FERN FAMILY. 365 



numerous, oblong, broadest at the base, obtuse, lobed from the upper edge; 

 fruit-dots at the top of the lobes ; involucres transversely oblong or linear. 

 ' A hiSDidulum. from Australia, &c. : commonly less symmetrical than 

 the last when young irregularly 3 -4-branched; a smaller plant with finely 

 chaffy or bristly stalk and rhacliis ; pinnules minutely hairy, nearly entire; 

 fruit-dots crowded along the upper margin, involucres rounded kidney-shaped. 



7 PTERIS BRAKE. (The ancient Greek name for Ferns, meaning a 



'icing, from the feather-like fronds. ) Another large and widely distributed genus. 



1. Veins free: stalk straw-colored or brownish. 



* Frond simply pinnate : pinnce undivided. 



P longifblia. Cult, from warm regions, native in S. Florida : oblong- 

 lanceolate in outline ; pinnae numerous, linear and tapering from a truncate or 

 cordate base, the upper and lower ones gradually smaller. 



* * Frond pinnate, and with the lower pairs of pinnce forked or again pinnate, 



the divisions and upper pinnoz elongated, simple. 



P. Cretica. Cult, from warm climates, native in Florida: l-2 high; 

 pinna: 1-4 pairs, the upper ones slightly decurrent, lower ones cleft almost to 

 the base into 2-3 long linear-lanceolate acuminate divisions ; sterile ones and 

 tips of the narrower fertile ones finely and sharply serrate. Var. ALBO-LINEATA 

 has a whitish stripe in the middle of each division. 



P. serrulata. Cult, from China: l-l high; pinna3 3-8 pairs, all 

 but the lowest decurrent and forming a wing 3" wide on the main rhachis ; 

 lower pairs pinnately or pedately cut into several narrow linear-acuminate 

 divisions ; upper ones simple, sterile ones spiuulose-serruhvte. 



* * * Fronds pinnate, and the numerous primary divisions pinnately cut into many 



lobes, the lowest ones mostly with 1-3 elongated similarly-lobtd branches on 

 the lower side. 



P. quadriaurita. Cult, from East or West Indies, &c. : fronds l-3 

 long, 6' -12' wide, broadly ovate in outline; lobes of primary divisions linear- 

 oblong, '-!' long, 3" wide, very numerous and often crowded, mostly rather 

 obtuse. Var. ARGYREA, has a band of white along the middle of the primary 

 divisions ; to this is added a tinge of red in var. TRICOLOR. 



* # # # Fronds broadly triangular, twice or thrice pinnate throughout: lowest 



primary divisions long-stalked. 



P. aquilina, COMMON BRAKE. Plentiful everywhere, l-5 high, harsh 

 to the touch ; the lowest primary divisions standing obliquely forward ; second- 

 ary divisions pinnatifid with many oblong or linear sometimes hastate lobes, 

 which in a fruiting frond are bordered everywhere with brown spore-cases. 



2. DORYOPTERIS. Veins finely reticulated: frond pedate, and 5-angled: 

 stalk black and shining. 



P. pedata. Cult, from West Indies and S. America: frond 2' -6' long 

 and nearly as wide, almost parted into a few primary divisions ; upper ones en- 

 tire, lowest pair again cleft ; the lobes on the lower side much largest. 



8. PELL-ZE A, CLIFF-BRAKE. (Name from the Greek, meaning dark- 

 colored, descriptive of the stalk.) Mostly small Ferns : the following species 

 have fronds of a somewhat coriaceous texture. 



P. rotundifdlia, from New Zealand: frond narrow, 6' -12' long, on a 

 chaffy and pubescent wiry stalk, simply pinnate; pinnae round or roundish- 

 oblong and entire ; band of spore-cases very wide and concealing the narrow 

 involucre. 



P. atropurpurea. Wild, on shaded limerock : fronds tufted, 6'- 12' long, 

 2' -4' wide, with polished and sparingly downy stalks, 2-pinnate, simply pinnate 

 toward the top ; pinnules distinct, oblong or linear-oblong, rarely halberd-shaped, 

 obtuse or slightly mucronate ; involucre rather broad, and at length hidden by 

 the spore-cases. 



P. hastata, from South Africa : mostly larger than the last and very vari- 

 able ; frond ovate-lanceolate or oblong, 1 - 3-pinnate ; pinnules lanceolate or 



