RHIZOPHYLS CORMOPHYLS 
Davalliez Dryopteridez 
Rhyzophyllee Cormophy llez 
Hypolepidex— Rhizophyllee 
Hymenophyllez Pteridee 
appear to offer a very obvious dichotomous division, as Dryopteridee 
into the chaffy-stiped Filix-mas and congeners, and the glabrous-stiped 
Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum. Supposing a series of the cormophyls to 
commence with Filix-mas, it passes readily through the Polystichums, 
Lophodiums and Athyriums to the true Aspleniums; leaving these 
by Amesium, we may enter into the next family by Adiantum; and, 
quitting it by those species of Pteris which have the habit of the 
Gymnocarpiums, we pass to that genus, and then to Thelypteris, and 
from this to Oreopteris among the Dryopteridee. Within this circle 
is enclosed the typical family of tree-ferns. The rhyzophyls appear 
to offer a series somewhat similar—Davallia, Loxsoma, Hymenophyl- 
lum, Trichomanes, Eupteris and Hypolepis, which, again, approaches 
Davallia. Within this second circle is enclosed the typical family of 
Rhizophyllez, now first isolated, but so well marked by Nature that 
no one can mistake them. 
EDWARD NEWMAN. 
Note on Pseudathyrium flexile. By EnwaRp NEWMAN. 
PSEUDATHYRIUM FLEXILE, Newm. 
Caudex massive, its position erect, its crown gibbous, scaly. 
fronds produced in succession throughout the summer, at first some- 
what ascending, then elbowed at about one-eighth of their length and 
spreading horizontally, lax, flexile, the flexibility arising from the- 
tenuity of the rachis; perfectly estipitate, linear-lanceolate. Peane 
short, distant, deflexed, blunt, pinnate. Capsules in circular clusters, 
very crowded at the base of frond, gradually decreasing in abundance 
