Subtribe V. SCAPANIOIDEJE.
Plants handsome and large leaved, often remarkable for their
eolour, which is roseate, whitish, or yellowish. Stems arising
from a creeping caudex, erect or inclined downwards, sub-radiou-
lose, producing only a few lateral branches. Leaves alternate,
transverse complicato-bilobate with the antical lobule the smaller,
in most oases beautifully denticulate or ciliated at the margin,
sometimes even lobulate, naked, or in some species lamellose or
pilose on the upper surface. Stipules absent in most species but
present in a few, somewhat large bilobate and incised. Flowers
terminal on the stem, dioicous, rarely paroicous; males di-poly-
androus. Female bracts in most species somewhat similar in
shape to the leaves but more equally lobed. Perianth in typical
species emersed, free, frontally compressed, often complánate and
decurved with a truncate mouth; in a few others less compressed
and 5 to many-folded. Capsule robust, oblong, sometimes very
long. Elaters dispiral. Perhaps it might he better to regard
this suhtribe as a section of the following; but it may easily
be recognised by its peculiar habit and complicate leaves, having
the antical lobe the smaller (and not the postical as in Badula, &c.).
Suhtribe VI. EPIGONIATSTTHEJi.
Plants very rarely small, often large and robust, varying in
colour from green to whitish or yellowish, sometimes purplish,
less frequently rosy. Stems either arising from a creeping caudex
and almost all rootless, or prostrate and more abundantly radiculose,
irregularly branched or dichotomously, rarely pinnate.
Branches almost always lateral, springing from the middle or
from the postical angle of the axil, very rarely truly postical,
that is, axillary with the stipules. Leaves succubous or transverse
(never incubous), alternate or opposite, somewhat large,
simple, bifid or 3-5-fid; the margin in the small species quite
entire as a rule, in the larger ones very often ciliate or with spiny
teeth, often much recurved at the antical portion of the base.
Stipules generally absent or small, rarely of a moderate size;
in some species with opposite leaves (e.g. Lophooolea, Chilosoypha,
and Leioscypha) connate at each side with the adjacent leaf, and
there forming a three-leaved whorl; in the opposite leaved
PlayiocMla, however, they are wanting. Inflorescence dioicous
or monoicous, aorogenous, very rarely hypogenous. Male bracts
1-10-androus. Female bracts 1-5-jugate, generally more incised
than the leaves, free, or in a few species adnate to the perianth
for a longer or shorter distance, or finally performing the functions
of an imperfectly monophyllous perianth or where the same is
evidently deficient. In genera which have a pouch instead of
a perianth the inner bracts are very often minute and surround
the mouth of the pouch. Perianth perfect and normally compressed
at the side; in some it is complánate (at least in the
upper part) and two-edged with a very broad truncate or bilabiate
apex, the sutures (both antical and postical) being frequently
winged; but in those species which have rather large stipules
it is often trigonous with the third angle in front; again, in some
it is more inflated trigonous, seldom terete, small-mouthed.
Capsule very often more or less oblong, of many series of cells.
Elaters dispiral, very rarely monospiral.
Subtribe VII. FOSSOMBRONIEAi.
Plants foliose or very often frondose, prostrate as a rule,
radiculose, but in Scalia fixed to the matrix hy a branched
rhizomatous base, absolutely rootless; sub-dichotomous, the
frondose species being very rarely postically sub-ramose. Stem
generally snb-plane-convex, quite distinct from the lamina of the
frond; or very broad and merging into the lamina on each side.
Leaves (when any) succubous, rather broad, often slightly fleshy,
turning flaccid in drying. Stipules absent, except in Scalia.
Fronds linear or obovate, quite entire or serrulate, sometimes
pinnatifid, in Petalophyllum lamellose on the upper side. Male
flowers submarginal along the whole length of the stem; antheridia
binate to quinate, scarcely covered with the leaves; in some