14 CYATHEA. 



iana, Prcsl. — There is a M. Magellanica quoted by Des\ aiix 

 as described by Poiret in Encycl. Bot. Suppl. 3, p. 669 ; but 

 on referring to that work there is no such species mentioned. 



SuBORD. II. — POLYPODIACE^, Br. 



Sort dorsal, often near, or at, the margin, various in form, 

 sometimes constituting an uniform linear or spreading mass, 

 naked or furnished with an involucre. Capsules one-ceWed, with 

 a longitudinal or oblique clastic articulated generally incom- 

 plete r/n(/, bursting transversely and irregularly. — A most ex- 

 tensive suborder, but of whicJi, as it appears to me, all the 

 groups or tribes are so connected together by habit and struc- 

 ture, as to form in themselves one natural division, not af- 

 fording subdivisions of equal value with Gleicheniaceuj for 

 example. They inhabit almost every part of the ivorld from 

 the tropics to the arctic and antarctic regions where extreme 

 cold prevails, and are exceedingly variable in size and ap- 

 pearance, including as the suborder does, the largest Tree- 

 Ferns, and the smallest herbaceous species. 



Tribe I. CYATHEA, Gaud. 

 Sort globose, situated upon, or at the forking of, a vein. 

 Capsules numerous, sessile or stalked, upon an elevated re- 

 ceptacle, often mixed with hairs, obovate more or less com- 

 pressed, fiu-nished with a broad, generally oblique, frequently 

 complete elastic ring. Involucre sometimes covering the 

 whole sorus, having its origin from beneath and bursting ir- 

 regularly or with a circular opening, frequently cup-shaped, 

 entire or more or less lobed or laciniated, sometimes wholly 

 wanting. — Arborescent Ferns inhabiting tropical or subtro- 

 pical countries. Trunk or caudex attaining a height of 40 

 — bOfeet in many instances. 



1. Cyathea, St7l. 



Polypodii sp. of Auth. Sphaeropteris, Bernh. (not Wall.). 

 Schizoccena, J. Sm. Disphenia, Presl. 



Sori globose, situated upon a vein or veinlet, or in the 

 axil of a fork of the vein. Receptacle elevated, globose or 

 columnar. Involucre globose, inferior, membranaceous or 

 somewhat homy, at first entire and covering the whole sorus, 

 afterwards bursting from the top with a nearly circular open- 

 ing, becoming cup-shaped, more or less entire or laciniated 

 or lobed. Veins pinnate, simple or forked, free. — Arbores- 

 cent, the trunk often beautifully marked with the scars of 

 fallen fronds. Fronds simple, or usually pinnate or decom- 



