182 AMONG THE WILD FLOWERS. 
tion and nomenclature of this interesting Order ; 
the following summary of our British Ferns 
follows Mr. Babington’s manual, and is in as 
near agreement with general consent as can at 
present be attained :— 
Nat. Orper, Ficices : Sub-Order I.—Poty- 
PODIEA, including the Parsley Fern, 6 species 
of Polypody, among them the Beech and Oak 
Ferns, and 2 species of Woodsia; also the 
genera Lastrea, Polystichum, Cystopteris, 
Athyrium, Asplenium, Scolopendrium, Ceterach, 
Gymnogramma, Blechnum, Pteris, Adiantum, 
Trichomanes (N.B., not Asplenium  Tricho- 
manes), and Hymenophyllum. All these have 
the fructification in clusters at the back, dorsad, 
or at the margin; the Sub-Order has five Tribes. 
Sub-Order II.—Osmunpace# has the clus- 
ters of fruit stalked in a spike at the extremity 
of the frond; the thece are stalked and mem- 
branous, rachis woody; our only example is 
Osmunda regalis. 
Sub-Order I1I.—OpuiocuLossacE&, also bear- 
ing their fruit in a spike, but the thece are 
sessile, and coriaceous, skin-like; the rachis is 
succulent ; our only plants are Botrychium, and 
Ophioglossum. 
