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technically distinguished by the small lanceolate and somewhat fleshy 
barren branch of its fronds. It is altogether much smaller than the 
common adder’s-tongue, and may be at once known from that species 
by this difference of size, as well as by its difference of form. The 
caudex or rhizome forms a short oblong or somewhat fusiform body, 
half an inch to three-quarters of an inch long, buried beneath the soil, 
and producing a few coarse spreading roots chiefly from near its 
upper extremity. At the top it tapers abruptly into a short coni- 
cal crown. From this crown rises the frond, which attains in the 
Guernsey specimens from about one and a-half to three inches 
in height, and is divided above into a barren leafy branch, and a spi- 
cate fertile branch. Occasionally, but as it would seem rarely, a bar- 
ren radical frond of lanceolate form accompanies the two-branched 
frond. In the latter, the barren branch separates from the fertile 
spike at about one-third its height. The stipes is slender, smooth, 
round, and of delicate structure, sheathed at the base by broad taper- 
pointed scales, which are dilated below and envelope the crown. The 
barren branch is spreading, lanceolate, narrowing towards but bluntish 
at the apex, and tapering at the base into a slender petiole; it 
is from three-fourths of an inch to an inch and a-half long, somewhat 
hollow along the centre from the elevation of its margins, thick and 
fleshy in texture when fresh, so that the very slender veins are not 
seen; when found, by means of maceration, these are, according to 
Pres}, few, very slender, and united in very much elongated areoles. 
The fertile branch or spike is somewhat taller than the barren branch, 
and is supported by a footstalk, which is thickened upwards, becoming 
broad, fleshy, and flattened at the base of the spike. The spike itself 
is about half-an-inch long, linear, rather widened a little above the 
base, with a tapering apex, fleshy, and bearing along each margin 
about six embedded spore-cases, which at length burst transversely. 
“The existence of this curious little plant in Guernsey, was first 
discovered in January of the present year, by Mr. Wolsey, who met 
with it above the rocks bordering on Petit Bot Bay, in that island. 
One remarkable feature of the plant is the very early period of the 
year at which its growth is made. By the middle of January 
Mr. Wolsey found it to be fully developed, and the fronds no doubt 
perish early in the spring. 
“ The range of this Ophioglossum appears to be extensive ; for it is 
recorded to inhabit the sandy coasts, both of Europe and Africa, 
washed by the Mediterranean Sea, including those of Sardinia, Sicily, 
Greece, Naples, France, Spain, Portugal, and Algeria; and to extend 
