346 
I. FILICES. 
Tribe II. Cyatheacese. Capsules numerous , sessile or stalked, forming a globose sorus, 
placed on an elevated receptacle, often mixed with jointed hairs , bursting transversely, 
half girt by a vertical striate ring. — Coriaceous Ferns ; trunks arborescent in the Few 
Zealand species. 
Involucre globose, first enclosing the capsules, then bursting irregu- 
larly and leaving a cup with torn edges 2. Cyathea. 
Involucre 0 3. Alsophila. 
Involucre 2-valved, outer of the concave recurved tip of the frond, 
the inner concave, placed on the tip of a vein 4. Dicksonia. 
Tribe III. IZymenophyllaceae. Sori on the edges of the frond. Capsules sessile, on 
a clavate or filiform, often very long receptacle, girt by a horizontal or oblique com- 
plete striate ring. — Fronds usually very delicate, membranous, transparent ( coriaceous 
and rigid in Loxsoma and Trichomanes Malingii). Involucre 2-valved, or urceolale 
or campanulate ; veins very rarely branched in the segments. 
Frond membranous. Involucres 2-valved 5. Hymenophyllum. 
Frond usually membranous. Involucres tubular, urceolate or cam- 
panulate, 21ipped 6. Trichomanes. 
Frond coriaceous, opaque. Involucres urceolate, mouth truncate . 7. Loxsoma. 
Tribe IV. Polypodiaceae. Sori on the edges or back of the frond. Capsules not 
raised on an elevated receptacle, stalked, furbished with an incomplete, vertical, dorsal, 
striate ring, bursting transversely where the ring is absent. 
A. Sori covered with a more or less evident involucre. 
§ 1. Sori globose, not on the edge of the frond. Involucre ovate or saccate, opening out- 
wards. (§ 5, Aspidie.-e, differ in the involucre inserted by a point only.) 
Involucre attached by its base to the middle of a vein, membranous 8. Cystopteris. 
Involucre attached by its base aud sides to the tip of a vein . . 9. Dayallia. 
§ 2. Sori linear or oblong, close to or upon the edge of the frond. 
Involucre opening outwards 10. LtndS/EA. 
§ 3. Sori linear or globose, on the edge of the frond. Involucre continuous with the edge 
of the frond, opening inwards. (See some Asplenia, in § 4.) 
Sori globose or oblong. Involucre reuiform, of different texture 
from the frond 11. Adiantum. 
Sori globose. Involucre formed of the green incurved tip of the 
segment of the frond 12. IIypolepis. 
Sori globose, confluent or linear. Involucre formed of the con- 
tinuously indexed margin of the frond (see NothochLjEna, in B) 13. Cheilanthes. 
Sori continuous. Involucre continuous round the pinnae, finally re- 
curved. Frond simply pinnate 14. Pell^ea. 
Sori and involucre as in Pell.ea, but the latter recurved. Frond 
2- or 3-pinnate 15. Pteris. 
Sori linear. Involucre as in Pteris, but sometimes intramarginal, 
and fertile fronds different from the barren 16. Lomaria. 
§ 4. Sori linear or oblong, distant from the margin, except in some Asplenia. Involucre 
membranous, linear or oblong , opening towards the costa. 
Sori parallel to the costa. Involucre attached to confluent veins . 17. Doodia. 
Sori linear or oblong, usually oblique to the costa. Involucre mem- 
branous, attached laterally to a free vein. (Sori marginal in much- 
divided species.) 18. Asplenium. 
§ 5. Sori globose, dislant from the margin. Involucre orbicular or reniform, attached 
by a point. 
Involucre orbicular, peltate. Frond compound 19. Aspidium. 
Involucre reniform. Frond very compound 20. Nephrodium. 
Involucre reuiform. Frond simply pinnate 21. Nephrolepis. 
