CHARACTEES ON TRIBES AND GENERA. 133 



Type. Polybotrya osmundacea, H. B. K. 

 Illust. Hook, and Bauer, Gen. Fil., t. 78, B; Schott. 

 Gen. Fil., t. 7 ; Moore Ind. Fil., p. 1, fig. 1 to 7 ; 

 J. 8m. Ferns, Brit, and For., fig. 37; Hook. Syn. 

 Fil., t. 7, fig. 60, c. d. e. 



OBS. I now restrict Polybotrya to the species allied in 

 general habit to the original type of the genus, Polybotrya 

 osmundacea, of which there are about ten all natives of the 

 West Indies and Tropical America. In general habit they 

 are allied to the Tectaria section of Polystichum, the fronds 

 of some of the latter being very similar in every respect to 

 those of P. osmundacea, and in Polystichum ascendens the 

 fertile fronds are contracted similar to those of Polybotrya. 



* Fronds pinnate, pinnce dentate, or pinnatifid. 

 Sp. P. plumbicaule (Baker Syn. Fil.) ; P. fractiseriale 

 (Baker Syn. Fil.) ; P. pubens, Kunze. 



** Fronds bi-tri-quadripinnate. 



P. acuminata Link, (v v.) ; P. caudata, Kze. ; P. nutans, 

 Kze. ; P. incisa, Link. ; P. osmundacea, H. B. K. (v v.) 

 (P cynlindrica, Kaulf.) P. caniculatum, Klot. ; P. Lech- 

 leriana, Mett. 



** Veins combined at the margin. 



49. OLFERSTA. Radd. (1819). 

 Acrostichum, sp. Hook. Sp. Fil. 



Vernation uniserial, sarmentum thick, scandent, squamose. 

 Fronds pinnate, 1 to 3 feet long ; pinnae ovate lanceolate, 

 adherent and oblique at the base, smooth coriaceous. Veins 

 uniform, simple, or forked, direct parallel, their apices 

 combined by a transverse marginal vein. Fertile pinnce 

 linear or pinnatifid, convolute, wholly sporangiferous. 



