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TAB. XXII.
S P H Æ R O P T E R IS . Wall. B r.
P e ra n em a . Don.
Sori e medio venulæ orti. Indusium globosum, coriaceum, involucrans, clausum,
demum verticaliter dehiscens, bivalve. Sporangia pedicellata, receptáculo com-
rauni convexo insidentia.— F ilix Nepalensis; rhizomate globoso, magno; caudice
nullo. Frondes erectæ, herbaceoe, stipitatæ, (stipite ruchique paleaceis), tripin-
natæ. Venæ pinnatæ, tenues ; venulæ intra marginem terminantes, clavatoe, subtus
infra apicem glanduliferoe.
Spliæropteris barbata. Wall, in Herb. Soc. Merc. Ind. Or. 1823 {kaud Bernhardi,
quæ Cyatheæ sp.). Schott, Gen. Fil. cum Ic .—PI. Asiat. B a r . 1. p . 42. t. 48.—
Peranema cyathoides. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nep. p . 12.
T h is r em a rk a b le g e n u s is con fin ed to a s in g le sp e cie s, a n d th a t o f su c h r a r e o c c u rre n c e ,
tli a t n o p e rso n a p p e a r s to h a v e fo u n d i t b u t th e in d e f a tig a b le a n d g e n e ro u s W a llic h , a n d
h e o n ly on th e sum m it o f tw o o f tlie h ig h e s t m o u n ta in s, n e a r th e g r e a t v a lle y o f N e p a l.
M r B row n , in th e leo n e s j u s t r e f e r r e d to , n o tic e s th e a ffin ity o f th is g e n u s w ith D ia ca lp e
o f B lum e , b u t t h a t h a s a sessile in d u sium , o p e n in g ir r e g u la r ly , h a v in g s c a rc e ly p e d ic e lla te d
s p o ra n g ia , a n d a m o re o b so le te re c e p ta c le . N e a r ly th e same c h a ra c te r s w ill a lso d is tin g
u ish i t from H ym en o cy stis, C. A . M e y e r ( fig u re d a t T a b . I I I . o f th e p r e s e n t w o rk ) ; ad d
to w h ich , th e in d u s ia a r e in th a t p la n t p e llu c id , a n d th e y a ris e from th e a p e x o f a v e in le t.
Fig. 1. Portion of the under side of a frond ; magn. 2 diam—f . 2. Smaller portion of the same i
m. 10 diam.—/ . 3. 4. Frond, and back view of an unripe sorus ; m. 20 diam.—/ . 5. 6. Side and front
view of a ripe sorus ; do.—f . 7. Vertical section o f the same ; do.—f . 8. Sporangia in various stages ;
m. 100 diam.—/ 9. Sporules ; m. 200 diam.
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