9*2 
ADIANTACE^.. 
(c c c), running parallel with the mid-vein, and nearly equidistant 
between this and the margin of the pinnae (d d d) ; the union of 
the lateral veins causes the formation of a series of what may be 
termed closed cells {e e e) ; on each side of the mid-vein, from 
the two longitudinal veins, arise other lateral and slightly capi- 
tate veins ifff), which proceed obliquely towards the margin, 
and terminate just before reaching it ; to the two longitudinal 
veins the capsules are attached, in a continuous series, on that 
side of each vein which faces the mid-vein ; the points of their 
attachment are indicated in the lower figure, throughout the 
course of the two longitudinal veins : the capsules are covered 
by a continuous, linear, white, membranous involucre, which 
opens towards the mid-vein : these involucres are represented in 
the upper figure bythe white line {gg), and the series of capsules 
appearing beneath them are represented by the black line (A h). 
The fronds from which the descriptions and drawings were made, 
are so different from the usual state of fertile fronds, that the 
characters are chieffy valuable as affording a key to the normal 
venation, which has hitherto almost eluded our enquiries : yet 
furnished with this key we find that the same structure obtains, 
in a minor degree, in all the fertile fronds. 
The barren fronds are much shorter than the fertile, generally 
horizontal, strap-shaped and pinnatifid, and have a short portion 
of the stem, not more than a sixth, naked and slightly scaly. 
