Fossil plants, Vol. 2 : $b A text-book for students of botany and geologySeward, A. C. (Albert Charles)
Science
Fossil plants, Vol. 2 : $b A text-book for students of botany and geology
Seward, A. C. (Albert Charles)
Paleobotany
The genus _Matonia_, placed in the Cyatheaceae by Sir William Hooker
and compared by other authors also with the Gleicheniaceae, is now
included in a special family. The sori are circular and consist of
5–11 large sporangia (fig. 224, E, G) sessile on a central columnar
receptacle which spreads out into an umbrella-like indusium (D, _i_)
with its incurved margin tucked in below the ring of sporangia. The
indusium is detached when the sporangia are ripe. The annulus is
oblique and incomplete and often slightly sinuous; it agrees in the
main with that of _Gleichenia_. The species _Matonia pectinata_ is
characterised by dichotomously branched fronds (figs. 227, 228) with
long and slender petioles; the pinnae bear linear pinnules with forked
lateral veins and occasional lateral anastomoses (fig. 224, F). The
only other living representative is _M. sarmentosa_, discovered by Mr
Charles Hose at Niah, Sarawak[688]: this species has long pendulous
leaves apparently very different from those of _M. pectinata_, but
the branching of the frond may be regarded as a modification of a
primitive form of dichotomy[689]. A small bud occurs in the angle
between the forked linear segments and the rachis, as in some species
of _Gleichenia_[690]. _Matonia_ is confined to the Malay region: _M.
pectinata_ grows in Western Borneo and in various localities in the
Malay peninsula, while _M. sarmentosa_, has been found in one locality
only; the latter species has recently been transferred to a new genus
_Phanerosorus_, but in view of the practical identity in anatomical
structure and the close agreement as regards the sori of the two
species there would seem to be no justification for this change of
name[691].
[Illustration: FIG. 227. _Matonia pectinata._ (⅕ nat. size.) M.S.]
=Loxsomaceae.=
The New Zealand genus _Loxsoma_ has marginal sori with a cup-like
indusium surrounding an elongated receptacle bearing pear-shaped
sporangia provided with a complete oblique annulus. The genus is
chiefly interesting because of its isolated position; it agrees with
_Trichomanes_ (Hymenophyllaceae) in the structure of the sorus and
with species of _Dicksonia_ and _Davallia_ in habit; it shows some
resemblance also to Gleicheniaceae and Schizaeaceae[692]. A new type
of fern described by Christ[693] from Costa Rica as _Loxsomopsis
costaricensis_ affords a striking instance of discontinuous
distribution and emphasises the antiquity and generalised features of
the family.
[Illustration: FIG. 228. _Matonia pectinata._ From a photograph by Mr
Tansley of a group of plants in a wood on Gunong Tundok, Mount
Ophir.]
=Hymenophyllaceae.= (_Hymenophyllum_, _Trichomanes_.)
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