28 



Ferns of British India and Ceylon. 



TRIBE III.— HYMENOPHYLLE^. 



Sori terminal or marginal from the apex of a vein; receptacle 

 elongated, often filiform an d long, and exserted more or less, clothed 

 especially below with sessile orbicular imbricated subpeltate com- 

 pressed capsules, surrounded by a complete transverse ring, opening 

 vertically ; indusium inferior, various in shape, ' generally of the 

 same texture as the frond. Small, often epiphytal ferns, herbaceo- 

 membranaceous, more or less laxly cellular, variously costate and 

 veined. Caudex frequently long, creeping, and filiform. 



GENUS XII.— HYMENOPHYLLUM. (Z.) 



{Hymen, membrane ; phyllon, leaf.) 



Sori marginal, more or less sunk in the frond or exserted, ter- 

 minating a costa or vein ; indusium inferior, more or less deeply 

 two-lipped or two-valved, toothed, fringed, or entire ; receptacle 

 elongated, columnar, exserted, or included ; capsule mostly orbicu- 

 lar, depressed, attached by the centre, furnished with a broad trans- 

 verse ring, opening irregularly at the apex. Small, often minute 

 ferns, growing on trunks of trees and damp rocks in moist places, 

 generally on the mountains ; fronds delicately membranaceous, 

 simple or compound, costate, or with simple or branched, never 

 anastomosing, veins. 



* Margin of the frond entire. 



i. Hymen ophyllum parvifolium. (Baker.) 

 A very tiny species, rhizome slender, creeping, 

 tomentose ; stipes about i line long ; frond 

 very minute, 2-3 lines long, 1 line broad, 

 linear-oblong, margin entire ; simple or 2-3- 

 cleft at the apex, sometimes half-way down, 

 furnished only with a central costa and a 

 few faint, irregular, free spurious venules, the 

 HYMENorHYLLUM margin not thickened ; sori solitary, terminal 

 parvifolium. {Baker.) the cuneate base sunk in the frond divided 



