ROYAL, OR FLOWERING PERN 109 



face of the water by the side of which they prefer to 

 grow. From these panicles, springing like clusters of 

 flowers from the ends of the fronds, comes its name of 

 Flowering Fern. 



The fronds of the Flowering Fern grow to an aver- 

 age height of three or four feet, sometimes even to the 

 royal stature of eight, ten, or twelve, and six feet or 

 more across. The caudex is tufted, in very old and 

 vigourous plants forming a trunk a foot or more above 

 the ground, from the crown of which, whether it is 

 close to the ground or elevated, grow the fronds. 

 When young, these fronds have generally a reddish 

 stipes, with a bloomy surface, the bloom being lost at a 

 later period. They are annual, perishing before the 

 coming of winter, smooth and of a bright yellow green, 

 paler beneath, lanceolate in general outline when 

 mature, bipinnate, the pinnae lanceolate or ovate- 

 lanceolate, with pinnules oblong-ovate, somewhat au- 

 ricled at the base, especially on the posterior side, 

 bluntish at the apex, and finely serrated along the 

 margin. Some of the fronds are entirely barren, while 

 others have several of the upper pinnse transformed 

 into terminal fertile panicles. Each short spike-like 

 branch of the panicles (or flower-clusters) represents one 

 of the pinnules, the spore-cases being collected on it in 

 little knots, more or less evident, these knots (or 

 nodules) corresponding to the fascicles of the veins. 

 This is very plainly seen in partially-transformed pin- 

 nules. The venation, as seen in the barren fronds, 

 consists of a stout midvein giving oif nearly opposite 

 veins, which are forked once near their base, the venules 



