520 FILICES. [GYMNOGEAMMB. 



Moist banks, Jersey ; frt. March-May. Annual. Fronds fragile, 1-3 in., 

 shortly stipitate, broadly ovate-oblong ; inner with longer stipes, narrower, 

 more fertile ; pinnules obovate-cuueate, 2-3-lobed, lobes obtuse deeurrent ; 

 veins diohofcomous. Sori oblong, simple or confluent. DISTRIB. S. Europe, 

 Africa, Asia, America, Australasia. 



15. OSMUN'DA, L. FERN-ROYAL. 



Rootstoclcs often very large, tuberous or massive. Fronds coriaceous, 

 tufted, 1-2-pinnate, some of the pinnae altered, contracted, and covered 

 with naked confluent sori ; veins- forked, free. Capsules globose, sub- 

 sessile, with a short lateral or subterminal striate areola (an incomplete 

 contracted ring). DISTRIB. Temp, and trop. regions; species 6. ETYM. 

 After the god Thor (Osmunder). 



O. rega'lis, L. ; fronds 2-pinnate fertile at the top. 



Bogs, marshy woods, &c., N. to Shetland ; ascends to 1,000 ft. in N. England ; 

 Ireland ; Channel Islands ; frt. June Aug. Rootstock large, densely clothed 

 with matted fibres, many-headed. Stipes 2-10 ft., stout, erect, naked, 

 brown. Frond glabrous ; barren pinnse 3-12 in., sessile or shortly petioled, 

 oblong, obtuse, truncate cordate or auricled at the often unequal base, ser- 

 rulate ; fertile pinnules subcylindric, lobed. DISTRIB. Europe, Africa, 

 Asia, America. 



16. OPHIOGLOS SUM, L. ADDER'S-TONGUE. 



Hootstock short, with fleshy fibrous roots. Frond consisting of a 

 barren oblong linear or lanceolate reticulately- veined blade, and a fertile 

 flattened distichous spike of opposite confluent globose capsules that burst 

 transversely and are obscurely striate at the top. Spores minute. 

 DISTRIB. All climates ; species 3 or 4. ETYM. o^us and yhwo-va, snake's 

 tongue. 



O. vulga'tum, L. ; blade ovate linear or elliptic-oblong. 

 Damp pastures, banks, woods, &c., N. to Shetland ; ascends to 1,000 ft. in the 



Lake District ; Ireland ; frt. May-July. Eootstoclc not tuberous. Frond 



6-9 in., stout or slender. Blade, 2-4 in., obscurely petioled, coriaceous 



midrib obsolete. Spike 1-2 in., pedunded ; capsules 6-20. DISTRIB. 



Europe, W. Siberia, Himalaya, N. America, S. temp, regions. 

 O. VULGA'TUM proper ; blade large ovate or oblong, epidermal cells flexuous, 



spike 2-4 in., spores tubercled. VAR. ambiy'ua, Coss. and Germ.; 



smaller, blade linear oblong, spike 1-2 in. Orkney, Wales, Sciily, Donegal. 

 Sub-sp. O. LUSITAN'ICTIM, L. ; rootstock more tuberous, blade ^-1 in. oblong 



or lanceolate, epidermal cells straight, spike -| in., spores smooth. 



Guernsey ; frt. Jau.-Feb. "W. Europe, W. Africa. 



17. BOTRYCH'IUM, Sw. MOONWORT. 



Eootstoclc small, tuberous ; roots of thick fleshy fibres. Frond con- 

 sisting of an erect barren 1-4-pinnate flabellately- veined blade, and a 



