22 
POLYPODIACE^ — POLYPODIEiE. 
5 Cteonpteris, Blttme. — Ei'onds articulated with the creeping rhizome. 
1. P. vuLGAEE, — A hardy Ornamental evergreen, indigenous Fern,* common in Eui'ope, Asia, and 
North America. Fronds glabrous pinnatifid, one foot high, dark green ; segments lanceolate, approximate, obtuse 
at the apex, with a crenulate or serrulate margin. Sori confined to the upper portion of the frond, arranged in a 
single row on each side of the midrib of the lobes (uniscrial) ; spore-cases attached to the apex of an exourrent 
venule (terminal) ; apices of veins club-shaped. Stipes lateral, articulated with a creeping scaly rhizome. 
Several forms of the common Polypody are found with the segments more or less pinnatifid, lohed, crenate, 
serrate, or bifid at the apex ; hut two or more of these may often he detected growing on the same plant. The 
only form that appears to maintain a markedly distinct character is P. cambrintm, Linnaeus, the segments of which 
are deeply and interruptedly pinnatifid. It is very elegant, hut usually without fructification. 
2. P. MACROCARPUM, Prcsl. (GoNioPHLEBiuM, J. Smith ; Pleopeltis pinnatifida, Soaker and Qreville). — A 
dwarf evergreen stove Fern, native of South America. Fronds four to eight inches high, ovate, dark green 
above, and covered over beneath with distinct ovate caudate scales, which are black in the centre, brown, and 
deeply fringed on the margin. The fronds are pinnatifid, with oblong obtuse segments, and they are articulated 
on a scaly creeping rhizome. Sori large, uniserial. We have only seen sterile fronds of the cultivated plant, 
hut it appears to be identical with the species to which we have referred it, and from which om- description of 
its size and fructification are drawn. It is a true Polypodium, the venation being free. 
3. P. iNCANUM, (Goniophlebium, /. P. velatum, — A dwarf evergreen stove fern, 
native of the West Indies, various parts of South America, and Natal. Fronds pinnatifid, six to twelve inches 
long, lanceolate ; segments ohlong-obtuse, coriaceous, the upper surface dull green, densely covered beneath with 
roundish fimbriate peltate brown scales ; they are lateral, articulated on a scaly creeping rhizome. Sori 
immersed, sub-marginal, uniserial. Veins internal and indistinctly seen, hut they are free, and it is consequently 
a true Polypodium, 
4. P. Plumula, Smnholdt . — An exceedingly beautiful evergreen stove species, from the West Indies and 
South America. Fronds lanceolate, sub-pinnate, from six inches to a foot or more long, grass green, with 
numerous linear, parallel, horizontal segments, thinly scattered over the under side with very small scales. Sori 
uniserial on the upper portion of the frond. Eachis and stipes eheneous, scaly beneath ; lateral, articulated, with 
a small creeping rhizome. 
5. P. Otites, Limiceus (P. pectinatem, of gardens — fide Kunze). — A very beautiful evergreen stove Pern, 
native of the West Indies. Fronds slender, suh-pinnate, from one to one and a half foot long, pubescent ; 
the pinna3 linear, parallel, horizontal. Stipes and rachis black. Sori rmiserial, of a bright yellowish-brown, 
distributed over the whole under surface. Fronds lateral, articulated on a creeping rhizome. 
6. P. Paradiseje, Langsdorf and Fischer (P. Otites of garden^). — A very handsome evergreen stove species, 
from Brazil and the West Indies. Fronds pubescent, from two to five feet long, very slender, lanceolate-elon- 
gate, narrowing to the base, sub-pinnate, the segments linear, nearly horizontal ; the stipes and rachis blackish- 
brown. Sori uniserial, occurring over nearly the whole frond. Stipes very short ; lateral, articulated on a creep- 
ing rhizome. 
7. P. FRATERNUM, SehlecMendal (P. Henchmanni, J. Smith MS). — A glabrous evergreen stove Fern, from 
Mexico. Fronds oblong, acuminate, two feet long, quite smooth, pinnate, with long, linear-lanccolatc, narrow 
pinnse, decurrent at the base, very dark green ; lateral, articulated, on a scaly creeping rhizome. Sori large, 
uniscrial, bright brown. 
? PuiiGOPTERis, Prcsl . — Fronds adherent to the rhizome. 
8. P. PHEGOPTERis, Limiceus . — A deciduous hardy indigenous species, found in most European countries, as 
far north as Lapland. Fronds pinnato-pinnatifid, from six to twelve inches long, the lower pinnaj standing for- 
ward, deflexed, with linear-lanceolate, entire segments, the upper ones adnate-decurrent. Sori rather oblong, in- 
tramarginal. Fronds lateral, adherent on a somewhat scaly creeping rhizome. 
9. P. hexagonopteriim, Michaux . — A very handsome hardy deciduous Fern, from North America. Fronds 
triangular, about one and a half foot long, rather hairy, bipinnatifid ; pinnse opposite, sessUe, decurrent at the base, 
with oblong-obtuse crenulate segments. Sori sub-marginal. Stipes lateral, adherent to a creeping rhizome. 
10. P. Dryopteris, Limiceus . — A deciduous hardy British species ; also found throughout Europe, Northern 
Asia, and North America. Fronds six to ten inches high, lateral, adherent to a creeping rhizome ; they are 
ternate, deltoid, smooth, bipinnate, with deflexed spreading divisions, and obtuse, suberenated segments. Sori 
rather oblong, intramarginal. 
11. P. Eobertianum, Soffman (P. calcareum. Smith ). — A hardy deciduous British Fern, found in other 
parts of central Europe. Fronds from six to twelve inches high, erect and rather rigid, lateral, adherent 
to a rough scaly creeping rhizome ; triangular, elongate, three-branched, the branches doubly pinnate, with 
somewhat crenated obtuse segments. Sori round, intramarginal, Veins simple, occasionally forked. 
* For more ample descriptions and figures of the British species, see PTamlbook of British Ferns. London : Groombridge. 
