82 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES. 



I. ACROSTICHUM L. 



Sporangia spread over the whole surface of the frond or upper 

 pinnae, or occasionally over both surfaces. Venation and cut- 

 ting various (in our species sinipl}^ pinnate). Name from Gr. 

 ccKfju?, the summit, and anxo^, a row. A tropical genus con- 

 taining over 170 species. 



§ Chrysodium. 



1. A. aureum L. Stipes 1° — 2° long, tufted, strong, erect, 

 glossy; fronds 2° — 6° long, i°— 2° broad, upper pinnae fertile, 

 slightly smaller than the barren ones ; texture coriaceous ; 

 areolae small, copious, without free veinlets. Florida. 



11. POLYPODIUM L. 



Sori round, naked, dorsal, in one or more rows each side of 

 midrib, or irregularly scattered. Stipes articulated to root- 

 stock. Name from Gr. ttoAl'?, many, and nuvi, nodoi, foot, allud- 

 ing to the branching rootstock. The largest, most cosmopolitan 

 genus of ferns, containing 350 or more species. 



§ I. EUPOLYPODIUM. Veins free ; fronds (in our species^ 

 pinnate. 



* Sori large. 



1. P, vulgare L. Stipes 2' — 4' long, firm, erect ; fronds 4' — 

 10' long, i' — 3' broad, cut nearly or quite to the rachis into entire 

 or slightly toothed, usually blunt pinnae; veins once or twice 

 forked. Larger fronds with their pinnae sharply serrated and 

 long-pointed form the var. occidentale Hook. New England 

 westward to Oregon and southward to Alabama. 



2. P. falcatum Kellogg. Stipes 5' — 8' long, stramineous; 

 fronds 12' — 15' long, 4' — 8' broad ; pinnae numerous, tapering to 

 a slender point, sharply serrate; sori nearest the midrib; veins 

 with 2 — 4 veinlets. {P. glycyrrhiza D. C. Eaton.) California to 

 British Columbia. 



** Sori smaller, often minute. 



3. P. plumula H. B. K. Stipes i' — 4' long, black, slender; 

 fronds narrowly lanceolate, 9' — 18' long, i' — 2' broad; pinnae nu- 

 merous, narrow, entire, blunt, lower gradually reduced ; surfaces 

 naked except the black wiry rachis; veinlets forked, obscure. 

 Florida 



