EMBRYOPHYTA ASIPHONO- 



GAMA 



CRYPTOGAMIA 



Plants not bearing true flowers — that is, having no stamens nor ovules and 

 never producing seeds containing an embryo. 



Pteridophyta 



FILICELS (Ferns) 



Sporangia minute, placed on the margin or under-surfaee of the leaf or frond, 

 rarely somewhat larger and arranged in spikes or panicles. Spores all of one 

 kind. 



cyathe:ace:ae 



The Cyatheaceae are mainly tropical, and are distributed over the old and 

 new world more or less evenly. The family is restricted to localities with a very 

 moist and uniform climate. They are found rarely in areas with a precipitation 

 of less than 100 cm. annually. Against temperature they are more or less inde- 

 pendent, as they still thrive prolifically in regions where mild frosts occur, as, 

 for example, in Tasmania. With the appearance of this family in the Stewart 

 Island of New Zealand, it has reached the border land of the Polar region. 



CIBOTIUM Kaulf. 

 Pinonia Gaud., Dicksoniae sp. autt., Hk., Bk. 



Sori globose at the apex of a vein, marginal, enclosed in a prominent coriaceous, 

 deeply 2-valved involucre, the outer box-shaped valve proceeding from the margin of the 

 segment, but being of different texture. Sporangia stipitate. Annulus with a stomium 

 consisting of thin walled cells, which can easily be distinguished from those of the walls 

 of the sporangium.— Tree ferns with very large leaves, which are usually tripinnate, the 

 last pinnae with linear oblong segments. 



The distribution of the six or eight existing species, which seem to be very 

 closely related, is very remarkable. C. guatemalense and C. Wendlandi occur 

 in Guatemala, as well as C. Schiedei in South Mexico and Guatemala, in culti- 

 vation for a long time. C. Barometz occurs in the monsoon districts of East 

 Asia; another subspecies (C. Cumingi) is endemic in the Philippine Islands, 

 while three are peculiar to the Hawaiian Islands. 



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