e CHARACTERS OF TRIBES AND GENERA. 279 
Oss.—This genus consists of more than twenty species 
of small-growing Ferns, chiefly inhabiting dry, rocky 
places within or near the tropics of both continents, ex- 
tending to South Africa and Tasmania, and in the North 
to the shores of the Mediterranean and the Alps of Europe. 
In habit they have great affinity with the Ereosorus section 
of Gymnogramma, differing only in the sporangia being 
terminal and the indusium rudimentary, they are, therefore, 
by many authors referred to the Gymnosorus division of 
. Ferns, but I consider them to be more intimately related 
to Cheilanthes, and that the imperfect development of the 
indusium is due to the densely squamose and tomentose 
nature of the fronds. 
* Lepichosma. Fronds densely squamose. 
—.. Bp. N. levis, Mart. and Galeott. (v v.) ; N. sinuata, Kaulf. 
(v v.), Bot. Mag., t. 4699 ; N. squamosa, Hook and Grev., 
Ic. Fil., t. 151 (v v.) ; N. Aschenborniana, Kze., Hook. Sp. 
Fil., 5, t. 287 B. ; N. Marante, R. Br. (v v); N. cana- 
riense, J. Sm. (v v.) ; N. Eckloniana, Kze. (v v.) ; N. distans, 
ÈR. Br. (v v.), Hook. Secd. Cent. of Ferns, t. 80. 
— Sg Briochosma. Fronds densely tomentose, villose or hirsute. 
—  N. trichomanoides, R. Br. (v v.) ; N. rufa, Pr. (v v.) 
(N. ferruginea, Hook. Second Cent of Ferns, t. 52) ; N. hypo- 
leuca, Kunze; N. bracypus, Kze. (v v.); N. canescens, 
Fée; N. mollis, Kunze (v v.) ; N. eriophora, Fée, Hook. Ic. 
Pl., t. 991 ; L, lanuginosa, Desv. (v v.) ; N. inequalis, Kze ; 
N, sulcata, Link.; N. fragilis, Hook. Sp. Fil. 5, t. 287 4; 
= N. hirsuta, Desv.; N. Pohliana, Kze, Hook. Sp. Fil. 5, 
. t. 286 B. 
*** Ohrysochosma. The under side farinose. 
N. sulphurea, J. Sm., Bot. Voy. Herald, p. 233 (v v.) 
(Pteris, Cav. ; Cheilanthes Borsigiana, Reichenb.). 
