1 



Ophioglossum.'] cx. ophioglossace^. 



593 



to 5 



^OUs 



and 

 For 



125 



Okd. CIX; OSMUND ACE^ R. Br. (Tab. XI. f. 2.) 



Capsules clustered on the margin of a transformed frond, 

 with an obscure ring-, reticulated and pellucid, opening by two 



regular valves. 



Fi'onds circinnate in sestivation. 



1. OsMUNDA Linn. Osmund-royal or Flowering-fern. 



(Tab. XI. f. 2.) 



Capsules subglobose, pedicellate, clustered, striate, half 2- 

 valved. Involucre none. — Veins forTterL — jSTame : probably 

 given, as Sir J. E. Smith suggests, in honour of some person; 

 Osmund, in Saxon, signifies domestic peace ; from os, hoiise^ and 

 mund, peace. Linnseus derives it from Osmundare^ to wash the 

 mouthj but why is not obvious. 



1. O. regdlis L. {common O,^ or Floivering-fern) ; fronds 

 bipinnate, pinnules oblong nearly entire the lower base some- 

 what auricled, the inferior ones opposite, fertile panicle bipin- 

 nate occupying the extremity of the frond. F,JB* t. 209. 



Boggy places, wet margins 'of woods. Very frequent in the W. 

 of Scotland, and S. of Ireland. — The noblest and most striking of 

 our ferns. Mr. Stewart Murray measured a tuft of its fronds on the 

 banks of the Clyde, which from the base, where they sprung from the 

 ground, were Hi feet high. 



I 



Okd. cx. OPHIOGLOSSACEJG B. Brown. (Tab. XI. 



f. 3, 4.) 



Capsules arranged on the 



sessile without reticulations 

 Fronds straijiht in aestivation. 



margin of a contracted frond, 

 or a ring," coriaceous, opaque, 

 (Gen, 15, 16.) 



1. Ophioglossum. Capsules connate on a 1-celled 2 ranked spike. ^ 



2. BoTKYCHiUAi. Capsules arranged on one side of a pinnated rachis. 



1. OpHioGiiOSSUM Lmn. 



Adder's-tongue. 



(Tab. XI. f, 4,) 



Spike peduncled ; peduncle arising from the base of the sterile 

 frond,— Capsules 1-celled, 2-valved, opening transversely, con- 

 nate, forming a compact 2-ranked spike. Involucre none. — 

 Veins reticidated. — Name, — o^ic, o(fnoi;y a serpent^ and yXwaaa, a 

 tongue^ which the spike of fructification somewhat resembles. 



) 



frond ovate 



obtuse. E. B. t, 108. — /3. Lusitanicum; small, frond linear- 



lanceolate or oblong. 

 FiL t. 80. Neivm. 1 



Hook 



