Polypodiaceaee Fern Family, 
Leafy more or less caespitose plants of various habit and growth forn, 
arising from chaffy short and subvertical or long and stout horizontal 
rhizomes. The leaves (fronds) unfolding from a tight spiral coil and then 
resembling a violin head, finally producing a blade which in ours may be 
pinnately to nearly 4-times compound into coarse: undivided delicate membranous 
pinnatisect primary divisions (pinnae), the ultimate divisions (pinnules) 
variouse Sporangia opening transversely by an incomplete marginal band 
borne in ours in defined clusters or dots (sori) ) 
of hygroscopic cells (anmlus),jon the lower surface of fronds of ordinary 
outline or (in Cryptogramma) @n fertile fronds of central position which 
differ from the sterile pisualiy outer fronds, Sori near the margins or 
against the midnerve of the pinnule, either with or (in Polypodium and Phegopteris 
without a membranous or firm scale-like covering (indusium), of circular, 
kidney-shaped or linear-arcuate outline, or (in Cheilanthes, Pteridium, 
Cryptogramma, and Adiantum) the indusia represented by false indusia, which are 
the more or less inrolled margins of\ segments; sometimes the indusia when 
present)|very early deciduous or minute and evanescent (in Athyrium). Spores 
minute, dust-like, abundant. Gametophyte (prothallus) monoecious, green, 
terrestrial, thallus-like, often cordate, appearing in the spring, ephemeral. 
re 
2 RATA ANd ALOU Sey et 
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