286 



THE KINDS OF PLANTS 



5. PTERIS. Brake. 



Coarse ferns of mostly dryish places, with long pinnae: sporangia borne 

 beneath the reflexed margin of the pinnules, on small, transverse veins. 



P. aquilina, Linn. Common brake. Figs. 125, 308. Fronds broadly 

 triangular, twice- or thrice-pinnate, the pinnules long-lanceolate, acuminate, 

 and lobed. Common in sunny places: perhaps our commonest fern. Two 

 to 3 ft. high, growing in patches, particularly in burned areas. 



6. ASPLENIUM. Spleenwort. 



Middle-sized ferns, mostly with pinnate leaves: sori oblong or linear, 

 borne on the upper side of a veinlet, or back to back on opposite sides of 

 the veinlet, these veinlets not interwoven. 



A. Filix-fcemina, Linn. Lady-fern. Large, the fronds 2-3 ft. tall, 

 growing many together, twice-pinnate, the pinnules oblong-pointed and 

 sharp-toothed: sori short and close together, at maturity becoming more 

 or less continuous. A very common fern in moist woods and copses. 



7. DRY6PTERIS. Shield-fern. 



Much like the last in general appearance, but the sori circular and 

 covered with peltate or reniform indusia. 



D. acrosticholdes, Kuntze. (Aspidium acrostichoides, Swartz). 

 Christmas fern. Figs. 304, 305. Fronds 2 ft. or less tall, narrow, once- 

 pinnate, the pinnae serrate and bearing a larger tooth on the upper side 



near the base, the terminal part of the frond 

 somewhat contracted in fruit. 'Common in 

 woods. Nearly or quite evergreen. 



D. Thelypteris, Gray. (Aspidium The- 

 lypteris , Swartz) . Marsh shield-fern. Fronds 

 standing 2 ft. high, long-pointed, once-pin- 

 nate, the pinnae many-lobed, the margins of 

 the fertile fronds revolute. 



D. marginalis, Gray. Fig. 420. Large, 

 handsome fern growing in woods and ravines, 

 2 ft. high : fronds once-pin-nate, the pinnae pinnatified and lance-acuminate : 

 sori large and close to the margin of the frond: petiole chaffy. 



420. Dryopteris marginalis. 



aa. PHENOGAMS: GYNOSPERMS. 

 II. CONIFERiE. Cone-bearing or Pine Family. 



Woody plants, mostly trees, with resinous sap and stiff needle- 

 shaped or scale-like, mostly evergreen leaves: plants bearing no 

 ovaries, the ovules lying naked and receiving the pollen directly: 

 flowers diclinous (usually monoecious), generally in scaly catkins, 

 those catkins bearing the pistillate flowers maturing into cones but 



