326 
THE FLORIST. 
Matonine.® :— d. Matonia pectinata. 
CvathkinejE :—e, Alsophila Tsenitis; /, Cyathea 
elegans. 
bursting horizontally, the sori dorsal and oligocarpous, covered by 
umbonato-hemispherical peltate* indusia ; this is called Matoninese. 
The next tribe, Cyatheineae, approaches very nearly to the Polypodinece 
through some species of Alsophila, in which the characteristic obliquity 
of the ring is very little ap¬ 
parent. When characteristic, 
the spore-cases of the Cyatheineae 
are sessile, or nearly so, and 
oblique - laterally compressed ; 
the ring, which is nearly com¬ 
plete, being, in consequence, 
more or less obliquely vertical, 
that is, vertical below, curving 
laterally towards the top ; they 
burst transversely, and are 
seated on an elevated receptacle, which latter is a useful auxiliary 
character, assisting in the recognition of some of the plants referred 
to this group. 
The Polypodinese is the most extensive of all the tribes of 
Polypodiacese, and contains the greater number of all known Ferns. In 
it, the spore-cases are nearly equally gibbous,')' with a vertical and 
nearly complete ring; they are sometimes stalked, sometimes stalkless, 
and they burst transversely at a part on their anterior side, where the 
striae of the ring become dilated 
into elongate parallel cells, the 
weakening incidental to which, 
no doubt, facilitates disruption. 
This point where dehiscence 
takes place is technically called 
the stoma. The bursting of the 
spore-cases often takes place 
with considerable force, so that 
they become disrupted into two 
parts, which are held together 
separate at that part which was 
Poltpodineas :—a, Polypodium vulgare; 
b, Grammitis aspidiodes; c, Gymnogramma 
tufa. 
by the ring itself, which does not 
posterior in the perfect spore-case. 
The primary distinctions in this large order, may be more readily 
contrasted in the following summary. The further subdivision of the 
groups, will be treated on hereafter. 
P OLYPODIACEAE — 
Spore-cases not valvate— 
Ring vertical, nearly complete; spore-cases usually 
stalked, gibbous, bursting transversely 
Ring obliquely vertical, nearly complete, narrow; 
spore-cases crowded, sessile or subsessile, ob¬ 
lique-laterally-compressed, bursting trans¬ 
versely . 
Ring sub-oblique, nearly complete, broad ; spore- 
cases few, sessile, gibbous, bursting trans¬ 
versely . 
POLYPODINEAE. 
Cyatheineae. 
Matonine^e. 
* Affixed by a central stalk, 
f Swollen or convex. 
