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THE GENERA AND SPECIES OF CULTITATED FERNS. 
Fronds from one to five feet long, smooth or hairy, simple pinnate or ternate ; pinnae entire, crenulate, or 
serrulate. — This genus, in regard to some of its species, cannot be distinguished by its venation from some 
Nephrodiums, in the tribe Aspidiea. The only technical character that can be 
pointed out, is the arched or arcuate sori, by which it is readily distinguished. 
Fig. 9 represents a portion of a pinna of M. paliistre (nat. size). 
1. M. simplex, Hooker. — A dwarf evergreen stove fern, from China. Fronds 
simple, pubescent, somewhat elliptical or oblong-acuminate, dentato-serrate, from 
six to twelve inches long, dull green, cordate at the base, and sub-hastate ; lateral, 
adherent to a scaly creeping rhizome. Sori medial. This species is of recent 
importation, having been introduced to Kew from Hong Kong in the latter part 
of 1850. 
2. M. palnstre. Eaddi. A tall robust evergreen stove species, from South 
America. Fronds glabrous, pinnate, from three to five feet long, rather erect ; 
pinna? entire lanceolate-acuminate, coriaceous, from six to ten inches long, lively 
green, slightly undulated and roundish, or cuneate at the base, the lower pairs 
often proliferous at the base of the pinnae ; lateral, adherent to a thick creeping 
rhizome. Stipes dark coloured near the base. Sori medial, subsequently confluent. 
MONIOPTEPJS, Prcsl (Polypodii, sp. of Autlwrs).— Name derived from gonia, 
i^J an angle, and pteris, a fern ; in allusion to the angular anastomosing of the 
venules. 
Sori round, medial or costal. Veins 
pinnate ; venules angularly anastomosing, 
producing from their junction an excurrent 
free or anastomosing sterile veinlet. Spore- 
cases sometimes echinate. Fronds from 
one to two feet high, pinnate ; pinme 
entire, serrate crenate or pinnatifid ; when 
deeply pinnatifid, the inferior pair of venules 
only anastomose, the superior ones being 
all free. — The species have usually a neat 
appearance, being nearly of uniform size ; 
the fronds are mostly proliferous ; they are 
easily cultivated. The primary character of the genus is the position of the 
sori, which is medial, costal, sub-marginal, or basal ; the venules afford no 
definite or trustworthy distinguishing character, for they are in arrangement 
identical with those of some species of Meniseium ; and likewise with 
Nepnrodiuni, in the tribe Aspidiea;. Fig. 10 represents a pinna of G. crenata 
(med. size). 
1 . G. asplcnioides, Presl : Swartz. * — An ornamental evergreen stove 
fern, from Jamaica. Fronds lanceolate, pinnate, rugose pubescent, about 
one foot long, dullish green, with oblong obtuse pinnatifid pinnas, some- 
what cordate at the base ; terminal, adherent to a short creeping rhizome. 
Sori medial or sub-terminal, subsequently confluent. 
2. G. fraxinifolia, Presl : Jacquin (Polypodium proliferum, Kaidfuss). — 
An elegant evergreen stove species, from Brazil. Fronds pinnate, two feet 
long, with entire lanceolate-acuminate smooth shining pinna?, dark green, 
truncate or somewhat auriculate at the base, proliferous throughout ; ter- 
minal, adherent to an erect fasciculate rhizome. Sori medial, subsequently 
confluent. 
3. G. crenata, Presl : Swartz. — A veiy handsome evergreen stove fern, 
native of the West Indies. Fronds one and a half foot to two feet long, 
pinnate, with entire oblong ovate-acuminate membranous crenate pubescent 
pinna;, pale green, roundish at the base, with very short petioles. Eachis 
and stipes green ; lateral, adherent to a short creeping rhizome. Sori 
medial. 
4. G. mcgalodcs, J. Smith. — An ornamental evergreen stove fern, from 
the West Indies. Fronds pinnate, pubescent, pale green, from two to 
* "Where the names of two authors are used, the second is that of the botanist by 
whom the specific name was first applied to the plant, though under another genus : \^\ 
thus, for example, Goniopteris asplenioides of Prcsl is the Polypodium asplenioides of 
Swartz. 
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