XIII. DRYNAHIA. 
35 
6. P. NiTENs, M. and 11. — A very slender creeping evergreen stove Pern, from Sierra Leone. Fronds simple, 
glabrous, oblong-lanceolate, undulated, four to six inches long, of a bright shining green, often obtuse at the 
apex, attenuated at the base, entire on the margin, and deeurrent on the stipes. Fertile fronds contracted ; 
lateral, indistinctly articulated with a slender creeping rhizome, about the size of a crow’s quill, which is thickly 
covered with brown scales. Sori nniserial. 
7. P. ovARiENSE, M. and S. (Polypodium, Besvaux). — An evergreen hothouse Fern, from Sierra Leone. 
Sterile fronds simple, glabrous, coriaceous, obovatc-elliptioal, one and a half inch long, sub-sessile, dark green, 
and entire at the margin. Fertile fronds simple, linear-lanceolate, rather obtuse at the 'apex, undulated, about 
two inches long, and entire at the margin. Sori uniserial. Fronds lateral, articulated with a slender creeping 
scaly rhizome. This species was imported by Messrs. Garraway and Mayes, of Bristol, in 1850. 
? Pleopeltis, J. Smith. — Fronds simple ; sori at first covered by the scales of the frond. 
8. P. PERCussuM, J. Smith (Polypodium, Cavanillas; Pleopeltis, Iresl). — An ornamental evergreen stove 
species, a native of various parts of South America. Fronds simple, about a foot long, lanceolate-acuminate, 
cuspidate, coriaceous, bright green, shining, attenuated at the base, and covered throughout with minute peltate 
fimbriate scales. Sori large, uniserial, seated in dense compact tufts of narrow scales. Fronds lateral, articu- 
lated on a scaly creeping rhizome, about the size of a duck’s quill. 
5 Phlebodia VERA, J. Smith . — Fronds pinnatifid or pinnate. 
9. P. decumanum, j. Smith (Polypodium, Willdenow ; Pleopeltis, Iresl). — A glabrous ornamental subever- 
green stove species, from Jamaica, and various places in South America. Fronds slender, light green, somewhat 
ovate-lanceolate, broad at the base, pinnatifid, two to three feet long, with lanceolate-acuminate membranous 
segments, which are six to eight inches long, slightly serrated. Sori round, immersed, uniserial. Fronds 
lateral, articulated on a scaly creeping rhizome. 
10. P. AuiiEUM, It. Brown (PoLYumniuM, Linneeus; Pleopeltis, Presl; Chrysopteris, Link). — A noble sub- 
evergreen stove Fern, from the West Indies. Fronds glabrous, drooping, somewhat ovate-lanceolate, pinnatifid, 
three to four feet long, with lanceolate-acuminate broad undulated membranous segments, which are eight to ten 
inches long, with entire margins. Sori round, biserial, or scattered. Stipes and rachis very smooth, shining, 
light brown or purple ; lateral, articulated on a thick creeping rhizome, densely covered with bright brown scales. 
11. P. SPORADOCARPUM, J. Smith (Polypodium, Willdenow, P. glaucum, of gardens ; P. areolatum, Willdenow ; 
Chrysopteris, Link). — A very beautiful and glaucous evergreen stove species, from Mexico. Fronds rather 
ovate in outline, glaucous throughout, pinnatifid, with stiff, coriaceous, obtuse, almost lanceolate segments, with 
entire margins. Sori large, uniserial, bright yellowish brown. Stipes very smooth, half the length of the frond, 
brownish green ; lateral, articulated on a thick glaucous scaly creeping rhizome. 
12. P. MULTiSERiALE, M. and H. — A subevergrecn hothouse Fern, from South America. Fronds glabrous, 
subpinnate, two to four feet long, bright green ; segments lanceolate-acuminate, rather membranous, nine to ten 
inches long, dilated at the base, entire at tbe margin. Sori usually on the upper part, or on distinct fronds, in 
five to six series on each side the midrib of the segments. Fronds lateral; articulated with a thick creeping 
rhizome, densely clothed with light brown woolly scales. This Fern was introduced to the Royal Botanic 
Garden, Kew, in 1850 ; and has also been recently introduced from Demarara. 
13. P. iNEauALE, T. M . — ^A noble subevergreen warm greenhouse Fern, from Guatemala. Fronds 
glabrous, broadly lanceolate, wide at the base, three to four feet long, drooping, light green, pinnate ; pinme 
lanceolate-acuminate, undulated, rather membranous, six to ten inches long ; the inferior petiolate, the superior 
adnate decurrent and unequal at the base, attenuated at the apex, and slightly crenulate at the margin. Sori 
large, uniserial, immersed. Stipes smooth, straw-coloured ; lateral, articulated on a thick scaly creeping caespi- 
tose rhizome, which is covered with lanceolate -acuminate scales, broader and less attenuated than in P. aureim, 
which this plant resembles in general aspect, but from which it differs in being distinctly pinnate, and not at all 
glaucous. The venation is often that of Ooniophlehmm. It was imported, about nine years since, by Messrs. 
Loddiges of Hackney, and is known in gardens under the name of Polypodium triseriale. 
XIII. DRYNAHIA, Bory. 
Sori round or oblong, naked or sqnamiferous, produced on the angles or points of confluence of 
numerous venules (compital), superficial or deeply immersed forming elevated protuberances on the 
upper surface of the frond ; transversely uniserial, or arranged in one or two oblique rows between 
each two of the primary veins, or irregular. Veins pinnate, parallel, or flesuose ; venules compoundly 
anastomosing, producing from their sides, variously directed, free sterile veinlets, with apices generally 
rounded or club-shaped. Fronds from a few inches to four or five feet long, simple pinnatifid or 
pinnate, membranous or coriaceous, glabrous or pilose. Bhizome creeping Name said to be derived 
from that of the Dryades, nymphs of the woods, in allusion to their native habitation ; but more 
probably from dryinos, of oak, the name having been originally applied to the oak -leaved D. quercifolia. 
