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PACIFIC SCIENCE, VoL XX, January 1966 
stelic, interrupted occasionally by leaf gaps. In 
this it resembles the species of Grammitis in- 
vestigated by Nozu. The dictyostelic vascular 
cylinder which he reported for Scleroglossum 
pusillum evidently is not repeated in A. sar- 
mentosus . However, the failure of some leaf 
gaps to close may perhaps be interpreted as a 
trend towards the further dissection of the 
solenostele. Conclusive evidence cannot be pre- 
sented at this time to establish the evolutionary 
trend in the vascular structure of the rhizome 
in this family. The hypothesis that the family 
consists of a reduction series seems to us to 
be most acceptable. With this point of view, 
we would interpret the solenostele as having 
been derived from a dictyostele, although it 
seems probable that some dictyostelic grammitid 
groups in turn have evolved secondarily from 
solenostelic ancestors. The temptation to make 
broad generalization about evolutionary trends 
is one to which we would rather not yield until 
more comparative data are available. 
A leaf supplied by a single vascular trace 
with a (J- or V-shaped xylem in the petiole 
seems to typify members of this group. Ogura 
(1938) designated this particular type of pet- 
iolar vascular structure as the "Grammitis” type 
and subsequent investigators have found similar 
patterns in other grammitids (Holttum, 1947; 
Nozu, 1958-1960). The xylem strand of A. 
sarmentosus adds still another species to this list. 
It is difficult to attempt to interpret the 
phylogenetic relationship of the Grammitidaceae 
on the basis of anatomical investigations of so 
few members of the group. Numerous studies 
have been published which indicate that these 
ferns represent a natural group. Other than ana- 
tomical studies of the sporophyte, evidence from 
the gametophyte generation (Stokey, 1959; 
Stokey and Atkinson, 1958) and from the 
morphology of the sporangium (Wilson, 1959'^; 
1959$) strongly support the distinctness of the 
family. Broad phylogenetic conjectures would 
best await additional studies within the Gram- 
mitidaceae. Systematic problems within the 
family will also require detailed studies before 
a satisfactory taxonomic arrangement can be 
proposed. Some of these problems have been 
discussed recently for the genus Adenophorus 
by Wilson (1964). We have undertaken this 
present study in order to obtain some informa- 
tion which may be of value in later systematic 
considerations of the grammitid ferns. Other 
similar studies are badly needed. 
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Copeland, E. B. 1947. Genera Filicum, the 
Genera of Ferns. Chronica Botanica, 
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Foster, A. S. 1949. Practical Plant Anatomy. 
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Holttum, R E. 1947. A revised classification 
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NOZU, Y. 1958-1960. Anatomical notes on 
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9:4-9. 
Ogura, Y. 1938. Anatomic der Vegetations- 
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Stokey, A. G. 1959. Polypodium pectinatum 
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Wagner, W. H. Jr. 1963. A biosystematic 
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Wilson, K. A. 1958. Ontogeny of the sporan- 
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— —— 1959^. Sporangia of the fern genera 
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