Marattia.] CXLYIL FILICES. 695 
nal slits without any other external mark to distinguish them, the sorus 
ial divided into so many cells in 2 r 
us of few species dispersed over the in regions of the New and the Old 
wei aud the southern e extratropical ae of the Old World. The only Australian 
species has a general range in the Old World, 
fraxin Sm. Ic. Ined. t. 48.—Fronds 9 to 12 ft. lon 
chy). Secondary pinnules or segments oblong-lanceolate, 
e 
acuminate, often 8 in. long and 12 in. broad, “but much smaller in ot 
specim with numerous parallel simple or forked transverse veins, 
the barren point usually serrate, the fertile portion entire or ly 
serrate. — Boat-shaped sori rather above 1 line long, oblique and close 
together in a continuous row close to the margin, the vein on which 
they rest sometimes slightly opins and fringed, but scarcely so in 
our Australian specimens ; upper surface of the sorus concave, th 
and cells indicating the number of united Spore came, 5 to 8 pair in pon 
sorus.—Hook. and Bak. Syn. Filic. 440; Be dd. Ferns S. Ind. t 
M. salicina, Sm. ; ; F. Muell. Fragm. v. 114. 
Queensland. Rockingham Bay, oe In" Dallachy ; York Peninsula, N. Taylor ; 
Daintree vets Fitzalan ; Bowen 
N. S. wW ord Howe’ : land n Moore, with smaller pinnules and longer 
sori of 15 to 201 eril of spore-ca 
Spread over the tropical and southern extratropical regions of the ec bro 
The species should iudedó several of those proposed by De Vriese, Monogr. Mara 
TRIBE III. Osmunpeaw.—Fronds circinnate in venation, divided or 
The typical Osmunda is not Australian, but is nearly allied to Todea barbara, 
8. CERATOPTERIS, Brongn. 
Fertile fronds compound with narrow linear segments. Sori of 
single globular spore-cases opening irregularly, with an incomplete or 
marked with concentric rings. 
The genus is limited to the single Australian species which is widely distributed 
over the tropical regions of the New and the Old World. 
a = thalictroides, Brongn. ; Hook. Spec. Filie. ii. = Syn. Filic. 
uatic or semiaquatic annual fern. Fro wice or 
nce Sud the fertile ones 6 in. to 1 ft, Ss the ‘Secondary or 
