194 FLORA OF SOUTH AMERICA. 
When the first part of the paper on the Genera of Ferns was 
published in the fourth volume of the Journal of Botany, I had 
not seen specimens of this, the smallest of ferns, and only knew 
it by description and the figure above quoted. On viewing its 
forked free venation, and the form of its sori, there can be little 
doubt of its agreeing with the technical character of Gymno- 
gramma; but I have elsewhere shown that very unnatural com- 
bination of species will often occur if too strict a regard is paid 
to the technical characters upon which genera are determined. 
Such is the case with the present subject, which in aspect and 
habit is at variance with any species of the several groups of 
Gymnogramma. The creeping paleaceous rhizoma, and the 
simple structure of the frond, evidently point to a relationship 
with Monogramma and Grammitis, as characterised by me; but 
itis distinguished from these genera by the absence of a con- 
tinuous straight midrib. Occasionally, some of the fronds 
are simply linear, and bear only one sorus, being therefore; 
analogous to Monogramma; showing that Hecistopteris is 
only distinguished from that genus by the cuneiform, and 
usually laciniated character of its frond, and consequent 
forked venation. 
696. Polypodium confusum, J. Sm. Herb. (1839); frondi- 
bus lineari-lanceolatis utrinque attenuatis glabris pinna- 
tisectis, laciniis oblongo-linearibus alternis decurrentibus; 
sinubus acutis, soris 2-8 confluentibus, receptaculis immersis. 
British Guiana. ScAomburgk.—1 first detected this to be 
distinct from P. trichomanoides while examining a number © 
St. Vincent specimens of that species, with which the present 
one was intermixed, and evidently they were gathere as 
one species ; but this is distinguished from P. trichomanoides 
by the absence of the rigid hairs which characterise that 
species, and also by its sori being seated in a cavity or de- 
pression, as in many species of Phymatodes. 
697. Polypodium Phlegmaria, J. Sm.; frondibus lineari- 
bus pinnatis glabris, pinnis ovato-oblongis oblique undulatis 
subimbricatis sessilibus, basi superne truncatis gibbosis, 
inferne decurrentibus, rachi alata, soris 3-4 venulis termina- 
