520 Key to the System of 



2168. Dwarf. 



Alpine, glabrous ; rootstock creeping ; fronds small, few in 

 each tuft ; sterile fronds rather short-stalked ; fertile 

 fronds long-stalked, the segments of either almost semi- 

 elliptical or the fruit-bearing somewhat narrower ; fruit- 

 cover comparatively broad. Figure 146. L. alpina. 



Tall 



2169. Fronds very much paler underneath. 



Rather tall, sometimes forming a short trunk ; fronds large, 

 on conspicuous blackish stalks, lanceolar in outline, 

 glabrous, placed circularly, exceptionally bi-pinnatisected ; 

 rhachis dark-colored ; segments of the sterile fronds 

 narrowly semi-lanceolar, entire, adnate at the base and 

 mostly somewhat confluent ; venules subtile ; segments of 

 the fertile fronds lanceolate- or broad-linear ; spores 

 dark-brown or almost blackish. L. discolor. 



Fronds slightly paler underneath. 



Often very tall, sometimes forming a very short trunk ; 

 fronds conspicuously stalked, somewhat semi-lanceolar in 

 outline, scantly beset with narrow pointed scalelets ; seg- 

 ments of the sterile fronds often much elongated, from 

 almost elliptical to narrowly semi-lanceolar, shining, 

 nearly or quite sessile, free at the base and there truncate 

 or slightly bi-lobed, lowest segments seldom much abbre- 

 viated, all prominently and closely venular-streaked, 

 minutely serrulated ; segments of the fertile fronds rather 

 long, broad linear. L. Capensis. 



BLECHNUM. 



2170. Fronds pinnatisected, the bases of the segments mostly 



confluent. 



Often on outskirts of forest ; fronds rather firm, light- 

 green, somewhat lanceolar in outline ; segments numerous, 

 narrow- and elongate-semilanceolar, quite flat, with broad 

 base adnate except the lowest, transversely venular- 

 streaked, very minutely serrulated ; spore-caselets on 

 conspicuous stalklets. Figure 147. 



B. cartilagineum. 



WOODWARDIA. 



2171. Fronds throughout pinnatisected. 



Tufted, rather rigid, sometimes forming a short trunk ; 

 fronds lanceolar in outline, their stalk as well as the 

 rhachis rough ; segments firm, sharply denticulated, the 



