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1905] BRIEFER ARTICLES 367 
variation in two lines, is nevertheless, in the characters enumerated at the 
beginning of this paper, one of the most unified to be found among the 
ferns. Indeed, as GiLBeRT has remarked, the general characters of the 
genus are so distinctive and obvious that the descriptive term polystichoid 
has come into rather common use. 
The historic treatment of Polystichum, although of much interest, 
need not be here discussed at length. The genus has been made often to 
include diverse groups not properly associable with its typical members; 
and in several cases it has been an author readiest to admit numerous small 
genera who has failed to realize the essential unity of the group and to 
refuse to admit unlike forms. us Moore retained Cyclopeltis J. Sm. 
under Polystichum, though it constitutes a most distinct natural genus. 
d more recently, Drets,4 while properly removing Cyclopeltis, never- 
theless allows Phanerophlebia, Cyrtomium, and Adenoderris to remain « 
within the gerius. Cyrtomium and Phanerophlebia have recently been 
held distinct from each other and from Polystichum by UNDERWoOD,5 
and it now appears certain that Adenoderris, long ago founded by JoHN 
SMITH upon the anomalous Aspidium glandulosum of Hooker and Greville, 
Tepresents a perfectly valid genus. The discovery of a second species of 
Adenoderris with very different venation, from Guatemala, is of interest 
and has seemed to render desirable the present notice of the genus and 
its relationship. 
ADENODERRIS J. Sm. Hist. Ferns 222. 1875.6—Small plants of lax 
habit, distinct from Polystichum by their herbaceous texture, aspinulose 
margins, and dense glandular-pilose covering —Type, Aspidium glandu- 
locum Hook. and Grev. from Jamaica. Species two. 
Adenoderris viscidula (Mett.).— Aspidium glandulosum Hook. and 
Grev. Icon. Fil, 2: pl. 140. 1831; not Aspidium glandulosum Blume, 
Enum. Pl. Javae 2: 144. 1828. Adenoderris glandulosa J. Sm. Hist. Ferns 
223.1875. Aspidium viscidulum Mett. Abhand. Senck. Nat. Gesells. 2: lal 
1858.—The species was very fully characterized upon specimens received 
from several collectors in Jamaica and is the subject of an excellent illus- 
tration by Hooker and GREVILLE. Lately it has been well described by 
JenMan,? SMITH, basing his genus upon the single species, published the 
4 DIELs, in Engler and Prantl, Die natiirlichen Pflanzenfamilien 14: 183-189. 1899. 
_ _5 UNDERWoop, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 29:121-136. 1902. See also UNDERWOOD 
in Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 26: 205-216. pls. 359-360. 1899. 
’ ° The genus seems to be published here for the first time, although the author 
cites the date 1852. 
7 Bull. Bot. Dept. Jamaica 2: 197-198. 1895. 
