

Plate L, 



THE ROYAL, oh FLOWERING FERN 



(OSMUNDA REGALIS), 



OSMUNDA, Limueus. 



Cluster * of Spore^ates naked, densely clustered on contracted rachiform ]>ortion& of 

 the frond, forming (in the British species) terminal jmniclcs of nodulose spikclets. 

 SporC'cases largo, stalked, reticulated, subglobose, two-vuived, opening verti- 

 cally, the transverse ring rudimentary. Veins forked; venules disunited at 

 their extremities. 



0. EEOAtiS: fronds bipinnatc; pinmiles oblong, nearly entire, dilated, and more or 

 less auricle*! at the base, (rarely tripinnatc) ; spore-cases clustered in twice- 

 branched panicles at the apex of the fronds. 



0*NL'SDA IBOaui, Itmmr**, A>™# JtfuwAra, 1521. Alto*, JYJtot tiritsa*ie* t 0, t, & Arid, KnylUk 

 /fc<ta»y, iiLtiKtf; EqtUk Flora, ir. 314, Iffirtvr **l Armrit, Srituk Flora, &7& Jiwkrr, Flora te*Ji- 



orawV, r. t* 130 (if inn Orroncout) ; Gfmtrxt Ftlic*m f t» JOa. Maflay, Flora SHherni<a, 8W. **ra* t 



Xatrral Arr**$rmt*t of 'Sritii* Km/*, ii. & JMiiptai, lt**uat */ JlrtiUt Rft*£,*17. AVmH, HUtorj 

 tfBrilUh Aw,&0& Jitanr, Itatdbnk tf Brituk fi™.21l. ItarXui, Ftwifrophi* Ilritmita, ir, 30. 



&*w£y, ftrar i/ Gr«/ Itritmm, TS, t. 4L &&UAr, %>/^i«iff[* 0*iru>iit, 1 17, t, VIS. Jf-i/fffriwir, 



Spttto Flwtfartm, v. 07. ^rrnyrA fyita*d S'*yttM£*m t ir. 2%. Prod, Snfpk»\<ntut* Trxtiniui* Pteruh* 

 grapli*, 6*2. 



Al'llYLLOCAWA KHALI* &Mtfftt t h J-Wrt ifo CVwiaa Jft/ilAibv, Y. lGIt" i*«k*««i (1$W), WC 

 Sill TIIIOrTLKH *t(0*Ui, BmkirJi, Sc&r&br'i Jovrmtlfttr rfir Botamk^ tSOQ, iL 120. 



EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE. 

 Hurt L.— Oamlsda ftuoAMtt; from Krvritwood, Kucx; & <R Cmj. 



HABITAT.— Hw Flowering Fern, abo l&uowa aa tho Oituuad Kova), growa in wot, qiriiug'i or bogRX pl*W »wd ii widcl/ ami 

 plentifully dihjwrvoJ, icalUrrd bcro and there ia Mutable localities, orer the Uulttd Kingdom, from Cornwall and 

 Suffolk lo Shetland and the Wc*L«ni l*!c*< It ii abundant In tunny (xirli of lrclau/i ; fliid t« found i» tbo Itland of 

 Jrncj. ft nachc* an clevatiou of about COO fort. 



UKOGltAl'lIICAL DISTRIBUTION.— TliU F«ra iawenmon tlirwigliotit Europe. lnAns.it ia found ia Miu^roli*, ftnd 

 in India— in Concnn, th* Netlgborriea (narrow pauauler*), Kumaou. and in the Himalaya* {/fa. Hooter). In Africa 

 — In tbo Atom, in Algeria, at tbo Capo of Good Hop*, ia Natal (narrow pinnulod form), and in HadagatCAT 

 {Jit. Itofo). Ia North Amcrka, il ia found id Ncufouudland, Canada <**ith narrow pinnule), in &aikatcaa»-an t 

 and ia Lbc UaiteJ State* (/«. 7/ooiw), It U alio found in Xoria-w«t Moiico j aad iu tbo countrj of tbo Itio 

 (■made ia Bnxtt {!£&* linker). Both North aad South America alio yield other very wuular plant*, «Weh aro 

 probably to bo tvrardinl a* diitiuet varietm of thlt ntK^ele*. One of the tno*t vtrikin^ aad ologaat of tlic^o ip tbo 

 O. qMdUti* of XoHb America. *bka may bo kaonn by ita amallcr aire, aad lawother lub-Kbuooui lurfwo | another, 

 tbo 0. ptiltttri* qf Schradcr from Hraril, Mo\ioo, and Now (jraaada, u a more ri^id and brger plaat, but with nam) w 

 aad auiaeroua pinauloiv Tae Indian <X 4/wiw, with the wport of a rtptit iu its barren frond*, diffcri iu producing 

 <lialinct fertile froada* 



^ 



Caudex stout, firm, giwving in tufted dark-colouix-d, spreading, or erect and trunk-like, often 

 attaining an elevation of two feet or more- Fibres numerous, stout, branched. 



Siipea nearly or quite 08 long as the leafy part of the frond; and as well as the rochis succu- 

 lent, tinged with red, and clothed with loose deciduous palo-brown cobwebby wool when young; firm, 

 smooth, and pale yreen when mature ; terete, somewhat flattened in front, the base dilated, with a 

 membranaceous margin. Secondary rac/m channelled and margined in front. 



Vernation circinatc- 



Frond$ numerous, terminal and adherent to the caudex ; erect, or sometimes arching ; variable in 

 height, two to four feet in more exposed and drier localities, six to eight or even occasionally ten to 

 twelve feet in very damp sheltered spots ; membranaceous, smooth, bright yellow-green, paler beneath ; 





