OPHIOGL SSA CE^, 1 29 



thick; stalk 3 — 6' high, the sterile segment -J' — i' long, ovate, 

 slightly petioled, the veins somewhat indistinct; fertile spike 

 short and thick, 3" — 6" long. {O. bulhosuvi Michx., O.vulgatuiii, 

 var. crotalophoroides D. C. Eaton.) Florida to Texas. 



3. O. nudicaule Linn. f. Rootstock slightly tuberous; 

 stalk i' — 4' high, the sterile segment i' — 1|' long, ovate or ob- 

 long, the veins indistinct ; fertile spike linear-acuminate, 6" 

 long, the peduncle very slender. {O. ellipticuin H. and G., O. 

 Califortiicum Prantl, O. viilgatum, var. nudicaule D. C. Eaton.) 

 Georgia and Florida to Southern California. 



§ 2. Cheiroglossa Presl. Fertile spikes several, arising 

 from the base of the sterile segment. 



4. O. palmatum Plumier. Rootstock fleshy, tuberous, 

 covered with fine wool-like chafif ; plant fleshy, 6' — 2° high, the 

 sterile segment cuneate at the base, 2 — 6 lobed or rarely entire, 

 the lobes elongate and tapering; fertile spikes i — 8 or more, 

 borne on the sides of the stipe just below the sterile segment or 

 on its margin. Florida. 



II. BOTRYCHIUIVI Swz. Grape-fern. 



Rootstock very short, erect, with clustered fleshy roots, the 

 bud for the next year's growth usually imbedded in the base of 

 the stipe. Sterile segment of frond pinnately or ternately di- 

 vided or compound. Fertile segment i — 3 pinnate with double 

 rows of sessile, naked sporangia. Veins free. Spores copious, 

 sulphur-yellow. Name from Gr. fiorpvi, a bunch of grapes, 

 alluding to the clustered sporangia. Contains ten species, of 

 wiiich seven are found in our limits. 



§1. EUBOTRYCHIUM. Bud enclosed in the base of the stalk. 



* Vernation wholly straight. 



I. B. simplex Hitch. Plant 2' — 7' high, 

 fleshy ; sterile segment stalked, varying in inser- 

 tion from near the rootstock to two thirds the 

 height of the stem, ovate, obovate or oblong, 

 entire, incised, or pinnately parted into i — 3 

 pairs of roundish or semi-lunate lobes; fertile 

 spike long-stalked, simple or i — 2 pinnate; Fig. 31.— Vema- 



, , , , , , tion of B. simfilex 



spores the largest of the genus, closely cov- Hitchcock. (After 

 ered with small points; bud smooth; apex of Davenport.) 

 both sterile and fertile segments erect. (Fig. 31.) Specimens 

 9 



