CLVI. FILICES. 1979 



30. POLYPODIUM, Linn. 



(From polys, many, pous, a foot, the rhizome when destitute of the, 



fronds having the appearanoe of some kind of sea-polypus. 



Rhizome creeping in all the Australian species, with small brown scales with a 



"J)road adnate base and more or less acute or subulate points. Fronds simple 



pinnate or compound. Sori orbicular, very rarely oblong, variously dispersed 



over the under surface, without any indusiurn. 



A large genus distributed over every part of the globe except the coldest or high alpine 

 regions. 



In the Australian species, where the frond is small, the creepiog rhizomes usually form dense 

 matted patches on rocks and trunks of trees, in the larger species the rhizome often creeps up 

 lihe trunks of trees to a ^reat length. In most species the stipes is more or less distinctly 

 articulate on the ihizoTae.—Benth. 



Series I. Dianeura. — Veins diverging from the midrib forked or branchtd, the branches 

 not anastomosing. Sori terminating or near the end of one of the branclies. 



Eupolypodium. Frunds coriaceous, entire or pinnatifid, glabrous 

 or ciliate-hairy, the venation usually concealed in the thick texture 

 of the frond. 



Fronds entire, glabrous. Sori oblong or linear . . I. P. australe. 



Fronds entire, ciliate with l^ng brown hairs . ... . 'i. P. Hookeri. 



Fronds entire, clothed with nearly white hairs ... .... 3. P. albosetosum. 



Fronds pinnatifid with short lanceolate entire lobes ..... 4. P. lleehnoides. 



Fronds simply pinnate, pinnse entire, broadly adnate at the base 5. P. fascopilosum. 



(No corresponding Aspidia.) 



Sub-genus Artbropteris. Fronds pinnate, with numerous un- 

 divided pinnffi articulate on the rhaohis 6. P. tenellum. 



(See sect. Nephrolepis of Aspidium. ) 

 Sub-genus Pheg^opteris. Fronds decompound, twice or thrice 



pinnate with pinnatifid pinnules 7. P. punctatum. 



Pinute and pinnules ciliate with white hairs or bristles 8. P. pallidum-. 



Fronds glossy, somewhat ovate in outline, 6 to 18in. long, scales at 



base of stipites dark-brown 9. P. aspidioides. 



(See sect. Lastrea of Aspidium.) 



Series II. Synneura. — Branches of parallel primary veins uniting but not reticulate. 



Sub-genus G-oniopteriS. Fronds pinnate. Pinnsebroadly crenate or 



equally pinnatifid, with a, pinnate vein leading to each lobe, the 



veinlets under adjoining lobes uniting in an intermediate vein 



eading to the sinus. 



Fronds spreading, proliferous." Pinnse 1 to 4ia. long. Sori chiefly 



near the margin A : ■ „■ ' ,/, ' ' ^\ ' • 10- -P" i'"'*^™™- 



Fronds tall, erect. Pinnse 6 to 12in. Son m 2 parallel rows between 



each 2 primary veins |^- ?• '^.T^-^""™- 



Fronds erect, densely villous ^- ^- ■"""»• 



(See also sect. Nephrodium of Aspidium.) 



Fronds and venation of Goniopteris except that the branches of the 



primary veins anastomose but do not form a parallel mtermediate ., ^, ^. 



piiiiiaij, .c ...... 13. P. pcecilophlebium. 



vein . . 



SiTKTus III rtictVOAeVLTSi.— Venation reticulate between more or less distinctly parallel 

 priory veins, with a small free usually clavate veinlel in a fexo or in many of the areola:. 

 Sori on the free or on the connecting veinlets. 



Sub-genus KiphobolUB. Fronds coriaceous, entire or rarely forked, 



covered with stellate hairs or scales, the fertile ones narrow,^ the 



barren often short and broad. Venation concealed in the thick 



texture. 



Fronds under lin. lonfe. Sori rather large, irregularly placed often 



contiguous. Scales very dense i*' -^^ serpens. 



