200 148 



hairs arc sometimes mislaken for ciiiale indusia. The sporangia of several species 

 are selose by simple or forked hairs. In D. asplenioides and others the head of 

 the sporangium is glabrous while its pedicel is furnished with a single, stitf hair. 



Goniopteris is a very distinct subgenus, or, I firmly believe, a very natural 

 genus, not nearly related to the other subgenera, Meniscinm excepted. The relation 

 between Goniopteris and Meniscium will be explained under the latter. Between 

 the sixty species dealt with below there are, however, two, D. macrotis and D. 

 semihastata, the [)osition of which as members of Goniopteris is rather doubtful. 

 It is possible that these two species belong to Cyclosorus. I have not been able to 

 find in the specimens seen stellate hairs, still they agree in colour and texlui'e 

 with Goniopteris rather than with Cyclosorus. Two other species, D. glandulosa and 

 I). Feniileri, which resemble very much species as D. nicaragnensis and D. megalo- 

 dus, I have referred to Steiropteris; thej' differ from Goniopteris in several minute 

 characters. 



All the species enumerated below are exclusively American. The subgenus 

 is represented in the Old World by two species only, as far as I know, I), silontica 

 (Pappe et Raws.) C. Chr. from South Africa and D. proliféra (Retz.) C. Chr. from 

 Africa, Asia and Australia. The American species can be divided into two rather 

 natural sections: 



1. Asterochlaena. Lamina upwards gradually narrowed into a pinnatifid apex. 



2. Eugoniopteris. Lamina terminating in a terminal pinna resembling the 

 lateral ones. 



Under the latter group I unite into a small group, Microdictgon P'ee, those 

 species having meniscioid venation and connecting Goniopteris with Meniscium. Between 

 the two sections no absolute limit is to be found. 



Key. 



1. Asterochlaena. Lamina entire bipinnatifid, upwards gradually narrowed 

 into a pinnatifid apex. 



2. Lamina entiri', pinnatifid or with some few free |)innæ below. 

 3. Lamina without free pinnæ below or casually with a single 

 pair of small free auricles. 



4. Lamina lanceolate, crenale or broadly serrulate, scarcely 

 2 cm broad, shortly cuneate at base; midrib, veins beneath 

 and indusium setose by simple hairs. 



5. Lamina entire or crenate 206. D. Cuniingiana (Kze.) O. Ktze. 



5. Lamina regularly and broadly serrulate or lobed 



207. D. Francoana (Fourn.) C. Chr. 

 4. Lamina broadest above the middle, often irregularly pinna- 

 tifid, long and gradually narrowed downwards. Costa, veins 

 beneath and indusium stellato-puberulous 



210. D. scolopendrioides (L.) Ü. Ktze. 



