CHARACTERS OF TRIBES AND GENERA. 171 



Gleiclienece and GyatJie.ce, with either of which it has no 

 natural relationship in habit. This may be termed a truly 

 paradoxical Fern, for I find it difficult to fix its jaosition in 

 any sequence of genera ; its partially reticulated sori 

 seem to point to Hemionites, and the form of its fertile 

 segments to Llavea and Allosorus, I therefore place it in 

 proximity to these genera. 



Sp. C. thalictroides, Brongn. (v v.) (Parheria Lochharti, 

 Hooh. and Grev., Ic. Fil., t. 97). 



Obs. — In the Fern houses at Kew this Fern sprouted 

 abundantly on all moist surfaces, and grew luxuriantly in 

 the Victoria Lily tanks. 



Tribe 10.— VITTARIE.-E (Plato 10). 



Fronds simple, entire. Veins simple, reticulated or 

 compound anastomosing, combined at the marg-in in a 

 sporangiferous receptacle, which is seated in a slit or 

 groove. 



Obs. — This tribe contains about a dozen species of g-rass- 

 like Ferns, and as they do not well naturally associate with 

 other genera I follow Fresl (in part) in ranking- Viltariece 

 as a distinct tribe. Setting aside the difference of venation 

 as a divisional character, they would then rank with the 

 genera of the tribe Hyinenolepidicce. 



80.— ViTTAEiA, Sin. (1793), Hook. Sp. Fil. 



Haplopteris, Pr., 1836 ; Tcerdopsis, J. Sm., 1841. 



Vernation uniserial, sarmentnm, short, furnished with 



hyaline scales. Fronds contiguous, casspitose, simple, linear, 



grass or tape like, from a few inches to 2 or 3 feet in 



length, often pendulous or rigid sub-erect. Veins simple. 



