. p . 4. /. 3 ?
F Ia b . Insula Jamaicæ. Gul. B a n c ro ft, M .D .
Caudex 2 0— 26-peclalis, erectus, simplex, teres, 3—4 uncias latus, cicalricatus; cicatricibus magnis, ovato-acumiiiatis,
vasibus tubulosis quasi punctatis; inferne nucliusculus, superne squamosus, b-ovuìosus.-, fro n d ib u s patentibus,
numerosis.
S tip e s bipedalis et ultra, digitis crassitie, teres, glaber, fuscus, facie anteriore profunde sulcatus, dorso præcipue
spinis brevibus sparsis muricatus.
Frondes circumscriptione ovatoe, subattenuatæ, bipinnatæ; p in n is p r im a r iis ovalibus; secundariis seu p inm d is
digitem longis, oblongo-lanceolatis, attenuatis, subcoriaceis, basi truncatis, brevissime petiolatis, profunde
pinnatifidis, nunc, in parte inferiore, pinnatis; segmentis oblongo-ovnlibus, obtusis paululum falcatis; marginibus
plerumque recurvatis, integerrimis vel crenato-serratis, ad apicem usque floriferis. Ra ch id es prim a rie s
et secundaria: nervique supra appresso-pubescentes, subtus glabræ, remote paleaceæ ; palees bullatæ, lacin
ia te , p r im a r iíS nunc aculeato-tuberculatæ, nunc omnino læves.
S o r i in ñervos laterales intra marginem et costam, globoso-hemispbærici.
In vo lu c ìum obsoletum, ut videtur, v ix ullum; ad basin infra sorum squamam minutam in arabitu paululum lacera-
tam peltatam invenimus.
Capsidæ densissime comp a cte, globosoe, fuscæ, annulo lato fere completo cinctæ, stipita te , receptáculo communi
hæmisphoerico in se r te .
Semin a triangularia, pellucida, fiavo-viriclia.
T ab. C C X I I I . F ig . 1. Caudicis portio, cum basibus stipitum; et f. 2 . S t i p e s magn. «w i. f. 3. Squama,
f. 4. Squamæ supremæ portio :— magn. auct. f. 5 . Cicatrix a parte inferiore caudicis.
T ab. C C X IV . Fig . 1. F vo n s magn. n a l.
T ab. C C X V . Fig . 1. Pinna primaria; et f. 2. Pin nu la :— m a g n .n a l. f. 3. Pinnulæ lacinia cum soris. f .4 . Squama
seu palca, f. 5. Receptaculum cum capsulis. f. 6. Capsula, f. 7. Semina:— magn. auct.
It has lo n g been our wish to give figures and descriptions o f the arborescent F e iv is ; but the
difficulty o f procuring perfect specimens o f the candcx and fronds has hitherto prevented us.
Dr. Banc roft has oblig in g ly communicated sonic from Jamaica, and am on g thorn the present one.
B u t though apparently a very common species in that island, aud, from its siz e and beauty, forming
a reniarkublc feature in the lan d scap e ; and th ou gh wc have received portions o f the fronds o f what
wc consider to be. the same species from other o f the W e s t Indian islands and from the continent
o f Sou th America, wc cannot satisfactorily refer it to any described species. Still, b e lievin g that
the T re e -F e rn s may be liable to much variation in their native soil, we have joined it, though
doubtfully, to the Cyathea aspera o f Swartz and Willdenow,— the Allsophila aspcra o f Mr. Brown.
Th e original authority for that plant seems to bo F ilix arborescens &c. o f Plumier, F il. I. 3 . ; and
there the primary and secondary rachides arc densely pr ickly, M'liich is by no means the case with
' Ri ri
i ' I