124 SWISS FEENS. 



1. Botrychium. — Moonwort. 



One of the first three families, which have not an elastic 

 ring round the sporangia, or seed-case, and which have their 

 sori in a separate spike or panicle. 



B. Lunaria. Barren leaf, from one to three inches long ; 

 rises from about the middle of the stem, pinnate with many 

 half-moon or fan-shaped segments, the edge either entire or 

 notched. Panicle of sori in a compound spike. Mountain- 

 pastures : Wengern-Alp, Bernina-Pass in the Engadine. 



B. virginianura has the barren frond rising nearer the 

 top of the stem, with the segments smaller at the base ; 

 slightly hairy. Near the baths of Serneus, Grisons ; rare. 



B. matricarisefolium has also its frond rising from above 

 the middle of the stem, with oval or oblong segments, twice 

 three times crenate. Alps : Bernardino. The two last species 

 are not British. 



2. Ophioglossum vulgatum. — Adder's- 

 tongue. 



A solitary stem, with a leaf something like a Plantain- 

 leaf, from the base of which rises the fertile spike of seeds 

 about an inch or two high. Moist and cultivated meadows. 



