CHARACTERS OF TRIBES AND GENERA. 207 



species with, both free and anastomosing veins, the technical 

 character consisting in all having a reniform indusium. 

 Schott restricted the genus to the species having anas- 

 tomose veins only. 



In the "Species Filicum" thirty-four species come under 

 this character, of which the following are the principal. 

 It is well to notice that great confusion exists in the 

 synonyms of many of the species ; for instance, Aspidium 

 molle, which is a very cosmopolitan species, has no less 

 than a dozen names placed under it as synonyms, some 

 having erect and others decumbent vernation, which 

 evidently marks them to be distinct species, but at the 

 same time possessing no special marked difference in the 

 character of the fronds. They present at least two very 

 distinct modes of growth, one set having fasciculate verna- 

 tion and another uniserial, thus forming two groups, which 

 may be viewed as characteristic of two natural genera. 



Sect. 1. EUNEPHRODITJM. 



Vernation fasciculate, decumbent or erect, in some arboroid. 

 * Fronds linear lanceolate, entire or pinnatifid. 



Sp. N. Cumingianum, /. Sm. Bot. Voy. of Herald, Kunze, 

 Fil., t. 9, fig. 2 ; N. stenopteris, Hook. ; N. simplicifolium, 

 /. Sm., Hook., Second Cent, of Ferns, t. 19. (Polypodium 

 sect. Goniopteris, Hook. Sp. Fil.) 



** Fronds pinnate. 



f Pinnce ~broad, serrated or entire, or sub-tripinnatifid, all or 

 nearly all the venules anastomosing. 



Sp. N. acrostichoides, /. Sm. ; N. lineatum, Pr. ; N. gra- 

 nulosum, J. Sm. (v v.), Bot. Voy. of Herald (N. glandulo- 

 sum, Hook. Sp. Fil.) ; N. cyatheoides, Kaulf. (Polystichum 



