ETYMOLOGY. 



333 



Phlebodium, phleles, veins, odous, a tooth ; tlie joining of the 



veins in the areoles being like teeth. 

 Phymatodes, phymata, tubercles ; the impressed sori having 



the appearance of tubercles on the upper side of the 



frond. 



Pilularia, pilula, a pill ; the form of the spore-cases. 

 Platycerium, platys, broad, Tceras, horn ; the fronds divided in 



broad segments like stags' horns. (The stags' -horn 



fern.) 

 Platyloina, platys, broad, loma, border ; having broad sori close 



to the margin. 



Pleocnemia, pleos, full, knemia, rays; full of rays; the vena- 

 tion. 

 Pleopeltis, pleos full, peltis, shield ; the sori being furnished with 



numerous round scales. 

 Pleuridium, pleura, side (ribs) ; the primary veins being costoe- 



form, like ribs. 

 Poecilopteris, pcehilos, spotted, pteris ; the appearance of the 



venation. 

 Polybotrya, polys, many, lotrys, bunch ; the fructification being 



in bunch-like racemes. 

 Polypodium, polys, many, pous, foot ; polypus ; the rhizome, 



when destitute of the fronds, having the appearance of 



some kind of sea-polypus. 

 Polystichum, polys, many, sticlios, order ; not specially 



applicable to the genus Polystichum, as now defined. 

 Psilotum, psilos, naked ; destitute of leaves. 

 Psomiocarpa, psomion, a small pellet, Jcarpa, fruit; the 



sporangia being in small round patches, in spikes. 

 Pteris, pteryx, wing; the scientific name given to the plant 



known by the names of Brake, Bracken, and Fern; 



on account of the supposed likeness of the branching 



of its fronds to wings. This, being the commonest 



of all Ferns, has become the type of the whole race; 



hence Pteris means Fern, all generic names of ferns 



ending in pteris; such as Ceratopteris means horned 



Fern, Dictyopteris netted Fern ; also, if at the beginning 



of a word, as Pteridography, a book or writing on Ferns ; 



Pteridologist, a studier and writer on Ferns ; Pteridophilist, 



a lover of Ferns. 



Ehipidopteris, rhipis, fan ; shape of the fronds like a fan. 



