286 THE KINDS OF PLANTS 



5. PTfiKIS. BRAKE. 



Coarse ferns of mostly dryish places, with long pinnae: sporangia "borne 

 beneath the reflexed margin of the pinnules, on small, transverse veins. 



P. aquilina, Linn. Common brake. Figs. 125, 308. Fronds broadly 

 triangular, twice- or thrice-pinnate, the pinnules long-lanceolate, acuminate, 

 and lobed. Common in sunny places : perhaps our commonest fern. Two 

 to 3 ft. high, growing in patches, particularly in burned areas. 



6. ASPLfiNIUM. SPLEENWORT. 



Middle-sized ferns, mostly with pinnate leaves: sori oblong or linear, 

 borne on the upper side of a veinlet, or back to back on opposite sides of 

 the veinlet, these veinlets not interwoven. 



A. Filix-foemina, Linn. Lady-fern. Large, the fronds 2-3 ft. tall, 

 growing many together, twice-pinnate, the pinnules oblong-pointed and 

 sharp-toothed: sori short and close together, at maturity becoming more 

 or less continuous. A very common fern in moist woods and copses. 



7. DRY6PTEKIS, SHIELD-FERN. 



Much like the last in general appearance, but the sori circular and 

 covered with peltate or reniform indusia. 



D. acrostichoides, Kuntze. (Aspidium acrostichoides, Swartz). 

 Christmas fern. Figs. 304, 305. Fronds 2 ft. or less tall, narrow, once- 

 pinnate, the pinnae serrate and bearing a larger tooth on the upper side 

 near the base, the terminal part of the frond 

 somewhat contracted in fruit. [Common in 

 woods. Nearly or quite evergreen. 



D. Thelypteris, Gray. (Aspidium The- 

 lypteris,Sw&rtz). Marsh shield-fern. Fronds 

 standing 2 ft. high, long-pointed, once-pin- 

 nate, the pinnae many-lobed, the margins of 

 the fertile fronds revolute. 



D. marginalia, Gray. Fig. 420. Large, 

 420. Dryopteris margmahs. , 



handsome tern growing in woods and ravines, 



2 ft. high: fronds once-pinnate, the pinnae pinnatifled and lance-acuminate: 

 sori large and close to the margin of the frond: petiole chaffy. 



AA. PHENOGAMS: GYNOSPEEMS. 

 II. CONIFERS. CONE -BEARING or PINE FAMILY. 



Woody plants, mostly trees, with resinous sap and stiff needle- 

 shaped or scale-like, mostly evergreen leaves: plants bearing no 

 ovaries, the ovules lying naked and receiving the pollen directly: 

 flowers diclinous (usually monoecious), generally in scaly catkins, 

 those catkins bearing the pistillate flowers maturing into cones but 



