180 CEAEACTEES OF TEIBES AND GENEEA. 



opaque, smooth or pilose, 6 to 10 inches high. Veins 

 simple or forked, generally clavate, free ; the anterior 

 venule fertile. Receptacles elongated, medial terminal. Sori 

 ovate, oblong or linear, oblique, sometimes punctiform, 

 transverse uniserial. 



Type. Grammitis australis, E. Br. 



Illust. Hook, and Bauer, Gen. Fil., t. 72 B. ; Hook, and 

 Grev., t. 62 ; Moore Ind. Fil., p. 49, fig. 1 to 4 ; J. Sm. 

 Ferns Brit, and For., fig. 47. 



OBS. Grammitis was first established by Swartz in his 

 " Synopsis Filicum" in 1806, where he enumerates twelve 

 species, all agreeing in having, " Capsulas in lineolis rectis, 

 sparsis. Indusia nulla," but differing in habit and venation 

 so much that succeeding authors have distributed the whole 

 except G. marginella amongst seven different genera. 

 Since Swartz's time the discoveries of Blume and others 

 have added many species possessing the same habit and 

 character as G. marginella, and when grouped together 

 these form a very natural genus, all having simple linear 

 fronds of grass like appearance, and oblique oblong or 

 linear naked sori in a single row on each side of the mid- 

 rib. The form of the sorus, however, as in other cases 

 is not always oblong or linear, but sometimes quite round 

 (punctiform) and then does not differ technically from 

 Polypodium, in which the group is placed by Mettenius, 

 and followed by Sir William Hooker in his "Species' 

 Filicum." This amalgamation is due to these authors 

 adopting the form of the sori alone as the distinguishing 

 character for the genus Polypodium, thus including all Ferns 

 with round or oblong naked sori without regarding the 

 extraordinary disparity in the size, form, and mode of 

 growth of the numerous species. Thus the present group 

 having fronds like blades of grass are associated in the 



