180 ` CHARACTERS OF TRIBES AND GENERA. ? 
opaque, smooth or pilose, 6 to 10 inches high. Veins 
simple or forked, generally clavate, free; the anterior 
venule fertile. Receptacles elongated, medial terminal. Sori 
ovate, oblong or linear, oblique, sometimes punctiform, 
transverse uniserial. 
Type. Grammitis australis, R. Br. 
Illust. Hook. and Bauer, Gen. Fil., t. 72 B. ; Hook. and 
Grev., t. 62 ; Moore Ind. Fil., p. 49, fig. 1 to 4; J. Sm. 
Ferns Brit. and For., fig. 47. 
Oss.—Grammitis was first established by Swartz in his 
“Synopsis Filicum” in 1806, where he enumerates twelve 
species, all agreeing in having, “Capsule in lineolis rectis, 
sparsis. Indusia nulla,” but differing in habit and venation 
so much that succeeding authors have distributed the whole 
except G. marginella amongst seven different genera. 
Since Swartz's time the discoveries of Blume and others 
have added many species possessing the same habit and 
character as G. marginella, and when grouped together 
these form a very natural genus, all having simple linear 
fronds of grass like appearance, and oblique oblong or 
linear naked sori in a single row on each side of the mid- 
rib. The form of the sorus, however, as in other cases 
is.not always oblong or linear, but sometimes quite round 
(punetiform) and then does not differ technically from 
Polypodium, in which the group is placed by Mettenius, 
and followed by Sir William Hooker in his “Species 
Filicum.” This amalgamation is due to these authors 
adopting the form of the sori alone as the distinguishing 
_ character for the genus Polypodium, thus including all Ferns 
. with round or oblong naked sori without regarding the 
. extraordinary disparity in the size, form, and mode of 
growth of the numerous species. Thus the present group ` 
having fronds like blades of grass are associated in the - 
