FILICES, (FEBN FAMILY.) 



905 



appendage. Spikes solitai'y, terminal or racemed at tip of upper 

 branches, tapering-mucronate — May to September - - IMoist places and 

 sands; common. 



Order CXXIII. FIL.ICES. L. (Fern Family). 

 Leafy 'plants^ fronds iisually stalked, groioing from a 

 prostrate or ascending root-stook, erect or circinnate in hud, 

 and hearing on their under surface \-celled sjpore-cases^free 

 or in groups {sori) ; the sori naked or covered by a meni^ 

 brane {indusium). Allperennials except Gymnograrnme lep- 

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

 ing nnmerons, minute spores. Antheridia and pistillidia 

 formed, and fertilization effected, on the seedling plantlet. 



Tribe L OPHIOCrliOSSEJC. Sporangia 1-celled, sessile, spiked, naked, desti- 

 tute of a ring, opening by a transverge slit into two valves. Fronds straight in bud, divided 

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



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



Tribe II. OSMUNDACE^E. Sporangia l-cclled, pedicelled, naked, destitute of 

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



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



Tribe III. POIiYPODIACE^. Sporangia J-celled, collected in dots, lines or 

 clusters {sori) 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. Frdjids 

 circinnate in bud. * {^q^i naked, 



3. GYMNOaRAMME. Sori on secondary nervei, at lengtli covering back of pinna3. 



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 more or less covered by reflexed margin of pinna:. 



G. NOTOCHLJiSrA. Fronds bipinnatipartite, villous or chaffy at lower, sometimes at 

 upper surface. 



7. C'IIEILANTIIES. Fronds tripinnatipartite, glabrous at upper, pubescent at lower surface. 



* * * Sori (at least when young) covered by an indusiian. 



8. PTERIS^^Sorus occupying the whole margin of frond, covered by an indusium arisin" 



'•from or near margin. "^ 



9. BLECHNtXM. Sori linear, along botli sides of midrib ; indusium ttitp aoo 



\ attached externally. ^ ^^- ^~'^' 



10. SCOLOPENbEIUM. Sori parallel, nearly at right angles to midrib. 



Indusium double. 



11. ADIxVNTUM. Sori under a reflexed portion of the margin of the 



fronds. 



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



13. ASPIDIUM. Sori orbicular, indusium peltate, fixed by umbilicate 



centre. 



14. NEPIIEODIUM. Sori orbicular, indusium orbicular-reniform with 



umbilicate. centre. 



15. CYSTOPTEEIS. Sori roundish. Indusium half cup-shaped opening 



at (distal) outer side. 



I. 0PH10GL.0SSUM, L. Adder's Tongue. 



Spike of fertile frond simple, linear, 2-ranked. 



O. vulg^atum, L. 21 .lto.3; sterile frond ovate, 

 or ovate-lanceolate, abruptly tapering at base, and 

 somewhat decurrent. Cells of epidermis wavy — Early 

 spring — Shady, damp places; Zebedani (Antilebanon). 



2. OSMUJVDA, L. Flowering Fern. 

 Fronds bipinnate ; sterile pinni]e leafy, fertile, contracted. Sporan 

 gia globular. 



117 



(a) Spike of Opiiio- 

 glossum vulgatum. 



(b) Row of sporan- 

 gia. G diameters. 



