188 PHYSIOGNOMY OP PLANTS. 



(28) p. 23. "Ferns." 



If, with a naturalist deeply versed in the knowledge of the 

 Agamse, Dr. Klotzsch, we estimate the whole number of 

 cryptogamic species hitherto described at 19000, this gives 

 to Fungi 8000 (of which the Agarici constitute l-8th) ; 

 Lichens, according to J. von Plotow of Hirschberg, and 

 Hampe of Blankenburg, at least 1400 ; Algae 2580 ; Mosses 

 and Liver- worts, according to Carl Miiller of Halle, and Dr. 

 Gottscheof Hamburgh, 3800; and Perns 3250. We are 

 indebted for this last important result to the thorough in- 

 vestigation of all that is known concerning this group of 

 plants by Professor Kunze of Leipsic. It is remarkable 

 that of the entire number of described Filices the family of 

 Polypodiacese, alone, comprises 2165 species; while other 

 forms, even Lycopodiacese and Hymenophyllaceae, only count 

 350 and 200. There are, therefore, almost as many de- 

 scribed ferns as described grasses. 



It is remarkable that in the ancient classic writers, 

 Theophrastus, Dioscorides, and Pliny, no notice occurs of 

 the beautiful form of arborescent ferns ; while from informa- 

 tion derived from the companions of Alexander, Aristobulus, 

 Megasthenes, and Nearchus, mention is made of Bamboos 

 " quse fissis internodiis lembi vice vectitabant navigantes " 

 of the Indian trees " quarum folia non minora clypeo sunt f* 

 of the fig-tree of which the branches take root round the 

 parent stem ; and of Palms " tantse proceritatis, ut sagittis 

 superjici nequeant." (Humboldt, de Distributione geogr. 

 Plantarum, p. 178 and 213.) I find the first description of 

 tree-ferns in Oviedo's Historia de las Indias, 1535, fol. xc. 



