FERN FAMILY. 3GJ 



numerous oblong, broadest at the base, obtuse, lobed from the upper edge; 

 fruit-dots at the top of the lobes ; involucres transversely oblong <>r linear. 



A. hlspidulum, from Au.-tralia, &c. : commonly le^-, >\ niniemi .il than 

 the last, when young irregularly 3 4-branched ; a smaller plain with finely 

 chaffy or bristly stalk and rhaehis ; pinnules minutely hairy, nearly entire; 

 fruit-dots crowded along the upper margin, involucres rounded kidney-shaped. 



7. PTERIS, BRAKE. (The ancient Greek name for Ferns, mean in- n 

 winy, from the feather-like fronds.) Another large and widely distributed - 



1. Veins free: stalk straiv-colored or brownish . 

 # Frond simply pinnate : pinn/e undivided. 



P. longifolia. Cult, from warm regions, native in S. Florida : oblong- 

 lanceolate in outline; pinnae numerous, linear and tapering from a truncate ,.r 

 cordate base, the upper and lower ones gradually smaller. 



* * Frond pinnate, and with the lower pairs of pinna forked or again pinnate, 



the divisions and upper pinniK elongated, simple. 



P. Cr&tica. Cult, from warm climates, native in Florida.' l-2 high; 

 pinnoj 1-4 pairs, the upper ones slightly decnrrent, lower ones cleft almost to 

 the base into 2-3 long linear-lanceolate acuminate divisions; sterile ones and 

 tips of the narrower fertile ones finely and sharply serrate. Var. ALBO-LI.NEATA 

 has a whitish stripe in the middle of each division. 



P. serrulata. Cult, from China: l -!^ high; pinnae 3-8 pairs, all 

 but the lowest decurrent and forming a wing 3" wide on the main rhaehi- ; 

 lower pairs pinnately or pedately cut into several narrow linear-acuminate 

 divisions; upper ones simple, sterile ones spinnlose-serrulate. 



* * * Frond* pinnate, and the numerous primary divisions pinnately cut into m<my 



lobf-s, the lowest ones mostly with 1-3 t/omjuti'd similarly -lobed branches on 

 the lower side. 



P. quadriaurita. Cult, from East or West Indies, &c. : fronds l-3 

 long, 6'- 12' wide, broadly ovate in outline; lobes of primary divisions lineav- 

 oblong, j'-l' long, 3" wide, very numerous and often crowded, mostlv rather 

 obtuse. Var. ARGY'REA, has a baud of white along the middle of the primary 

 divisions ; to this is added a tinge of red in var. tufcoLOR. 



* * * * Fronds broadly triangular, twice or thrice pinnate throughout: lowest 



primary divisions long-stalked. 



P. aquilina, COMMON- BRAKK. Plentiful everywhere, l-5 high, harsh 

 to the touch ; the lowest primary divisions standing obliquelv forward ; second- 

 ary divisions pinnatifid with many oblong or linear sometimes ha-tate ! 

 which in a fruiting frond are bordered everywhere with brown spore-ca-e^. 



2. DoRVOPTiiRiS. Veins finely rttirnlati-d: frond pidate, and ;">-<('//< //: 



stalk black and shining. 



P. pedata. Cult, from West Indies and S. America: frond 2' -6' long 

 and nearly as wide, almost parted into a few primary divisions ; upper ones en- 

 tire, lowest pair again cleft ; the lobes on the lower side much largest. 



8. PELLJEA, CLIFF-BRAKE. (Name from the Greek, meanin- 

 colored, descriptive of the stalk.) Mostlv small Ferns: the following *]< {,--. 

 have fronds of a somewhat coriaceous texture. 



P. rotundifdlia, from New Zealand : frond narrow, 6'- 12' long, on a 

 chaffy and pubescent w r \rv stalk, simply pinnate; pinna? round or roundi-h- 

 oblong and entire; band of spore-cases very wide and concealing the narrow 

 involucre. 



P. atropurpurea. Wild, on shaded limeroek : fronds tufted. 0'- 12' Ion-. 

 2'-4' wide, with polished and sparin-lv downy stalks, '.'-pinnate, simply pinnate 

 toward the top ; pinnules distinct, ohlon- or luiear-oblon-. rarely halberd-shaped, 

 obtuse or slightly mucronate ; involucre rather broad, and a' length hidden ly 

 the spore-cases. 



P. hastata, from South Africa : mostly larger than the last and vry vari- 

 able; frond ovate-lanceolate or oblong, 1-3-pinnate; pinnules lancooliuc or 



