188 HISTORY OF BRITISH FERNS. 



whose form is lance-shaped, ending in a point; they are of 

 a thickish texture, and are rounded off at the back and 

 hollowed out in front where they fit against the stem. On 

 the dichotomous branches just mentioned the leaves are 

 closely placed, the lower ones lying over the bases of those 

 next above them, but they are arranged in four tolerably 

 regular lines, so as to give a squarish form to their branches. 

 The little fascicles of branches are for the most part level- 

 topped, those which bear spikes of fructification being 

 somewhat longer than the barren ones and twice dichoto- 

 mous ; the fruit spikes, which exceed half an inch in length, 

 are rather thicker than the branch. 



The fructifications consist of the little spikes just men- 

 tioned, which terminate a portion of the branches, and are 

 erect, close, cylindrical, of a yellowish-green colour, and 

 sessile on the branches, that is, joined to the leafy portion 

 below, without any intermediate stalk-like contracted part. 

 The spike consists of a number of bracts closely packed 

 together, each having in its axil a capsule containing nu- 

 merous very minute pale yellowish spores. The bracts are 

 ovate, dilated at the base, drawn out into a longish point 

 at the apex, and having the margins toothed. The cap- 

 sules themselves, seated quite at the base of the bracts and 



