440 FiLiCES. [Anffiopteris. 



SERIES I. SFURIOVS FEBNS. 



Spore-cases sessile or shortly pedicellate, opening at the top or obliquely ty a longitudinal 

 fissure in 2 valves, without any or with an incomplete or transverse ring. 



1. ANGIOPTERIS, Hoflfm. 



Soli oblong, raised, placed side by side in a continuous row near the mar- 

 gin on the under surface of the frond-segments ; each sorus consisting of a 

 small number of spore-cases arranged in two rows, at first connate, at length 

 distinct, and all opening inwards in 2 short valves. Indusium none. Eronds 

 large and decompound. 



A- genus consisting of a single species. 



1. A. evecta, Eoffm.; Eooh. Ml. Exot. t.lh. Stem forming an erect 

 thick trunk, sometimes attaining 3 or 3 ft. in height, and even more in diameter. 

 Pronds twice pinnate, spreading very broad, and sometimes 12 to 15 ft. long, 

 on a more or less downy stipes, but otherwise quite glabrous, dark-green, 

 and shining. Segments linear-oblong, 3 to 8 in. long, abruptly acuminate, 

 crenate-sen-ate or rarely entu'e. Veins simple, forked, nearly parallel. Sori 

 usually consisting of 8 to 12 spore-cases. * 



Hongkong, Bowman, Wilford. In S. Asia, from CeyJon and the Peninsula to the Archi- 

 pelago, in the Pacific islands, Boniu and Japan, and in Madagascar. It varies in the form 

 and venation of the frond-segments, but not nearly to the extent one might suppose from 

 its having been proposed to subdivide it into 60 species, very judiciously re-united with the 

 original one by Hooker in the above-quoted work. 



2. OSMTJNDA, Linn. 



Spore-cases stipitate, globular, without any ring, opening in 2 valves, 

 densely clustered and covering the contracted segments of a portion of the 

 frond or rarely of separate fronds. Indusium none. — Herbaceous Ferns, with 

 a thick rhizome. Fronds erect, once or twice pinnate. 



A small genus, spread over the greater portion of the globe. 

 Fronds twice pinnate, the fertile branches forming a terminal panicle or 



a separate frond 1. 0. regaUs. 



Fronds twice pinnate, the fertile branches lateral 2. 0. bipinnata. 



Fronds once pinnate, the fertile branches lateral 3. 0. 



1. O. regalis, Linn. ; Eooh. in Kew Journ. Bat. ix. 360, var. biformis. 

 Fronds twice pinnate, 1\ to 2 ft. high in our Hongkong specimens, but often 

 very much taller in other countries, quite glabrous. Barren segments oblong- 

 lanceolate, 1 to 2 in. long, serrulate or nearly entii-e, very oblique at the base. 

 Fertile segments linear, | to 1 in. long, on separate fronds from the barren 

 ones in our Hongkong specimens as in many Indian ones, forming in the 

 more common variety a terminal panicle above the ban-en branches.— 

 O. japonica, Thunb. Fl. Jap. 330. 



In ravines, Harland, Urquhart, Wilford. Widely distributed over Asia, Europe, North 

 Amenca and South Africa; the variety biformis, chiefly in India, China, and Japm. 



2. O. bipinnata, Eook. Ml. Exot. t. 9. Fronds 1^ to 2 ft. high or 

 more, glabrous, bipinnate. Larger ban-en primary pinnae attaining 4 m. in 

 length, with about 10 pair of oblong-ovate segments, each about i in. long, 

 with a terminal oblong or lanceolate one JiiU twice as long, the upper pinnse 



