164 ON THE FIBRO-VASCULAR BUNDLES IN FERNS AND 



6. Sinuous. Hieroglyph somewhat resembling in outline 4 and 



5, but ducts distributed within a sinuous canal in a distinct 

 zigzag catena. Dichsonia. 



7. Sinuous-arcuate. Hieroglyph resembling bridge of a violin — 



the zigzag preserved, but the arch receiving a marked lateral 

 depression. Sitolobium. 



8. Sinuous-arcuate, interrupted. The zigzag broken up into 



separate bundles apparently dispersed, but susceptible of 

 being resolved into the figure of No. 7. Pteris aquilina. 



9. Medullary. Sigmatic-arcuate, as in 4, but contained in central 



canal. Trichomanes. 



10. Medullary. Sigmatic- cruciform. The contiguous S-shaped 



figures within a central canal presenting the Hieroglyph of 

 a St. Andrew's cross. Scolopendrium. 



11. Medullary. Arborescent. Hieroglyph within central canal of 



a tree-like form. GUichenia. 



12. Medullary. Indefinite. Bundles within central canal without 



particular symmetrical arrangement. Platycerium grande. 



All these shade into each other through different species by 

 degrees almost imperceptible. Pteris aquilina, e.g., is an 

 interesting puzzle. All the exotic Pterises with which I am 

 acquainted — tremula, argyram, &c, &c, are arcuate or 

 sinuous-arcuate, and have little resemblance to P. aquilina, 

 whose place is apparently nearer to the tree ferns. This may, 

 of course, be urged as " so much the worse for the Hiero- 

 glyph," but the question arises whether this universal fern, the root 

 of which the New Zealanders say is in the middle of the world, is 

 not the ally of the Sitolobiums and Balantiums. 



It is interesting to observe that Aspidium, Sagenia, Cyrtomium, 

 Nei>hrodium, Lastrea, and Polystidium, so nearly approach each 

 other in the accepted characteristics that Kunze calls them sections 

 of one genus. Now all these are punctiform, except Nephrodium, 

 which is sigmatic. 



Ferns as widely distinct in general appearance and habit as the 

 filmy Todea and the proud Osmnnda are united by their fructifica- 

 tion into one family, and the classification holds good by the test of 

 the Hieroglyph. 



The accompanying figures are from drawings of sections made 

 about the middle of the stipes. 



