280 CHARACTEES OF TEIEES AND GENERA. 



Obs. — The yellow farina characteristic of this species 

 seems to indicate its affinity to be with Clieilanihes auran. 

 iiaca and C. chriisopJu/Ua, but its rudimentary indusium 

 required it to be placed under the present genus. 



156. — Mtriopteris, Fee (1851). 

 Cheilanthes sp. auci. ; HooJc. Sp. Fil. 



J eriiatioii fasciculate, casspitose, acaulose, rarely sarmen- 

 tose. Fronds 4 to 18 inches high, bi-tri-cpadri-pinnatifid, 

 pilose, scjuamiferons or viscose, ultimate segments minute, 

 generally orbicular or cuneiform, concave, the margin 

 membraneous, revolute, conniving, forming- an universal 

 cucullate indusium. Veins forked, free. Eecepfacles ter- 

 minal. Sporangia few, confluent under the universal 

 indusium. 



Type. Clieilanthes hndigcra, Swartz. 



lUust. Fee Gen. Fd., t. 12 A., fig. 1 ; Moore lud. Fil., 

 p. 26, fig. G — 7. ; J. Sm. Ferns, Brit, and For., fig. 87. 



Obs. — Presl was the first to indicate this as a distinct 

 g-roup of Cheilanthes, under the sectional name Physapteris, 

 and Fee afterwards characterised it as a separate gemis 

 under the name here adopted. This genus consists of 

 about twenty species, distinguished from IS'othocMepna and 

 Cheilanthes by their small, concave, lenticular segments. 

 They are natives chiefly of the Andean regions of America, 

 extending to the Eocky Mountains in the North. 



Sp. M. lendigera (Sw.) (v v.) ; M. myriophylla (Desv.) 

 (v V.) ; M. elegans (Desv.) (v v.) ; M. tomentosa {Link.) 

 (v V.) ; M. scariosa (Kaidf.) ; M. induta (A'^e.) ,- M. lanu- 

 ginosa (Xuttall) ; M. Bradburii {Ilooli.) ; M. vestita {Sw.) 

 (v V.) ; M. Lindheimeri {Hool.) ■ M. Fendleri [Uook.) ■ 

 M. Mac-Leanii {Rook.) ; M. gracillima (Eat.) ; M. hirta 



