58 SPH^ROPTERIS. — DIACALPE. 



widely different from both. To the latter genus, as restricted by Presl and 

 J. Smith, it is undoubtedly allied iu its venation, while it is equally so with 

 the Phpnatodes-gmup of Poli/podiiim. Considering as I do, that the pri- 

 mary divisions of Ferns should be taken as much as possible from the fruc- 

 tification, I have no hesitation in placing Hi/poderris among the DicksonietB, 

 and near to Wondsia, with which it bears the same relation that Aspidium, 

 Presl, does to Lastraa in Aspidiea. ; or Phymatodes, Presl, to Polypodium, 

 under PolypodiacecB. 



I am indebted to Mr. Lockhart of Trinidad for fine specimens of this plant. 



SuBTUiBE II. Sorus on the back of a simple vein or veinlet. WooD- 

 siE^, (Pevaneniacese, Pr.) 



2. SpHvEROPteris, Wall, (not Beriih.) 

 Peraneraa, Doii^ Presl. 



Sori globose, on the back of a vein or veinlet. Receptacle 

 elevated globose. Involucre inferior, globose, coriaceous, 

 stalked, at first entire and covering the whole sorus, at length 

 bursting rather irregularly and vertically at the top into 2 

 valves or li])s. Capsules numerous, slipitate. — Native of 

 Northern India. Rhizoma large, globose ; no distinct cau- 

 dex. Fronds erect, stipitate (stipes and rachis chaffy), tri- 

 pinnate. Veins simply pinnate, veinlets rarely forked, clavate 

 at the apex within the margin, and glandular below the apex 

 on the under side ; lower anterior veinlet soriferous. Hook. 

 Gen. Fil. tab. 22. 



1. S. barbata. Wall, in Herb. 1823; Cat. n. 183 ; PI. 

 Asiat. Ear. i. /?. 42, t. 48. Peranema cyathoides, Don, Prodr. 

 Fl. Nep. p. 12. 



Hab. Nepal, Wallich, 1821. —- Fronds 2—3 feet long, tripinnate; the 

 base of the stipes densely clothed with long brown membranaceous acumi- 

 nated scales ; the main and partial rachis with fewer scattered smaller ones. 

 Pinnules oval-oblong sessile, decurrent, so that the partial rachis is winged, 

 obtuse, glabrous, turning brownish-black in drying. Nerves indistinct ; 

 rarely more than one sorus on each pinnule. Stalk of the involucre often 

 longer than the involucre itself. It is upon the presence of this remarka- 

 ble stalk, the more thick and coriaceous texture of the involucre, its open- 

 ing into two valves or lips, and the large receptacles, that the generic cha- 

 racter of this depends, as distinguishing it from Diacatpe, 'Bl. 



3. DiACALPE, Bl. 



Physematium, Kze. Cistopteris, Pr. 

 Sori globose, arising from the back of a vein or veinlet. 

 Receptacle small, scarcely elevated. Involucre inferior, glo- 

 bose, hard-membranaceous, sessile, at first entire and cover- 

 ing the whole sorus, at length bursting very irregularly at the 

 top. Capsules numerous, nearly sessile, with a broad annu- 

 lus. — Inhabiting Eastern India. Fronds fasciculated, large, 



