44

ASPIDIUM, § EUASPIDIUM.

p. 211. Polypodium , Jacq. Coll, ii . p. 10. t. 3 ,f. 1. Sw. Syn.Fil. p. 29. Willd. Sp. PL v. p. 161. Hook. Ex. FI. t. 114(not P. latifolium, as quoted by Mettenius). Dryomenis,J. Sm. in Seem. Bot. of the Herald, p. 229. Podopeltis, Fee,Gen. p. 9. Phymatodes, Pr. Bathmium macrocarpum andsinuatum, Fee, Gen. Fil. pp. 287, 288. Aspidium sinuatum,Moore, Ind. Fil. p. 104. Plum. Fil. t. 129.

Hab. Mossy rocky places near water, tropical America : Martinique , St. Vin-cent, Dominica , Plumier , Sieber, n. 353, Dr. Imray, L'Herminier; French Guiana , Leprieur [fronds lobato-sinuate) ; Venezuela , Fendler (one specimen 2feet 4 inches long, 6 inches wide; the margin slightly sinuate). Brazil ; Ama-zon, Serra de Sao Gabriel, Spruce, n. 2189 ( ordinary form oval , moderately de-current at the base, or with rather broad lanceolate fronds very decurrent onthe stipes ) ; Tarapota, Eastern Peru, Spruce, n. 4648 (fronds obovate-lanceolate,very decurrent upon the stipes); Utria Bay, Pacific' coast of Panama , Seemann ,same form as Spruce's n. 4648.—My copious specimens from the West Indies andthe continent of S. America , have satisfied me that the Polypodium plantagineum ,Jacq., and our Aspidium plantagineum, are one and the same Fern, varying a gooddeal in outline, as above noted, and varying in the presence or absence of the in-volucre, whether from being quickly deciduous, or, as I apprehend, its entire sup-pression at times, it is hard to say.

** Fronds palmately 3-5 dobed or S-h-foliolate.

55. A. (Euaspidium) angulatum, J. Sm. MS.; caudex ?stipes a span and more long ebeneous-chestnut as are therachis and principal costae beneath, frond cordate 12-15inches long and nearly as much broad subcoriaceo-membrana-ceous glabrous palmately 5-cleft or 3-foliolate, lateral pinnaepetiolate semiorbicular deeply but unequally 2-lobed, terminalpinna with a long petiole (4 inches long) very large orbicularin outline 7 inches broad deeply 3-lobed, middle lobe thelargest, all the lobes broad-ovate suddenly and very sharplyacuminate, margins entire, costae three in the terminal pinna,two in the lateral ones prominent towards the base beneath,primary veins patent rather distant straight or only slightlycurved, secondary ones forming zigzag arches connecting theprimary ones, the rest of the venation copiously anastomo-sing and forming irregular areoles with free simple or forkedand divaricating veinlets bearing the sori invariably at theapex, sori small very abundant and even crowded but notconfluent scattered over the surface of the frond to the verymargin, involucre minute (J. Sm.) not visible in my speci-mens, possibly none.—Polypodium angulatum, Willd. Sp.PI. v.p. 185.

Hab. Java ( Willdenow ); Amboyna, Barclay, in Herb. J. Smith ; Borneo , Mr.Wallace, in Herb. Nostr., the palmately 5-lid form.—Mr. Smith, I cannot doubt,