694 OPHIOGLOSSACE^. (adder's-tongue family.) 



versely into two valves. Sterile segment of the frond ternately or pinnately 

 divided or compound ; veins all free. Spores copious, sulphur-color. (Name 

 a diminutive of fiorpvs, a cluster of grapes, from the appearance of the 

 fructification.) 



§ 1. BOTRYCHIUM proper. Base of the stalk containing the bud completely 

 closed ; sterile segment more or less fleshy ; the cells of the epidermis straight. 



* Sterile portion of the frond sessile or nearly so at or above the middle of th6 



plant. Plants small. 



1. B. liUn^ria, Swartz. Sterile segment nearly sessile, borne near the 

 middle of the plant, oblong, simply pinnate with 5-15 lunate or fan-shaped very 

 obtuse crenate, incised or nearly entire, fleshy divisions, more or less excised at 

 the base on the lower or on both sides, the veins radiating from the base and 

 repeatedly forking ; fertile segment panicled, 2 - 3-pinnate. — N. Eng. to Lake 

 Superior, and northward ; rare. — Very fleshy, 4- 10' high. (Eu.) 



2. B. simplex, Hitchcock. Fronds small (2-4', rarely 5-6' high), ^/ie 

 sterile segment short-petioled from near the middle of the plant, thickish and fleshy, 

 simple and rouudish, or pinnately 3 - 7-lobed ; the lobes roundish-obovate, nearly 

 eutire, decurrent on the broad and flat indeterminate rhachis ; the veins all 



forking from the base ; fertile segment simple or 1 - 2-pinnate. — Maine to 

 N. Y., Minn., and northward ; rare. (Eu.) 



3. B. lanceolatum, Augstroem. Fronds small (3-10' high) ; the sterile 

 segment closely sessile at the top of the long and sleuder common stalk, scarcely 

 flesliy, triangular, ternately twice pinnatifld ; the acute lobes lanceolate, incised 

 or toothed; veinlets forking from a continuous midvein ; fertile part 2 -3-pin- 

 nate. — N. Eng. and N. J. to f)hio and Lake Superior. July- Aug. (Eu.) 



4. B. matricarisefolium, Braun. Fronds small (3-10' high); the 

 sterile segment nearly sessile at the top of the long and slender common stalk, 

 moderately fleshy, ovate or triangidar, varying from pinnate to bipinnatifid ; 

 the lobes oblong-ovate and obtuse ; midvein dissipated into forking veinlets ; fer- 

 tile part 2 -3.pinnate. — Same range as the last. June, July. (Eu.) 



* * Sterile portion of the frond long-stalked; the common stalk short in propor- 



tion to the size of the plant. Plants usually larger. 



5. B. tern^tum, Swartz. (PI. 20.) Plant very fleshy (4-16' high)., 

 sparsely hairy ; sterile segment long-petioled from near the base of the plant, 

 broadly triangular, ternate and variously decompound with stalked divisions ; 

 ultimate segments Aarying from roundish-reniform and sub-entire to ovate- 

 lanceolate and doubly incised ; fertile segment erect, 2 - 4-pinnate. — The fol- 

 lowing varieties pass into each other : — Var. austrXle ; frond ample ; ultimate 

 segments rhomboid-ovate with a denticulate margin. — Var. iNTERMi;DiuM; 

 frond of moderate size ; ultimate segments as in var. australe. (B. lunarioides, 

 of last ed.) — Var. rut.ef6lium ; frond small; ultimate segments few, ovate 

 and semicordate. — Var. lunarioides ; frond small ; ultimate segments round- 

 ish-reniform. — Var. OBLiQuuM ; frond moderate ; ultimate segments obliquely 

 lanceolate, denticulate or toothed. — Var. dissectum; segments dissected into 

 innumerable narrow lobes or teeth. — Pastures and hillsides, sometimes in 

 dry woods, rather common, especially vars. intermedium and obliquum. — Var. 

 rutiefolium occurs in Europe. 



