THE GREEN SPLEENWOKT. 



Asplenium viride.* HUDSON. 



The Green Spleenwort has so close a resemblance to 

 the Common Maiden-hair as to be often mistaken for 

 it by hasty observers. It is distinguished by its green 

 compressed rachis (that of A. Trichomanes being dark 

 brown or black), by its persistent pinnae (deciduous in 

 A.. Trichomanes), by the more central situation of its 

 sori, which are placed rather below than above the 

 vein-fork, and by being always of a much paler green 

 and of a more delicate herbaceous appearance. It is 

 an evergreen tufted species, with bright pale green 

 fronds, narrow, ' linear, simply pinnate, from two to 

 eight inches losg, supported by a short stipes, dark at 

 the very base, but else green, the rachis all green. 

 The pinna? are small, generally roundish-ovate, slightly 

 taper toward the base, and attached to the rachis by 

 the narrowed stalk-like part, the mai'gin being deeply 

 crenated. The venation is distinct ; the midvein 

 sends off alternately a series of venules, either simple 

 or forked, which have the sori on their anterior side. 

 The sori are oblong, covered at first by membranous 

 indusia, which are soon pushed aside ; the free margin 

 is jagged or crenate. 



* Aspleninm Trichomanes ramosuin (Linnteus), Asplenium in- 

 termedium (Prest), 



