NOTES 
THE STRUCTURE AUD AFFINITIES OF MATONIA 
PECTINATA \ — By A. C. Seward, F.R.S., University Lecturer 
in Botany, Cambridge. The genus Matonia has long been known 
as an isolated type among existing Ferns. It is represented by two 
species, M. pectinata R. Brown and M. sarmentosa Baker, both 
confined to the Malayan region. Matonia has not hitherto been 
examined anatomically, and its reference by several writers to an 
intermediate position between the Cyatheaceae and Gleicheniaceae, 
is based on the structure of the sorus, which, in the small number 
of the sporangia and in its circular form, resembles that of the latter 
family, while the presence of an indusium and the position of the 
annulus afford connecting links with Cyatheaceous Ferns. 
In Matonia pectinata the frond has a characteristic pedate habit, 
with numerous long pinnae having slightly falcate linear segments, 
practically all of which appear to be fertile. The sori are circular 
in form and indusiate, each consisting of about eight large sporangia 
with an oblique incomplete annulus, containing sixty-four tetrahedral 
spores. The dichotomously branched rhizome, which grows on the 
surface of the ground, is thickly covered with a felt of multicellular 
hairs, and gives rise to long-stalked fronds from its upper face, and 
a few wiry roots which may arise from any part of the surface of 
the stem. 
The full paper deals more especially with the anatomical structure 
of Matonia pectinata. The material which rendered the investigation 
possible, was generously supplied by Mr. Shelford of the Sarawak 
Museum, Borneo, to whom the author wishes to express his hearty 
thanks. 
The stem is polystelic, and of the gamostelic type ; there may be 
two annular steles, with the centre of the stem occupied by ground- 
tissue ; or in shorter branches of the rhizome a third vascular strand 
may occupy the axial region. Each stele consists of xylem-tracheids 
1 Abstract of a paper read before the Royal Society, March 9, 1899. 
