ON THE GENUS BRAINEA. 341 
the Lam-tai-wu ixiountain^ in the province of Fokien, at about 2000 
feet elevation^ where it grew associated with EcJdnops G?ijsli, mihi, 
Symj)locos Sinlca, Ait., Salvia Chmensis, Eth., a small Allium, etc. ; and, 
since then, it has been collected by Mr. Sampson about 200 miles 
north of the city of Canton. It also occurs in Japan, Siebold and 
Zuccarini*s P. pa?'viJ!ora being the same. 
It is further noteworthy, as a singular fact in geographical distribu- 
tion, that the only other species of Cri/ptotaiiia known, — C elegans, 
Webb, — should be confined to the Canaries. 
Whampoa^ S, China, 27th Jiine^ 1865, 
ON THE GENUS BRAINEA, J. Sm^ 
By H. F. Hance, Ph.D., etc. 
, The remarkable arborescent Fern on which this monotypic genus is 
founded, and which has hitherto only been detected in the Khasya hills 
and southern China, was first described (i853) by Sir W. Hooker, 
under the name o{ Bowringia (Journ. Bot. v. 237), and most beauti- 
fully and accurately figured by Mr. Fitch. The learned author alludes 
to the difficulty of pointing out its affinities ; and, while noticing its 
reeemblancc to Boodia and Woodwardia, seems inclined to place it near 
Gymnogramme Japonica, Desv. Mr. Thomas Moore (' Index Filicum,' 
xIy. a, 1857) stations it in his tribe PolypodinecE \ MeniscietF, which 
includes Brainea, Meniscium, and Dryomenis^ and remarks that it seems 
to hira to connect the Lomariece^ through Woodtcardie^e^ with the 
Mmimece, In the opinion of Mr. John Smith (Bot. Herald, 427, a:id 
Cult. Ferns, 41, a. 1817), the genus should stand in his tribe P/mc?e<e 
§ Blechne^, which comprises Blechnuvi, Boodia, Lomaria, Brainea^ 
Woodwardia, Anchistea, Lorinsoria, and Stenochlcena. In 1859, Sir 
\V. Hooker gave a second illustration of this plant (Fil. Exot. t. 38), 
Six* W. Hooker attaches his owu name as tlie authority for this gemiB, and 
is so quoted by Mr. Bentham, in the ' Flora Hongkongensis.' It is true that 
Sir W. Hooker (Joum. Bot. ix. 355) dedicated the genus to Mr. Braine, but; 
this was in December, 1857, whilst Mr. John Smith had done the same, earlier 
in the year, if I am not mistaken (Seemaun, Bot. Herald, p. 427) : moreover, I 
find Mr. T. Moore and Mr. Smith himself botli citing the latter gentleman^s 
* Catalogue of Kew Ferns/ published a year previous, as theorigiiiai authority. 
