J. SMITH ON THE GENERA OF FERNS. 187 



■■ Fronds simple or pinnate ; pinnce linear-lanceolate, fal- 

 cate, or elliptical, margin spinulous ; sori arranged in 2, 3, 

 or 4 transverse roivs. 



Species. 1. P. nobilis, {Schkcht.) 2. P. juglandifolia, 

 {Humb.) Illust. Hook. Gen. Fit. t. 49. A. (from Presl.) 



Obs. The venules being less anastomosed is the chief dis- 

 tinction between this and the preceding genus. 



85. Fadyenia, Hook. 

 (Aspidii sp. Hook, et Grev.) 



Veins forked ; venules anastomosing and reticulate, the 

 lower exterior venule (of each fascicle) free and sporangiferous 

 on its apex; sori round, transversely uniserial; indusium 

 reniform, lateral. 



Fronds simple, entire, 5 to 6 inches long, the sterile lan- 

 ceolate, attenuated, and proliferous at the apex; the fertile 

 linear, attenuated towards its base, apex obtuse; the free 

 venules in the sterile frond usually forked; sori situated in 

 the costal areoles. 



Species. Y. prolifera, Hook. Illust. Hook. Gen. Fil. t. 53. 

 B. Hook, et Grev. Ic. Fil. t. 96. 



Obs. The species upon which this genus is founded is a 

 native of Jamaica, and as a genus it may be viewed as repre- 

 senting the same form of venation and position of the sori in 

 AspidiecB that Goniophlebium and Synammia does in Poly- 

 podiecE. 



It is probable that Fadyenia prolifera is the simple form of 

 a groifp to which may be referred the Aspidiuni caducum of 

 Wallich, which is a large pinnate fern, the pinnas being ana- 

 logous in texture, venation, and position of the sori to the 

 simple frond of Fadyenia, excepting that the venules become 

 free towards the apex or superior half of the pinnae; but as 

 the specimens and figure (Hook, et Grev. Ic. Fil. t. 171.) 

 which I have examined, are not perfect, having no evidence 

 of its belonging to Aspidiece, except by analogy, and its being 

 so called by its original discoverer, ( Wallich,) I therefore for 

 the present hesitate deciding where it should be placed, and 



