4] 6 



ORDER 159. FIL1CES. 



a Fertile stems never branching, the sterile with simple, whorled branches. .Nos. 1, 9 

 a Fertile stems at length, like the sterile, with compound, whorled branches. .Noe. 3, 4 



b Stems with whorls of simple branches from the middle joints Nos. 5, 6 



b Stems mostly simple, large, 20-40-furrowed Nos. 79 



b Stems always simple, very slender, 3-9-furrowed Nos. 10, 11 



1 E. arvense L. Fertile stems erect, 68', simple ; sterile 12-14-furrowed, with sim- 



ple, ascending, 4-angled branches ; sheath cut into long dark-brown teeth ; spike 

 612", oblong. Can. to Va. and Ky. The sterile stems appear after the fertile. 

 /3. serottnum. Sterile plant also producing a late spike of fruit. Pa. (Porter). 



2 E. Telmateia Ehr. Ivory H. Sterile stem 2 5f, ^vhUe, about 30-furrowed, its 30 



branches 4-angled ; fertile stems simple ; sheaths with subulate teeth. L. Superior. 



3 E. sylvaticum L. Stems 12- or 13-furrowed, both kinds with compound, deflexed, 



angular branches, 9 16'. Woods and low grounds. North. 



4 E. pra tense Ehr. Stems 10-12-furrowed, both kinds soon producing simple, straight 



branches, in several whorls ; branches 3-angled. N. W. 



H E. limosum L. Pipes. Stems 2 3f, smooth, erect, 15-20-striate, mostly with a 

 few irregular, simple, 5-sided branches near the middle ; sheaths white above, with 

 1520 teeth, tipped with black. Shores and swamps. 



6 E. palustre L. Sts. 1 l|f, erect, with 68 prominent stria; ; branches few, sheaths 



with as many pointed teeth as striae. Marshes, N. Rare in the United States. 



7 E. Isrvijiatiim Braun. Stems 2 3f, erect, simple or some branched ; sheaths long 



(6 7"), close, green, with 2025 black teeth ; branch sheaths 8-toothed. Miss. River. 



8 E. robust urn Braun. Sts. 2 4f, very stout, ome branched above ; sheaths short 



(3 4"), close, with 40 (in the branches 11) deciduous teeth, and a black band near the 

 base, rarely with another above. River banks, W. States to California ! 



9 E. liyemale L. Scouring Rush. Stems all simple, erect, 2f, very rough with sili- 



oious points ; sheaths ashy-white, black at base and summit, short (2 3"), with about 



20 subulate, awned, deciduous teeth. Con- 

 spicuous in w r et shades. 



10 E. varlegatum Schleicher. Simple 

 (branched from base), slender, straight, 

 6 12% 5-9-furrowed ; sheaths very short, 

 with brown bristle-tipped teeth. N. Rare. 



11 E. scorpioidesMx. Sts. tufted, fili- 

 form, 4-8', recurved, 3-4-rarrowed ; sheaths 

 bluck, teeth 3 or 4, scariouB and bristle- 

 tipped. Woods, Penn., and N. 



ORDER CLIX. FILICES. FERNS. 



Stem a perennial, creeping, horizon- 

 tal rhizome, or sometimes erect and 

 tree-like. Fronds (fruit-bearing leaves) 

 variously divided, rarely entire, with 

 mostly forked veins and circinate 

 vernation. Fruit occupying the back 

 or margin of the fronds arising from 

 the veins. Sporangia (spore-cases) of 

 one kind, scattered, or clustered in 

 sori, 1 -celled, containing numerous 

 minute spores. 



s f ~T'r** ff ^^ Fig. 560, Polypodinm vulgare, frond pinnate. 561, 

 4 leaflet of the frond enlarged, showing the sori. 562. One of the sori enlarged, showing the sporan- 

 pia. 5(, One sporange further magnified, bursting and discharging its spores. 564, A sorus of 

 Aapidium niargiuiile covered with tle indusium. 5fi5, Side view of the same. 



