The genus Neolepisorus Ching was proposed in 1940 and then consisted of five species

including the type, Polypodium ovatum Wall. ex Hook. et Grev. The generic sense of Ne-

olepisorus is now more homogenour than originally constructed. Strictly speaking, the genus then had only three species: Polypodium ovatum Wall. ex Hook. et Grev. of the Hi-

malayas and China, P. ensatum Thunb. of Japan, and China, and P. lastii Baker of Africa

(Madagascar). Since then our knowledge of the genus has substantially been enriched, as there are now 10 species known from China as described in the present paper.

     Phylogenetically, the genus Neolepisorus is a natural one in the family Polypodiaceae,

beiny closely related to Nicrosorium Link, Calysis Presl and Tricholepidium Ching in general habit, scale structure, spores and chromosome numbers (x = 36), while its affinity with the genus Lepisorus (J. Sm.) Ching is much less close in these respects. From its related genera Neolepisorus differs in terestrial habit,typically long-stipitate simple fronds, distinct lateral main veins with 1--3(4) striate and irregularly dispersed sori covered when young with angular, clathrate and long-stalked paraphyses. One marked morphological peculiarity of the genus Neolepisorus is, however, that the fronds in many species from Guizhou and Sichuan are so divided into more or less similarly pinnatifid or lobed monstrous shapes that their proper identity is frequently indiscernible--a character not yet seen in ferns of other genera in China at least. It offers an interesting research subject for the morphologists.