8 POLYPODIACEAE 



22. LORINSERIA Presl. 



Swamp ferns of medium size, with dimorphous leaves, the sterile ones spreading, 

 with deeply pinnatifid blades, the veins copiously anastomosing; fertile leaves rigidly 

 erect, the segments narrow, with a single series of elongated costal areoles and a few 

 short excurrent veinlets. - Sori in a single row, linear to elliptic, borne as in AncMstea, 

 superficial, sometimes appearing immersed. Indusium extrorse, persistent, scarcely 

 reflexed with age. 



1. Lorinseria areolata (L.) Presl. Eootstock slender, creeping, chaffy. Leaves 

 pinnate or nearly so, the fertile taller than the sterile, the blades borne on stout brown 

 petioles 3-6 dm. long, their segments contracted, 7-12.5 cm. long, 4-6 mm. wide, 

 distant, their bases usually connected by a slight wing along the rachis; sterile leaf- 

 blades deltoid-ovate, membranous, broadest at or near the base, acuminate, the seg- 

 ments lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, serrulate, sometimes undulate, connected by a 

 rather broad rachis-wing. [Woodwardia angustifolia J. E. Smith.] 



In swamps or wet woods, Maine and Michigan to Florida, Louisiana and Arkansas. 



23. ONOCLEA L. 



Coarse lowland ferns with dimorphic leaves, borne upon a creeping rootstock. 

 Sterile leaves foliaceous, suberect, the blades broad, pinnatifid; fertile leaves rigidly 

 erect, the leaflets greatly contracted into hard berry-like segments, these completely 

 concealing the sori, finally dehiscent and persistent. Sori roundish, on elevated recep- 

 tacles, partially covered by delicate hood-shaped indusia fixed at the base. 



1. Onoclea sensibilis L. Sterile leaves 3-13 dm. high; blades triangular, 

 deeply pinnatifid; segments lanceolate-oblong, entire, undulate, or sinuate-pinnatifid : 

 fertile leaves 3-7 dm. high, the contracted segments forming a narrow panicle. 



In moist soil, Newfoundland to Ontario and Minnesota, south to the Gulf of Mexico. 

 Various forms intermediate between sporophyls and foliage leaves occur. Summer and fall. 

 SENSITIVE FERN. 



24. TECTARIA Cav. 



Mainly tropical plants with horizontal or decumbent stoutish rootstocks. Leaves 

 not jointed to the rootstock: blades various in form, the fertile often smaller; veins 

 freely anastomosing, forming numerous areolae, with free included veinlets. Sori 

 roundish, naked, or with orbicular to reniform flattish indusia. 



Large plants with stout rootstocks; leaflets long-acuminate, upwardly falcate, the basal pair sharply 



long-auriculate 1. T. heracleifolia. 



Smaller plants with short prostrate rootstocks : leaflets spreading or ascending, 



not conspicuously falcate or sharply auriculate. 



Blades proliferous in the axils of some of the leaflets. 2. T. coriandrifolia* 



Blades not proliferous. 



Indusia roundish, appearing centrally peltate. 3. T. minima. 



Indusia obviously reniform. 4. T. Amesiana. 



1. Tectaria heracleifolia (Willd.) Underw. Eootstock stout, decumbent or sub- 

 erect, 1-3 dm. long, with long lanceolate-acuminate dark brown scales. Leaves tufted, 

 6-9 dm. long; petioles brownish or castaneous, shining, deciduously scaly below; 

 blades 2-5 dm. long, 1.5-4 dm. broad, with a large deltoid-ovate acuminate incised to 

 undulate terminal segment and 1 or 2 pairs of large lateral leaflets, the lower ones 

 stalked, mostly long-auriculate, otherwise variously cut, lobed or undulate, acuminate, 

 falcate; primary veins distinct: sori large, round, in 2 rows between the veins: 

 indusia large, orbicular, peltate. [Aspidium trifoliatum, in part, of authors.] 



Usually on limestone, peninsular Florida and Texas. Also in tropical America. 



2. Tectaria coriandrifolia (Sw.) Underw. Leaves numerous, close, spreading, 

 or the sterile ones rosulate; petioles 2-12 cm. long, light brown; blade oblong, 5-20 

 cm. long, membranous, dull light green, pubescent, one or more of the axils proliferous; 

 leaflets 1-6 (rarely 9) pairs, distant, the lower ones stalked, deltoid or deltoid-ovate, 

 with 1 or several pairs of short rounded lobes; terminal portion obtuse and pinnately 

 lobed : sori few, distant : indusia reniform, withering. 



In limestone sinks, in hammocks, southern peninsular Florida. Also in Cuba and Jamaica. 



3. Tectaiia minima Underw. Leaves several, loosely tufted, ascending; petioles 

 stramineous or darker below, 1-3 dm. long; blades 6-20 cm. long, in small plants 

 deltoid-ovate or ovate-oblong from a cordate base, simple or obtusely lobed, in larger 



