171 



POLYPODIES 



Margins of the fronds revoluie, imHusioid (i.e., sori spuriously indusiate. 



STfiUTHIOPTEEIS.— WiXUL Mag. Nat Ber. 1809. 160. 



(Onoclea, Bernhardt and And. Osmancbe Sp. Linnaeus.) 



Gen. Char. Sori spuriously-kdusiate, rotundate, approximate, at length becoming sub-confluent, covered by the revoluto-con- 

 rolute attenuated (membranaceo-seariose) margin of the frond, which simulates an universal indusium ; the receptacles medial promi- 

 nent. Veins simple or forked, from a central costa ; venules free. 



Fronds dimorphous, the sterile herbaceous pinnate -pi imatifid ; the fertile pinnate, with the pinnae much contracted moniliform, 

 the margins rolled inwards so as to cover the sori ; Rhizome erect caudiciform, producing stolones, (Moore.) 



A genus with a very doubtful resting place in the classification of fern*. Sir Wm. Hooker unites it with Onoclea, a genus with 

 anastomosing venation and a cucidlate membranaceous indusium of doubtful structure, and states that a very fragile inferior involucre 

 has been detected in Slruthiopteris Germanica fan allied species), although he could detect nothing of the sort in dried specimens of this 

 species. Mettenius also unites the 2 genera and places them next to Woodsia. Moore follows Willdenow in keeping the 2 genera distinct, 

 but places the present genus in Polypodies and Onoclea in the Aspidiew. 



StRUTHIOPTERIS ORIENTALS. (Hook.) Fronds 1-2J feet long ovato-oblong not attenuated below, fertile fronds 

 oblong, often 2-feet long contracted broad linear-oblong flattened 2-edged, the refracted margins at first covering the whole back of the 

 frond dark purple brown glossy involucriform, entire at the edge, at length spreading, torn at the margin and exposing the fructifi- 

 cation which is eventually confluent in a continuous Hue, stipes rachis and costa deeidnously paleaceous. Onoclea (Struthiopteris) Orien- 

 talis. Hook. 2nd Cent of Ferns, tab. 4 ; Sp. Fil. iv. 16L 



The figure is taken from Hooker's 2nd Cent, of Ferns. 



Hab. Sikkim, Himalaya (elev. 12,000 feet), Assam, Hakodadi, Japan. 



PLATE No. CLXXL 



