104 



BRITISH FERNS. 



Its roots and rhizoma, if these distinctive names may be still 

 retained, resemble those of the Moonwort: its single frond 

 makes its appearance in May with an erect, straight vernation, 

 sheds its seed in August, and soon after withers and disappears : 

 a few only of the fronds are fertile, nearly nine-tenths being 

 without fructification; its average size is rather larger than 

 represented in the figure. 



The fertile frond is composed of a long, smooth, hollow 

 rachis, bearing an ovate, rather acute, slanting, deep green, 

 leafy portion, with a straight, erect, club-shaped spike, issuing 

 from its interior surface at the base : this spike is usually rather 

 longer than the leafy part, and bears the thecae in a double 

 longitudinal row ; when the seed is fully ripe these thecae open 

 transversely, gape widely, and allow the seed to be scattered by 

 the winds ; the figure to the left represents a spike that has shed 

 its seed. The veins in the leafy parts anastomose in every 

 direction. 



The Vignette below was drawn in the churchyard at Black 

 Nottley, in Essex. Within the little square of iron railings is 

 the tomb of the illustrious Ray. 



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