80 The Natural History of Jamaica.
XXX. Lonchitidi affinis anomala folio, alato è pinnarum crenis fructifero. Cat. p. 16. Hippoglosso forte Cognata Surinamensis, foliis oleandri serratis , in crenarum extremo folsculos perminutes sanguineos gerentibus vel sorte hemionitidi affinis. Breyn. pr. 2. p. 57. An Hermionitidi affinis Americana epiphyllanthos folio simpliciter pinnato, hyppoglossi aemulo, radice reptatrice lignosa ad foliorum crenas florida angustiori & longiori folio ramosa caulescens. Plukenet phyt. Tab. 247. Fig 4 ?
This Tree riseth to about eight Foot high, having Stems not much thicker than ones Thumb, whose Wood is white and solid, with small Pith, and Bark is smooth, of a light gray colour, a little striated, and something like that of Fir, to whose Cyma or springing Gemma the top of the Tree is exactly like. The Leaves came out near the tops of the Branches without any order, are winged four Inches long, the Pinnae being set on to a middle Rib, at about half an Inches distance, alternatively. They are about seven or nine in number, having an odd one at the end of the middle Rib, each of them is about an Inch and an half long, and three quarters of an Inch broad near the middle where broadest, shining something like the Leaves of Laurus Alexandrina, being of a dark green colour, smooth, having one middle Nerve, and several lateral ones. The principal of these Nerves end in some little small notches at the Margin, in which come first a russet or ferrugineous Moss, and then out of the middle of that a very small russet colour'd Flower on a small Foot-Stalk, after which follows sticking close to the Margin of the Leaf, the Fruit, which is round, no bigger than a small Pins Head. It is made up of a great many, almost round, dark brown or ferrugineous Seeds, set round in a fungous Body, as may be easily seen by a Microscope. The Roots are for the most part long Threads and Filaments, running into the crannies of the Rocks, seeking Nourishment to the Plant.
There is a variety of this with much broader Leaves.
It grows among the woody Hills on the Honey-Comb Rocks, near Mr Batchdors House, etc. very plentifully.
I think this a properer place for this Plant, than to be put in ano:her, as Dr. Plukenet would do in his Mantiss. p. 81.
XXXI. Trichomanes majus pinnis sinuatis subtus niveis. Cat. p. 17. Tab. 35. Fig. 1. Adianthum seu trichomanes maximum Americanum subtus argenteum pinnulis productioribus serratis summo caule involutis ex insula Jamaicenst. Plukenet, Alm. p. 9. An Trichomanes argenteum ad oras nigrum. Plum, Inft. p. 540 ?
This Plant has several long Filaments of a dark brown colour, coming from a solid Oblong small Root, covered over at the top with a blackish hairy Moss like other the Ferns. From thence rife many Leaves about a Foot long, having reddish brown, roundish, shining Foot Stalks, and middle Ribs, on which the Pinnae are set sometimes opposite to one another, sometimes alternatively, rarely towards the bottom, but near the top as thick each Pinna being about half an Inch long and a quarter broad at Base, where broadest, and for the moft part ear'd from whence it diminishes, ending in a point. They are of an irregular Figure, notch'd about the edges with some sinuations, and small incisures, being green above, and very white beneath, having on their Margin or edges, a ferrugineous Line or Moss, containing its Seed.
It grew on the side of a woody Hill, amongst the Rocks, near Mr. Elletsons Plantation in Liguanee.
The odness of the Title made me doubt if this was Dr. Plukenet's Adianthum abovementioned, but he himself is positive in it. Mantiss. p.9. therefore he must explain how it comes to be pinnulis productioribus serratis summo caule involutis.XXXII Tri-
