Grammitis.'} 



FILICES. 



457 



. A considerable genus, chiefly tropical, common to the New and the Old World, differing 

 from Asplenium in the absence of any indusium, and from the closely allied Gymnogramme, 

 chiefly in habit, and in the sori always simple and straight, not forked. 



1. G. decurrens, Wall.; Hook, and Grev. Ic. Fil. t. 6. Blrizome 

 rather thick, creeping, with black or brown scales. Fronds erect, 1 to 2 ft. 

 high, quite glabrous, deeply pinnatifid or pinnate. Segments 3 to 17, lan- 

 ceolate, 3 to 5 in. long, acuminate, narrowed at the base, rather distant, but 

 usually connected by a decurrent wing, or the lower ones quite free, all rather 

 thick. Veins proceeding from the midrib and immediately forked, in the fer- 

 tile segments one branch bears a straight linear sorus, the other, like both 

 branches in the barren segments, is flexuose and anastomosing, and from both 

 are emitted a few short free branches. — Selliguea decurrens, Presl; Hook, in 

 Kew Joum. Bot. ix. 358. 



In ravines, Champion and others. In the Indian PeniDSula, the Himalaya, Khasia, the 

 Philippines, Loochoo, and Corea. 



18. MENISCIUM, Schreb. 



Sori oblong, transverse, (parallel to the midrib) and arranged in parallel 

 rows between the primary pinnate veins. Indusium none. 



A small tropical genus, common to the New and the Old World, only differing from 

 Polypodium in the shape of the sori. 



1. M. simplex, Hook, in Lond. Joum. Bot. i. 294, t. 11, and Fil. Exot. 

 £.83. Ehizome creeping. Frond simple or 3-lobed at the base, lanceolate, 

 acuminate, 3 to 8 in. long on a stipes of 3 to 6 in., cordate at the base, f to 2| 

 in. broad, pubescent. Veins numerous and parallel, diverging from the 

 midrib, and connected by numerous transverse veinlets which, in the fertile 

 fronds, bear the sori. 



Common on hillsides, Hinds, Champion and others. Also in Chusan. 



19. POLYPODIUM, Linn. 

 Sori circular or rarely somewhat oval, variously arranged on 

 face of the frond. Indusium none. Eeceptacle not raised 

 Ferns. Fronds simple or once, twice, or thrice pinnate. 



A large genus, as widely dispersed over the surface of the globe 

 Aspidium. 



Fronds all simple, thick, the veins inconspicuous or the primary ones 

 scarcely prominent. 



Sori in a single row on each side of the midrib 1. 



Sori scattered in several rows 2. 



Sori very closely packed in numerous series occupying the whole 

 breadth of the fertile fronds. 



Fertile fronds linear, always barren at the base 3. 



Fertile fronds oblong-lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, mostly covered 



with sori from the base 4. 



Fronds 3-lobed, or sometimes simple, thin, with prominent veins . . 5. 

 Fronds simply pinnate. Veins parallel, prominent. Sori on transverse 

 veinlets between them. 



Pinnse few, distinct 



Pinna? numerous, confluent, the sessile base of the frond dilated and 



shortly lobed 7. 



Fronds thrice pinnate 8, 



the under sur- 

 — Herbaceous 



as Asplenium and 



P. Wightianum. 

 P. hymenodes. 



P. adnascens. 



P. Lingua. 

 P. tridactylon. 



6. P. granulosum. 



P. coronans. 

 P. tenericaule. 



