42
ASPIDIUM, § EUASPIDIUM.
the pinnae much resembles some forms of Aspid. (Cyrtomium) falcatum; butthe venation is very different, and the terminal pinna: are not confluent.
52. A. (Cyrtomium) nephrodioides, Hook.; stipes a spanand probably much more long sulcated as well as the rachisdirty straw-colour, frond 2 feet long ovate submembrana-ceous acuminate glabrous pinnated throughout, pinnae nu-merous spreading 3-6-8 inches long by 1 broad sessile froma broad base oblong-lanceolate uniformly and deeply pinna-tifid three-quarters of the way down to the rachis into nume-rous subhorizontally patent oblong acute subfalcate segmentsobsoletely serrated 1? an inch long 1| line wide slightly hirsutebeneath and on the costules and veins which are very patent,the lowest pair of veins uniting and forming a single veinwhich is prolonged to the sinus of the segments, the rest,quite free, extend from the costule to the margin each bear-ing a sorus nearer to the margin than to the costule, invo-lucres distinctly orbicular peltate very tbin and membrana-ceous ochraceous dark brown in the centre the margin ci-liated. (Tab. CCXXXV.)
Hab. Indian Archipelago, Seemann. —This is a very beautiful and most distinctFern , brought home by Dr. Seemann on his return from the voyage of H. M. S.Herald, but which by some accident was omitted to be noticed by that author inhis Botany of the Voyage. It has all the habit and venation (of the simplest kind)of Eunephrodium of Schott and many recent authors ; but the involucres are per-fectly orbicular and peltate.
§ Euaspidium.*— Primary veins arising from the costae generally straight, therest variously and compoundly anastomosing , the areoles with or without freeveinlets. Sori dorsal or terminal upon a free veinlet or compital. Involucreorbicular , or not unfrequently more or less cordate or hippocrepiform. Frondsoften large, simple, pinnate or MAripinnate , or subpedately pinnate. Aspi-dium, J. Sm. in Cult. Ferns (not elsewhere). Aspidium, Schott, and Sagenia,Pr. Bathmium and Cardiochlsena, Fee.
* Fronds simple,undivided.
53. A. (Euaspidium) Singaporwnum, Wall.; caudex moreor less creeping very fibrous, stipites approximate sometimestufted 6-12-14 inches long sparsely setosely subulato-palea-
* By the term Euaspidium here, I mean the Aspidium of Schott, and of mostmodern authors who favour the great multiplication of Fern genera, none of themunfortunately taking the same views, nor working in harmony with others. Met-tenius adopts Swartz’s Aspidium, including Nephrodium of Michaux and Brown ;in other words, making no distinction between orbiculari-peltate involucres andthose which are cordate or reniform ; and such is the difficulty of distinguishingin the present section between cordate and orbicular involucres, that I am, as itwere, compelled to unite Sagenia, Pr., under the head of Euaspidium ; and, in-deed, it is the opinion of many that both kinds of involucres may be found on the