ALSOPHILE^E. CV. 



3 ALSOPHIIE.S:. 

 148. ALSOPHILA, -B. Broton, Prod. Fl. Nov. Soil. 158. 



DiCKAifOPHi/EBiA, Martius; HAPLOPHLEBIA, Martius; TBICHOPTERIS, 

 Presl; CHNOOPHOBA, Kaulfuss; GYMNOSPHJSBA, Slume; TBICHOSTEGIA, 

 J. Smith; HYMENOSTEGIA, J. Smith, in part; DICHOBEXIA, Presl; Lo- 

 PHOSOBIA, Presl; TBICHOSOBUS, Kunze ; POLYPODII sp., Auet.; CYA- 

 THB^ sp., Auct.; ASPIDII sp., Auct.; HEMITELL& sp., Mettenius. 



Sori naked, or sometimes spuriously (i.e. squamoso-)involu- 

 crate; the receptacles globose or columnar, medial or axillary. 

 Involucre non-apparent, or represented by a bullate scale, or a 

 series of jointed hairs. Veins simple forked parallel-forked or 

 pinnate, from a central costa ; venules free, unisoriferous. 



Fronds large, herbaceous or sub-coriaceous, bi-pinnate or 

 decompound. Trunk or caudex thick, erect, sometimes branch- 

 ing, often arborescent. This genus differs from the foregoing in 

 the absence of any true indusia or involucres to the sori. Like 

 the other Cyatheinecs it is known from Polypodiwn (which also 

 has round naked sori) by the elevated receptacle, but in this 

 character, as well as in that of the obliquely-compressed form of 

 the spore-cases, which is also a general characteristic of the 

 CyatheinecB, the species referred to Ahophila offer some degree 

 of variation. Indeed it sometimes becomes difficult to distinguish 

 between Alsophila and Polypodium, and probably some species 

 referred to the former may really belong to the latter genus. 



Chnoophora. Sori at the axils of the veins, or mostly so. 

 Ex. : A. Tamitis, Hook. \ A. elegans, Martius. 



A. excelsa, S. Sr. A. australis, R. Sr. 



A. Brunoniana, Wall. \ A. caudata, J. 8m. 



A. aspera, S. Sr. A. glauca, J. 8m. 



A. aculeata, J. Sm. : Kze. A. crinita, Hook. 



A. villosa, Desv, A. armata, Presl, 



G-ymnosphaira. Sori medial on the veins. 



Ex. : A. radons, K 

 A. infesta, 



AV/:,. 



Arc. 



A. jrigantea, Wall. 



A.' Cole: 



ensoi, Hook.fil. 



A. arbuscula, Pr. (procera, Mart.) 

 A. echinata (Alsophila aculeata, Hk. 

 A. squamulata, Hook. [nonJ.Sm.J 

 A. pruinata, Klfs. 



149. AMPHIDESMIUM, Schott, Gen. Fil (under t. 1.) 



METAXTA, Presl; TBICHOPTEBIS, Parker; CHNOOPHOEA sp.,^ic<. ; At- 

 BOPHIL2E sp., Auct. ; POLYPODII Sp., Auet . ; AsplDll sp., Auct. 



Sori non-indusiate, globose; the receptacles small ovoid, 



CMay,1857.J K 



