SYNOPSIS OF TUE GENERA. 
10 
GLEICHENIACEiE, R. Brown. — Spore-cases sessile, globose or pyriform, opening vertically, ivith a 
complete transverse ring. Sort round, superficial or immersed. 
83. Gleichenia, Smith. — Veins pinnate or pinnatoly forked ; venules free, the lower anterior one 
fertile. Sori round, terminal, naked and superficial, or immersed iu a concave cyst; spore-cases 2 — 4, 
84. Mertensia, Willdenow.— Veins simply or pinnately forked; venules direct free, the anterior 
one fertile. Sori round or globose, medial, naked or intermixed with hairs, superficial ; spore-cases 
3—8. 
SCHIZiEACEiE, Martius. — Spore-cases sessile, oval oblong, rarely globose, striate or rayed at the 
apex, opening lengthways {vertically) on the exterior side, produced on contracted marginal lobules or 
special appendices to the fronds. 
85. Lygodium, Swartz . — Veins (sterile) forked, free, or (fertile) pinnate ; venules arcuate, bearing 
the spore-cases on their superior sides. Sori on mai-giual appendices, forming linear spikelets, com- 
posed of two series of indusiate imbricating cysts, each of which contains an oval resupinate spore- 
case attached by its interior side. 
86. Lygodictyon, J. Smith . — Veins (sterile) pinnate; vemiles anastomosing, forming unequal 
oblong areoles. Sori on marginal appendices, forming linear sjiikelets, composed of two rows of 
indusiate imbricating cysts, eacli of which contains an oval resupinate spore-case attached by its 
interior side. 
87. SchiZtEA, Sivartz. — Fertile appendices terminal, forming a reflexed pinnate crest of linear 
segments, which have an inflexed indusiiforin margin. Spore-cases oval, vertical, arranged in a 
compact row on each side the midrib of the linear unilateral conniving segments. 
88. Aneimia, Swartz. — Ferns forked ; venules direct, free. Fertile fronds tripartite, the two 
opposite branches contracted erect, Sori unilateral on linear segments, forming dense compound 
panicles ; spore-cases oval, vertical, naked. 
89. Aneimidictyon, J. Smith.— -Veins forked; venules reticulated, formmg unequal oblong 
areoles ; otherwise as Aneimia. 
90. Mohria, Swartz. — Fronds dissimilar, the fertile erect, uniformly contracted, constituting a 
rachiform unilateral sporangiferous panicle, with the margin of the segments inflexed. Veins 
forked ; venules dfrect, free. Sori marginal, on or near the apices of the venules ; spore-cases ovate, 
globose, naked. 
OSMUNDACEAE, Martius. — Spore-cases p>edicellate, globose, reticulated, opening by a vertical slit 
{bivalved), the apex oblique, gibbous, pellucid, destitute of a ring. 
91. OsMUNDA, Linnmis. — 7'ems forked ; venules direct, free. Sori naked and densely clustered 
on contracted fronds, or on some portion of the segments, which are contracted, rachiform, simj)le or 
paniculate ; spore-cases lai’ge, subglobose. 
92. Todea, Willdenow. — Veins simple or forked ; venules direct, free. Sori oblong, simple, or 
forked, and subsequently confluent; spore-cases naked, subglobose, bivalved, produced on evident 
venules, few to each sorus. 
MARATTIACEiE, Kaulfuss. — Spore-cases sessile {rarely pedicellate), horny, opaque, distinct, and 
unilocular, or laterally and oppositely connate, formmg a multilocular round, oblong, or linear biserial 
or bivalved compound spore-case, opening by pores or vertical slits on the interior side. 
93. Marattia, Smith. — Veins forked ; venules direct, free, Sori linear, submarginal, consisting of a 
transverse row of large oblong opaque multilocular spore-cases, one on each vein ; sqiore-cases sessile, 
