816 ORDER 160. FILICES. 



g Fruit-dots dorsal, oblong or linear, parallel with the midvein 'WOODWAEDIA. 13 



g Fruit-dots dorsal, oblong or linear, transverse to the midvein. (k) 



k Indnsia single, regularly arranged in 2 rows ASPLENITJM. 14 



k Indusia single, scattered irregularly, placed angularly ANTIGKAMMA. 15 



k Indusia double, regularly arranged. Frond simple SCOLOPKSDKIUM. 16 



g Fruit-dots dorsal, orbicular, (o) 



o Indusium cup-shaped, fixed beneath all around the sorns "WoonsiA. IT 



O Indusium hood-shaped, fixed at the base and 2 sides CISTOPTEHIS. 1 > 



O Indusium peltate or renif in, all involved in the berry-like segm.OxocLEA. 19 

 all superficial on the flat segrn ASPIDIUM. 2ft 



1. OPHIOGLOS'SUM, L. ADDER'S TONGUE. (Gr. ofyiq, a serpent, 



, tongue.) Sporangia roundish, depressed, opening transversely, 

 arranged in two rows along the margins of the fertile frond which "is 

 contracted into a linear spike ; indusium none, veins reticulated. 



1 O. vulgatum. L. Frond simple, oblong-ovate, obtuse, reticulations elongated; 

 spike cauline, root of thick spreading fibres. A curious little plant in low grounds. 

 Fronds solitary, 2 3' long, as wide, amplexicaul, entire, smooth, without a 

 midvein, situated upon the stem or stipe a little below the middle. Stipe 6 10' 

 high, terminating in a lance-linear, compressed spike, 1 2' long, with the fruit 

 arranged in 2, close, marginal ranks. Sporangia opening outwards and horizontally, 

 becoming lunate, distinct, straw-colored. Vernation straight, not circinate. June. 



2 O. tmlbosum L. Frond simple, ovate or orbiculate, or reniform, subcordate, 

 nearly or quite radical, obtuse; reticulations short, spike oauline ; root a subglolous 

 bulb. Wet pine barrens, N. J. (Pursh) to Ga. and La. Sts. about 3' high, often 

 2 from the same bulb, spike short, oblong (4 to 8"). Lvs. 2 or 3, one of them 

 cauline. Bulbs, 3 to 6" diam. 



2. BOTRYCHIUM, Swartz. MOONWORT, GRAPE FERN. (Gr. j3orpv$, a 

 cluster of grapes ; from the resemblance of the fructification.) Sporangia 

 subglobous, 1-celled, 2-valved, distinct, coriaceous, smooth, sdnatc to 

 the compound rachis of a racemous panicle ; valves opening transversely. 



Frond ternately divided, situated nt\ir the base of the stipe or stem Nos. 1, fc 



Frond pinnate!}- divided, situated at or above the middle of the stem Nos. 3, 4 



1 B. lunarioides Swartz. Scape bearing the frond near the base; frond in 3 

 bipinnatifid divisions; segments obliquely lanceolate, crenulato; ppikcs bipinnate. 

 Native of shady woods and pastures. Frond almost radical, of a triangular 

 outline, 3 5' long and wide, of a stouter texture than No. 4, distinctly petiolate. 

 Scape thick, 8 12' high, bearing a tawny, compound panicle 2 4' in length, 

 composed of numerous little 2-ranked spikes. Aug. (B. obliquum Muhl. B. 

 fumarioides Willd.) 



13. DISSECTUM. Frond near the base of the scape, more numerously dissected, 

 almost tripinnatifid. (B. dissectum Willd.) 



2 B. simplex Hitchcock. Frond ternate, borne near half way up the stalk ; l/ts. 

 cuneate-obovate, subentire or incised, unequal; spike compound, interrupted, uni- 

 lateral; capsules sessile, yellow. Dry hilly pastures, Vt. and Mass. Stipe or 

 Bcape 3 to 6' high. Closely resembles B. lunaria of Eur. Frond varies from 

 simply ternate to ternate-pinnatifid. Jn. 



3 B. neglectum. MERIDEX MOONWORT. Frond simply pinnate, with oblong- 

 ovate or oval, incised leaflets, and borne near the summit of the scape ; capsuleb 

 pedicellate, subsolitary, in an oblong panicle. Rocky woods, N. H. (Meriden !) 

 Allied rather to the next than to No. 1. St 5 to 8' high. Frond 9 to 20" long, 

 half as wide. Lfts. 3 or 4 pairs. Pan. often larger than the fronds. Caps, brown- 

 ish, on very short, thick stipes. July. 



4 B. Virgfnicum L. RATTLESNAKE FERN. Stipe with a single frond in the mid- 

 dle ; frond twice and thrice pinnate, the lowest pair of pinnae springing from the 

 base; ultimate segments obtuse, somewhat 3-toothed ; spikes decompound ; plant 

 subpilous. A beautiful fern, the largest of its genus, in low woods. Stipe or 

 ecape 1 2f high, bearing the frond about half-way up. This is apparently ter- 

 nate, the lower pair of divisions arising from the base. It is almost tripinnate. 



