458 
GRAMINEiE. 
[ Uottloellia . 
acuminate, glabrous, f in. broad. Spikes distant, simple, lateral and 
terminal, It. long, the lower ones more or less wrapped in a leaf- 
sheath ; rachis terete, £ in. thick ; joints i in. long, Spikelets 
oblong, acute, glabrous, usually rather longer than the joints. E. 
arundinacea, Hochst. 
Seychelles, in the northern part of the island of Mahe. Horne , 625! Spread 
through the tropics of the Old World. 
The Maize, Zea Mays, Linn., is cultivated in Mauritius and Seychelles, and is in 
Dr. Balfour’s Rodriguez collection as a subspontaneous species. 
The Rice, Oryza sativa, Linn., is also cultivated abundantly and casually 
subspontaneous. 
Order CVIII. FILICES. 
Fructification consisting of minute 1-celled stalked or sessile capsules 
(sporangia), which dehisce vertically or laterally and are usually sur- 
rounded by an incomplete ora complete ring and aggregated in clusters 
(sori)on the back or edge of leafy fronds. These sori sometimes form spikes 
or panicles or become connate in a mass (synangia), and when dorsal or 
marginal on the frond are either naked or covered from above or below 
with a scale (involucre). The spores which they contain are very minute, 
uniform, and without spiral threads (elaters), and after falling to the 
ground give rise to a leafy expansion (prothallus), on the lower surface of 
which are developed cellular sacs which open at their mouth (archegonia) 
and contain a single germ-cell, and other cellular hollows (antheridia), 
each of which holds several sperm-cells (antherozoids) which possess 
the power of motion and fertilise the archegonia. — Eootstock erect 
(caudex) rarely produced above ground, or creeping at or below the 
surface (rhizome), more or less scaly ; leaves (fronds) very vari- 
ous in texture and cutting, usually furnished with a petiole (stipe), 
always abundantly veined. Distrib. Cosmopolitan. Species 3000. 
Suborder I. Gleicheniace^. Capsules few, sessile on a depressed 
receptacle, with a complete horizontal ring, splitting vertically. 
The only genus 1. Gleichenia. 
Suborder II. Hymenophyllace2E. Capsules many, sessile on a 
subulate receptacle, with a complete oblique ring, splitting vertically. 
Texture of frond filmy. 
Involucre deeply 2-valved 2. Hymenophyllum. 
Involucre truncate at the mouth or shallowly 2- 
valved 3. Trichomanes. 
Suborder III. CyatheacejE. Capsules usually sessile on a barrel- 
shaped receptacle, with a rather oblique incomplete vertical ring, split- 
ting transversely. Tree-ferns. 
The only genus 
4. Cyathea. 
