Sect. 5.—DRYNARUE. 
22. DRYNARIA, Bory, (1825). : 
Phymatodes, Presl; Polypodium sp., auct.; Hook. Sp. Fil. 
Surculum short, thick, and fleshy. Fronds rigid, the 
sterile (when present) sessile, broad cordate, sinuose, or | 
laciniated; the fertile stipitate or sessile, pinnatifid or 
pinnate, rarely simple, the segments articulated with the 
rachis; when sessile, the base is dilated similar in form to 
the sterile frond.  Veins external, elevated, compound 
anastomosing, forming quadrate or hexagonal areoles. 
Primary veins costeform or obsolete. Receptacles compital. 
Sori round, small, numerous, and irregular, or transversely 
or obliquely serial, sometimes confluent, forming a linear 
sorus between the costeform veins. | 
Type. Polypodium quercifolium, Linn. 
Illust. Hook. Gard. Ferns, t. 1 and 31; Fil. Exot., t. 13; 
Moore, Ind. Fil, p. 63, A; J. Sm. Ferns, Brit. and 
For., fig. 28. 
Oss.— This is a well-marked and distinct genus of Ferns, 
its typical representative being the well-known Polypodium 
 quercifolium of Linnzus, which receives its specific name 
from the fanciful likeness of the sterile frond to the leaf of 
the common oak. In some species, however, it is much 
larger, even to a foot in length, oblong cordate, entire 
. sinuose or deeply laciniated, and of a firm woody texture. — | 
This genus consists of about nine known species, widely 
distributed over the Eastern hemisphere, in Mauritius, 
Ceylon, India, China, Malayan, Philippine and Tropical ` 
Polynesian Islands, and Australia. 
_ In general they are epiphytal, their large broad fronds | 
imparting a special character to the trees on which they ` ` 
CHARACTERS OF TRIBES AND GENERA. 13? 
