68

NEPI-IRODIUM, § EUNEPHRODIUM.

more or less pubescent oblong-lanceolate abrupt at the base(or sometimes much attenuated there with distant dwarfedpinnae) pinnated pinnatifid at the apex, pinnae numerous ho-rizontal sessile oblong and generally broadest at the base orlanceolate more or less acuminate 3-5 inches long pinnatifidmore or less deeply, the segments semiovate obtuse or oblonga little falcate, lowest pair of veinlets uniting and sendingout a veinlet which is prolonged to the sinus of the seg-ments, the rest free simple rarely forked, sori in two rowssituated near middle of the free veinlets or at the junction ofthe two basal ones, involucres cordato-reniform more or lessvillous. — Schott, Gen. Fit. cum. Ic. Desv. Mem. Soc. Linn. vi.p. 258. Br. Brodr. Nov. Holt. p. 149. Aspidium, Sw. Syn. Fit.p. 49. Willd. Sp. PI. v. p. 246. Metten . Aspid. 103. Po­ lypodium , Jacq. Ic. PI. Rar. t. 640. Polystichum, Gaud.Aspid. nymphale, Forst. Prodr. p. 81, and Schk. Fit. p. 36. t.34 (Metten ). Aspid. appendiculatum, Wall. Cat. (in part).Aspid. canescens, Wall. Cat. n. 354 (in part). Aspid. para-siticum, Sieh. and Sw. Syn. p. 49 (Metten ). Bl. En. Fit. p.159. Polypod., Linn. (Metten .) Mettenius adds to thesePolvpod. latebrosum, Wall., Nephrod. Helsinbergii, Pr.,Polyp. diversifrOns, Kl. and Kze., and Aspid. patens, Lk.

Hab. In tropical and subtropical countries j the most cosmopolitan, perhaps, ofall Ferns.

1. Africa , and adjacent islands : Algeria , Bone '; Madeira and all the West- African tropical and extratropical islands, abundant; Sierra Leone , Niger , Forbes,Vogel, Brunner, Barter, Mann; South Africa , Cape Town to Macalisberg in theinterior, Natal, East Coast, Zambesi, Dr. Kirk; Abyssinia, Schimper; Bourbon,“Aspid. pulclirum, Borg,’’ Carmichael; Mauritius , Sieber, n. 49; Asp. Helsin-bergii, Bojer, etc.

2. Ceylon, Thwaites, Gardner, Gent. Walker.

3. Indian Continent, most abundant from the West to the extreme East, andfrom the South to the Himalayas , Wallich, including his A. canescens, Cat . n. 354, A.canum, n. 387, a large var. with small tubercles bearing subulate paleaceous scales;Nepal , Hookerfil. et Thomson, n. 240 a. Polypod. mollusculum, Wall. Cat. n. 332, acommon form, with deeper and narrower segments. Polypod. appendiculatum,Wall. Cat. n. 349, almost identical with the latter. Polypod. nemorale, Wall. Cat.n. 1317. Aspid. parasiticum, Wall. Cat. n. 2239 ; many of the larger states fromthe Indian continent are sometimes quite glabrous.

4. Malay Islands and Peninsula , probably universal: Rangoon , Aspid.

solutum, Wall. Cat. n. 350 ; Moulmein , Parish, terminal pinna very long ; Lu­ zon , n. 83, and re. 279, and 51, and 102. (N. diversilobum, Pr. Epim. Bot.p. 47,

Metten . Aspid. p. 100. N. mucronatum, J. Sm., in part. N. Smithianum, Pr.Epimel. Bot., small, with the basal lobe of the pinnae on each side forming anauricle: another Nephrodium of J. Sm. under one of these numbers is A. angustifo-lium of Pr. Epimel. p. 58, probably a distinct species ; the N. Smithianum I possessalso from Amboyna.) Aspid. tectum, Wall. Cat. re. 394. Singapore , Java , Blume,his Aspid. subpubescens, En. Fil. Jav p. 149, and Asp. heterocarpnm, Bl.En.FU.Jav. p. 155, De Vriese and Teijsmann, n. 265, 284, and A. parasiticum, Bl. En.