56 G. HYMENOPHYLLUM. 



Gen. 15. LoxsoMA, Br. 



Sori marginal, in the sinus of the teeth or lobes, terminating a vein, declined , 

 Jnvol. suburceolate, coriaceous, the mouth truncated, entire. Becept. elongated, 

 much exserted, clothed to the apex with stipitate caps, (mixed with jointed hairs), 

 which have a short broad incomplete oblique ring, opening vertically. Caudex 

 long, stout, creeping, paleaceous. Fr. long-stipitate, coriotceous, decompound, glaucous 

 beneath. Veins simple or forked. Tab. II. f. 15. 



1. L. Cunninghami, Br. Hk. Sp. I. p. 86. Oard. F. t. 31. 



Hab. N. Zealand ; Northern Island.— Ji")'. 1-li ft. high. A remarkable Fern, with, 

 the habit of a coriaceous Diclcsonia ; the fructification rather of Trichomaines, but with a 

 very short and oblique ring to the capsule. 



Gen. 16. Hymenophyilum, Linn. (See p. 463.) 



S<yri marginal, more or less sunk in the frond or exserted, terminating a costa 

 or vein. In/ool. inferior, more or less deeply 2-lipped or 2-valved, of nearly the 

 same texture as the frond, toothed, or fringed, or entire. Recept. elongated, 

 columnar, exserted or included. Cojps. mostly orbicular, depressed, attached by 

 the centre, fui-nished with a broad transverse ring, opening irregularly at the 

 apex. Small, sometimes venf minute Fetrns, of tropical and temperate climates, 

 frequenting trunks of trees and damp rocks, the fronds delicately membranaceous in 

 texture, often of a lurid or olivaceous green, simple or compound, costate or with simple 

 or branched (never anastomosing) veins.f Tab. II. f. 16. 



* Fronds' glabrous, simple or slightly Idbed, or once or twice dichoiomous, 

 Sp. 1-5. 



1. H. cruentwm, Cav. ; rf. slender, naked, 3-6 in. 1. ; fr. ovate-lanceolate, 

 slightly siauated, 3-6 in. 1., l-lf in. br. below ; the veins simple, prominent, 

 branching from the costa to the margin at regular intervals, ereoto-patent ; sori 

 6-12 on each side, placed at the apex of the sinuations, the cuneate base sunk in 

 the frond, the lips divided about half t way down, free, entire. — Hk. Sp. Fil. 1. 

 p. 87. t. 31. A. Hymenoglossum, Presl. 



Hab. Ciu!i, sspeoially in the province of Valdivia. — Quite peculiar in its habit ol 

 growth. 



2. H. parmfolium. Baker ; st. not more than 1 line 1. ; p: very minute, 2-3 

 'lines 1., 1 line br., linear-oblong, simple or cleft at the apex, sometimes half-way 



+ The principal, or at any rate the most copious, recent writer on Tirichomanes and 

 Hymenophyllvm is the late Dr. Van den Bosch, whose magnum opus, the " Hymeno- 

 phyllaceae JavanicsB," contains engravings of many of the species, which, in point of beautj 

 and delicacy of execution, have rarely been equalled. But his views, and their practical 

 ciirrying out with regard to the limitation of genera and species, were the very opposite 

 of those of Sir William Hooker, as may be judged from the fact that in his Synopsis and 

 Supplement, 450 so-called species are given, and that out of what are here considered 

 two genera, he makes twenty-four. Upon this point Sir William Hooker wrote : " This 

 genus and the following one have had their 'species multiplied to an extent with which I 

 cannot at all concur. The late learned Dr. Van den Bosch, in his widely-scattered publi- 

 cations, has no doubt described many new species, which.it has not been in my power to 

 identify ; but having been favoured with his opinion on a large portion of my collection, 

 I regret to be compelled to join with my friend Dr. Grisebaoh in the opinion expressed 

 in his ' Flora of the British West-Indian Islands,' that many of the species are not we'l 

 founded." 



