156

OLEANDRA.

5. Oleandra, Cav.

(Hook. Gen. Fil. tab. XLV. B. Aspidium, And.Neuronia, Don.)

Sori dorsal, globose, generally inserted near the base of thevery compact free veinlets, and often in a more or less inter-rupted and cbain-like series. Involucres cordato-reniform.—A small but very natural genus of tropical or subtropical Ferns.Caudex creeping. Stipes nodoso-articulate below the middle.Fronds simple , entire, lanceolate or subelliptical, acuminate,coriaceous or membranaceous, often very glossy or satiny.

1. O. neriiformis, Cav.; caudices suberect or scandent stoutwoody knotted branched and here and there beset with shortspines which are the persistent basal joints of the petioles offallen fronds, copiously rooting below, densely clothed withappressed imbricated subulate scales at first ferruginous thendiaphanous at length deciduous or leaving only small blackspots the remains of the persistent scales, fronds 6 inches toli foot long scattered or often in terminal whorls lanceolatecaudato-acuminate varying in breadth coriaceous and glossyor firm-membranaceous glabrous or partially villous or pu-bescent on the veins and costae, petiole 2 lines to an inchlong rarely more, jointed very near the base, glabrous or se-tose or rarely scaly, sori in a continuous but flexuose line,involucres reniform.— “Cav. Frail. 1801. n. 623. et Hort.Reg. Madrit . cum. Tab.” ( Sw .) Hook. Fil. Exot. t. 58. O.neriifolia, Pr. Aspid. neriiforme, Sw. Syn. Fil. pp. 42 and237- Willd. Sp. PI. p. 58. Bl. En. Fil. Jav.p. 140. Kunze,in Schk. Fil. Suppl. p. 35. t. 18. Aspidium articulatum, Sw.Syn. pp. 42 and 236. Oleandra, Pr. Aspid. Wallichianum,Belang. et Bory, FI. Ind. Or. Crypt , p. 56. t. 9. A. Salaciense,Kze. in Bot. Zeit. iv. p. 461. Ophiopteris verticillata, Reinw .O. micans, Kze. in Bot. Zeit. ix. p. 346.— a, vulgaris ; fronds6—8 inches long firm coriaceous glossy often narrow-lanceo-late, petiole § of an inch long with the articulation belowthe middle.—/3, brachypus ; fronds 4-5 inches long exactlylanceolate very coriaceous and glossy, petiole 2 lines longwith the articulation at its summit.— y, hirtella, Moore;more or less villous with fine soft hairs. Oleandra mollis,Pr. " O. pilosa, Hook, in Gen. Fil. t. 45 b. O. Trujulensis,Karst . FI. Columb. i. t. 73, and Miq. in Herb, nostr. O. hir-tella, Miq. in Schk. Fit. Suppl. 1. 129.