CXLIII. FILICES. 461 
SuporDER 1. Gleichenieze. 
Vernation circinate. Sori dorsal, of a few, generally 4-8, 
large, sessile capsules, without an involucre, having a broad, 
transverse, complete ring and a slit across the top. 
1. GLEICHENIA, Smith. 
The only genus, represented in Cape colony by 2 species, 
1 belonging to the subgenus Hugleichenia, which has very 
small, rounded or oblong lobes, and sori terminal on the veins, 
and the other to Mecosorus (Mertensia, Willd. not Roth), with 
linear segments arranged like the teeth of a comb, and sori on 
the back or at the forking of the veins. Texture always more 
or less coriaceous or chartaceous.—Pappe and Rawson, p. 10; 
Hook. and Baker, Syn. Fil. p. 11. 
SunorpEer 2. Cyatheez, 
Vernation circinate. Trunk woody, sometimes attaining a 
height of 80 feet. Sori dorsal, of numerous capsules, which 
are sessile or nearly so, have a broad, slightly excentric, nearly 
or quite complete ring and slit down the side. 
2. CYATHEA, Smith. 
Sori at first enclosed in a complete cup, which opens at the 
apex, and is either truncate at the mouth or breaks away in 
various modes.—Pappe and Rawson, p. 11; Hook. and Baker, 
Syn. Fil. p. 16. 
Vernation always simple, the fronds usually very large, and 3- or 4-pinna- 
tifid—1 South African species, confined to Caffraria and Natal. 
3. HEMITELIA, R. Br. 
Involucre a depressed half-cup, generally lobed.—Pappe and 
Rawson, p. 11 (Alsophila) ; Hook. and Baker, Syn. Fil. p. 27. 
The single Cape species is like Alsophila and Cyathea in veining and 
general habit, and has a curious geographical distribution, being found also 
in Java and Brazil. It produces curiously-modified pinne with capillary 
segments from the base of the stipe, which have been described as a species 
of Trichomanes. Several of the South American have much larger divi- 
sions, and groups of veins connected at the base. 
SuBorvDER 3. Polypodiez. 
Vernation circinate, the trunk woody in a few species of 
Dicksonia, none of which occur in the Cape colonies; the cap- 
sules stalked and furnished with an incomplete vertical ring, 
bursting on the side, placed on the back of the leafy part of the 
frond, except in the tribe Hymenophyllee. 
