270 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



shown to be similar to that of Drymoglossum and Paltonium in the presence 

 of numerous intra-areolar blind-endings. The figure does not show whether 

 there is a commissural vein underlying the sorus, but, from the general course 

 of the veins, it is possible that such a vein is present. 



There was no material available for a developmental study of Drymoglos- 

 sum, Paltonium, and Hymenolepis. 



Sufficient of the soral and anatomical characters of the Taenitidinae — 

 excluding Plcdytaenia — have now been described to justify an attempt to 

 place them in their proper relationship to one another. 



They fall naturally into two series, Taenitis and Eschatogramme on the 

 one hand, and Drymoglossum, Paltonium and Hymenolepis on the other. The 

 points of connexion between Taenitis and .Eschatogramme are first, the similar 

 venation, and secondly, the form of the leaf. There was no material of 

 Eschatogramme available except herbarium material, so that its anatomy 

 could not be fully worked out. Whether the resemblance to Taenitis, so 

 marked in the venation, would be borne out in other points of its structure, 

 cannot of course be stated. 



The other three genera differ widely from Taenitis. The principal points 

 of difference apart from their habit and leaf- form are (a) the presence of 

 well-developed scales instead of the hairs and imperfectly formed scales of 

 Taenitis ; (b) the advanced structure of the stele and the leaf-trace ; and 

 (c) the venation with its profusion of blind-endings — a point sufficient in 

 itself to divide these genera from Taenitis. 



We may therefore separate Taenitis and probably also Eschatogramme 

 from the remaining Taenitidinae. Taenitis and Eschatogramme are held to 

 show a nearer character of their leaves, both in outline and in venation, to the 

 genus Bleehnum, with which genus they seem to be more nearly related than 

 to any other series. The general appearance of these Ferns and the form of 

 their leaf are distinctly blechnoid, and the resemblance extends to many 

 other characters. 



The dermal appendages of Taenitis are simpler than any recorded for 

 Bleehnum ; but still they are of the nature of scales, though much reduced. 

 In Eschatogramme, however, well-developed scales are present. The presence 

 of a gland on the appendage of Taenitis is a point in common with the 

 Bleehnum scale. 



The stele is a dictyostele, as is the stele of the Bleehnum ; but that of 

 Taenitis is simpler than of any recorded Bleehnum. This we may explain by 

 comparing the habit of the typical Bleehnum with its crowded leaves with 

 that of Taenitis, where the leaves are relatively more remote. This accounts: 



