PILI0E8, (FEEN t'AMILY.) 



905 



appendage. Spikes solitary, terminal or racemeil at tip of upper 

 branches, tapering-mncronatc — :May to Se])tcml)cr - Moist places and 

 sands; common. 



Order CXXIII. FILICES. L. (Fern Family). 

 Leafy plants, fronds usually stalked, (jroinimj frmn a 

 prostrate 07' ascending root-stocky erect or circinnate in hud, 

 and hearing om their under surface \- celled spore-cases, free 

 or in groups {sori) ; the sori naked or covered ])y a lueiu- 

 brane (i7idusiiwi). Allperennials except Gymnogranirae lep- 

 tophylla. — Sporangia opening in various ways, and discharg- 

 ing nnmerous, minute spores. Antheridia and ])istillidia 

 formed, and fertilization effected, on the secdUng plantlct. 



Tribe I. OPHIOCil^OSSK^. Sporangia l-celled, sessile, spiked, naked, desti- 

 tute of a nnK, openins; by a transverse slit into two valves. Fronds straisilil in Imd, divided 

 into two, petioled segments, the anterior fertile, the posterior sterile. 



1. OPHIOGLOSSUM. Sterile frond entire, with anastomosing veins. 



Tribe II. OSI»IUNI>A€E-«:. Sporangia l-celled, pedicelled, naked, destitute of 

 a ring, reticulated, opening by a longitudinal slit into two valves. Fronds circinnate in bud. 



2. OSMUNDA. Fertile pinnae contracted. Sporangia on their margins. 



Tribe HI. POIiYPODIACE^. Sporangia 1-cellcd, rollected in dots, lines or 

 clusters {sor\) on the back or margins of the frond, stalked, reticulated, surrounded by an 

 incomplete, jointed ring, which straightens at maturity and ruptures the spore-case. Fronds 

 circinnate in bud. * Sori naked, 



3. GYMNOGrRAMME. Sori on secondary nervet, at length covering back ot pinn.T. 



4. CETARACH. Sori oblique, mixed with scurfy scales, one-sided. 



5. POLYPODIUM. Sori round, scattered, or in one or more rows on each side of midrib. 



* * Sori viore or less covered by rcflczcd margin of pinna. 



6. NOTOGHLjENA. Fronds bipmnatipartite, villou.s or chafly at lower, I'onieliines at 



upper surface. 

 '7. CIIEILA-NTIIE.S. Fronds tripinnatipartite, glabrous at upper, pubescent at lower snrfjr.-. 

 * * * Sori {at least when young) covered by an indusiuin. 



8. PTEEIS, Sorus occupying the whole margin of frond, covered by an indusiuin arising 



from or near margin, 



9. BLECHNUM. Sori linear, akmt; both sides of midrib ; indusium 



attached externally. 



10. SCOLOPEITDRIUM. Sori parallel, nearly at right angle? to midrib. 



Indusium double. 

 1\. ADI.1VNTUM. Sori under a rodexed jmrtion of the margin of thp 

 fronds. 



12. ASPLENIUM. Sori oblong, oblique, one-sided, opening inward. 



13. ASPIDIUM. Sori orbicular, indusium iieltate, t'lxeA by umbilicate 



centre. 



14. NEPIIRODIUM. Sori orbicular, indusium orbirularroniform with 



umbilicate centre. 



15. CYSTOPTFRrs. Sori 'roundish. Indiisinm half cup shaped o|)eninL' 



at (distal) outer side. 



Adder's ToNdiic. 



I. OPHIOOLOSSU:?!, L. 



Spike of fertile from! simpl( 



O. viil$;a1uiii, L. 71 



oviite-lanceolatc, 



pike of (tpliiii 



linear, 2-rankcd. 



, 1 to.2 ; sterile frond ovate, 

 abruptly tapcrincj at ba.se, and gios/um%nii}tanini. 

 somewhat dccurrcnt. Ccll.^ of epidermis wavy Karly '*^ ''rdunnrtc*"" 

 spring— Shady, damp places; Zebeduni (Antilcbanon). 



2. 0!«»:tH .\I>A, L. FLOwEiuNr. FF.nv. 



Fronds bipinnatc; sterile pinn;c leafy, fertile, contrartcil. Sporan- 

 gia globular. 



117 



