22 FERNS IN THEIR HOMES AND OURS. 



tacked by them are known in the free condition 

 without the fungus." Nothing more than this 

 clear statement is needed to explain the position 

 of these plants. 



As most books now in use pass hastily over the 

 Qpkioglffssace&i and place them at the end of 

 the list of ferns, it may be well to ask what are the 

 differences between this order and the true ferns. 

 They are placed in a division by themselves, as 

 equal in value to the ferns, and in some directions 

 are more highly developed than the Equisetacece, 

 which follow them in the list. First, the Equi- 

 setacecz and Ophioglossacece all have their mode of 

 vernation identical with that of Phanerogams ; i.e., 

 they all come up straight from the ground ; while all 

 ferns are circinate, or unroll from the base upward. 

 Again : the fruit of the Ophioglossacece arises from 

 the transformation of leaf-tissue ; while in the 

 ferns it is an outgrowth from the leaf. Other 

 characters of root, bud, and mode of reproduction, 

 which need only this allusion here, combine with 

 those described to show that the Ophioglossacece 

 are in advance of the Equisetacece and the ferns. 



Glancing at the third column in the table, it 

 may be noted, that of the Vascular Cryptogams, 

 Muscinece and Characece, the principal genera are 

 given ; while among the Phanerogams and Thallo 

 phytes only enough examples are given to enable 

 the reader to understand the divisions. We have 



