70 



leaves is very different. They are palmate, or the smaller ones 

 may be simple. They usually have Irom three to five leaflets, 

 aud in the latter case they resemble quite closely a large 

 horse-chestnut leaf, as the specific name indicates. The compli- 

 cated netted venation is entirely different from that of the 

 other Marattiaceae and is quite like that of a typical dicoty- 

 ledon. Except for the presence of the main veins it is quite 

 similar to that of many species of Oph'uujlos.suni, and also 

 resembles Oiiodea or Ceniio2dc'j-is. The very large circular 

 synaugia are especially characteristeric, and the large stomatic 

 pores are also a peculiar feature. Some of the largest leaves 

 had stalks almost a metre in length, but most of them were 

 not more than about half as much. The leaves are thick and 

 fleshy in texture. 



The plants were found in a small narrow ravine at the base 

 of Mount Salak, and on the clay walls of the narrow part of 

 the ravine, where it was very shady and moist; a number of 

 prothallia and small sporophytes were collected. 



The first account published of the prothallium of the Marat- 

 tiaceae was that of Luerssen (Uber die Entwickelungsgeschichtc 

 des Marattiaceenvorkeims, Bot. Zeit., 1875, N^ 32), whose 

 account was not very complete, however. Somewhat later 

 JoNKMAN (La generation sexuee des Marattiacees, Arch. Neer- 

 landaises, XV, 1880), published a full account of the germi- 

 nation and development of the prothallium in several species 

 of Aiu/Lopteris and Marattla. Later the same writer published 

 a brief note on the germination of Kaulfussla (Over de Kieming 

 van Kaul/ussia aescuUfolla, Neerland. Kruidk. Arch., Ser. 2, 

 dee! 3, stuk 2, p. 2G2, 1879). In 1892 Farmer (Tlie embryo- 

 geny of An(jio[)leris evecta, Hoitm., Ann. Bot., V, 1892) described 

 the prothallium of A. evecla from material collected in Ceylon, 

 and in 1894 tlie writer described the prothallium and embryo 

 t»f the Hawaiian Marattia Doutjhhsu (Observations on the deve- 

 loi»ment of Marattia Doiujlasii, Baker., Ann. of Bot., VIII, 1891). 

 The only account of the American genus Danaea is Brebneu's 

 paper (On the prothallus and embryo of Danaea simpUcifoUa, 



