520 FILICES. [Gymnogramme. 



Moist banks, Jersey ; frt. March-May. — Annual. Fronds fragile, 1-3 in., 

 shortly stipitate, broadly ovate-oblong ; inner with longer stipes, narrower, 

 more fertile ; pinnules obovate-cuneate, 2-3-lobed, lobes obtuse deeurrent ; 

 veins dL'.hofcomous. Sori oblong, simple or confluent. — Distrib. S. Europe, 

 Africa, Asia, America, Australasia. 



15. OSMUN'DA, L. FEKN-EOYAL. 



Rootstocks often very large, tuberous or massive. Fronds coriaceous, 

 tufted, 1-2-pinnate, some of the pinnae altered, contracted, and covered 

 with naked confluent sori ; veins forked, free. Capsules globose, sub- 

 sessile, with a short lateral or subtenninal striate areola (an incomplete 

 contracted ring). — Distrib. Temp, and trop. regions ; species 6. — Etym. 

 After the god Thar (Own under). 



O. reera'lis, L. ; fronds 2-pinnate fertile at the top. 

 Bogs, marshy woods, &c, N. to Shetland ; ascends to 1,000 ft. in N. England ; 

 Ireland ; Channel Islands ; frt. June-Aug. — Rootstock large, densely clothed 

 with matted fibres, many-headed. Stipes 2-10 ft., stout, erect, naked, 

 brown. Frond glabrous ; barren pinnse 3-12 in., sessile or shortly petioled, 

 oblong, obtuse, truncate cordate or auricled at the often unequal base, ser- 

 rulate ; fertile pinnules subcylindric, lobed.— Distrib. Europe, Africa, 

 Asia, America. 



16. OPHIOGLOS'SUM, L. ADDERS-TONGUE. 

 Rootstock short, with fleshy fibrous roots. Frond consisting of a 

 barren oblong linear or lanceolate reticul ate ly- veined blade, and a fertile 

 flattened distichous spike of opposite confluent globose capsules that hurst 

 transversely and are obscurely striate at the top. Spores minute. — 

 Distrib. All climates ; species 3 or 4. — Etym. 6<pis and yAwo-aa, snake's 

 tongue. 



O. vulga'tum, L. ; blade ovate linear or elliptic-oblong. 

 Damp pastures, banks, woods, &c, N. to Shetland ; ascends to 1,000 ft. in the 



Lake District ; Ireland ; frt. May-July. — Rootstock not tuberous. Frond 



6-9 in., stout or slender. Blade 2-4 in., obscurely petioled, coriaceous 



midrib obsolete. Spike 1-2 in., peduncled ; capsules 6-20. — Distrib. 



Europe, W. Siberia, Himalaya, N. America, S. temp, regions. 

 O. vulga'tum proper ; blade large ovate or oblong, epidermal cells flexuous, 



spike 2-4 in., spores tubercled. — Var. ambiy'ua, Coss. and Germ. ; 



smaller, blade linear oblong, spike 1-2 in.— Orkney, Wales, Scilly, Donegal. 

 Sub-sp. O. lusitan'icum, L. ; rootstock more tuberous, blade §-1 in. oblong 



or lanceolate, epidermal cells straight, spike j- 1 in., spores smooth.— 



Guernsey ; frt. Jan.-Feb. — W. Europe, W. Africa. 



17. BOTRYCH'IUM, SlC. MOONWORT. 



Rootstock small, tuberous ; roots of thick fleshy fibres. Frond con- 

 sisting of an erect barren 1-4-pinnate flabellately-veined blade, and a 



