132 FERNS. 
II].—GLEICHENIACE. 
Gleichenia (one genus only). 
ITV.—OsMUNDACE. 
Todea;: Fruitmasses dorsal. 
V.—ScHIZHACER. 
Schizea: Sporecases basifixed, placed unilaterally along paired 
or crowded terminal segments of the frond, without scaly invo- 
lucres. 
VI.—OPpHIOGLOSSE. 
Ophioglossum: Sporecases two-rowed, horizontally connate 
into a spike. 
Batrychium: Sporecases two-rowed, distinct, forming a pinnate 
panicle. 
A few notes for discriminating our principal ferns are offered, 
as these mostly graceful and lovely plants are the delight of so 
many cultivators, and form such delicate specimens when dried for 
collections. Of Ferntrees we have four, of which however only 
two are frequent ; but they are among the most magnificent in 
our vegetation, impressing on it a tropical grandeur. The most 
important of these two for cultural purposes is the valley-treefern, 
Dicksonia antarctica, because it is among more than two hundred 
Ferntrees, now known from all the great divisions of the globe 
except Europe, one of the best adapted for removal to gardens or 
conservatories in an aged upgrown state. ‘Tall individuals must 
have required half a century’s growth to attain their imposing size. 
The stem is stouter than that of the Hill-treefern, A/sophila 
australis, which occupies drier ground on the slopes of forest 
ridges and surpasses even D. antarctica in height. Both are most 
easily distinguished from each other by the generic characteristics 
of the fruit as given above; but a second Dicksonia, D. squarrosa, 
forms a slender not tall treefern in the Dandenong-Ranges and 
perhaps elsewhere; it is of rare occurrance, and has a very 
