Dennstaedtiaholds a pivotal position in the phylesis of leptosporangiate ferns, as evidenced from different systems of classification especially proposed by HOLTTUM (1947, 1949). There esists presently a great controversy about a possible relation betweenDennstaedtiaand Pteroids, previously held by BOWER (1926), COPELAND (1947) and HOLTTUM (l. c.). The major objection concerns the cytological discontinuity betweenDennstaedtiaand Pteroids (cf.MANTON and SLEDGE 1954; MANTON 1958; MEHRA 1961). The present report of n = 30 in JapaneseDennstaedtia hirsuta(Sw.) Mett. possibly bridges the gap, in a cytological sense, towardsPteris.Nevertheless, it is pointed out that in the phylesis of larger groups emphasis must be laid on comparative morphology.