











. Genus III: GYMNOGRAMMA, Desvauz. 
Gen. Cuar.—Sori non-indusiate, linear, sometimes elongated, 
simple or forked. 4. e., bi-partite, oblique, often at length confluent ; 
the receptaeles elongate above or continued below the forks of the 
veins. Veins simple or forked from a central costa, or the costa 
sometimes indistinct; venules free. 
Fronds lobed pinnate or bi-pinnate, herbaceous or sub-mem- 
branaceous, often farinosely ceraceous, sometimes lanate beneath. 
Caudex short, erect, sometimes annual. 
This is a tropical genus, of considerable extent, and embraeing 
species of very diverse aspect. Indeed so varied are the appear- 
ances presented by the plants commonly referred here, that it has 
been proposed to distribute them into several minor genera, and of 
these, that which has received the solitary species found within the 
politico-geographical boundary of Great Britain, has been called 
Anogramma: M. Fée alone proposes or adopts seven of these 
new genera for the species which we include in Gymnogramma, 
depending for his distinetions chiefly—on the length of the sori: 
whether occupying nearly the whole length of the veins, or confined 
Within more determinate limits; on the nature of the frond- 
surface: whether smooth, or covered with hair, or a coloured waxy 
powder; on the presence or absence of hairs among the spore-cases ; 
or on the simple or divided character of the fronds. There are, 
however, no sufficiently definite limits to the groups thus indicated 
to admit of their adoption, even as sectional groups. 
Among the species which have often been referred to Gymno- 
gramma, there are some having the veins netted, which we think 
are properly separated, to form the genus Dictyogramma; and 
another plant, having the lines of spore-cases on the free veins 
confined to a zone near the centre of the kidney-shaped fronds, 

