THE PROTHALLIUM OF KAULFUSSIA AND 



GLEICHENIA. 



BY 



D. H. CAMPBELL. 



(With 8 Plates). 



Kaulfussia. 



Of the five known genera of existing Marattiaceae the mono- 

 typic Kaulfussia aescidlfoUa Bl. stands very mnch by itself, 

 being evidently not at all nearl}^ related to any of the other 

 genera. It shows certain resemblances to some of the fossil 

 Marattiaceae, e. g. Fti/chocarjms, and it was therefore espe- 

 cially desirable that the development of its gametophyte shonld 

 be investigated. Kaulfussia is said to occur throughout the 

 moister portions of the Indo-Malayan region, but it does not 

 appear to be a common plant. Several specimens are growing 

 in the rich collection of ferns in the botanical garden inBuiten- 

 zorg, and inquiry showed that the plant occurred in the forest 

 about the foot of Mount Salak not far from Buitenzorg. After 

 one or two unsuccessful searches for the plant it was finally 

 secured with the aid of the veteran collector of the garden, 

 Paidan, and a sufficient number ot prothallia were found to 

 make a fairly satisfactory study of the most important details 

 of its structure. 



The plant is very different in aspect from any of the other 

 Marattiaceae. The fleshy prostrate rhizome is in habit a good 

 deal like Danaea and the arrangement of the leaves is not 

 unlike that found in the latter genus; but the form of the 



