generally has the fronds simple and subspathulate. Some of our 
largest spikes of capsules, independent of the peduncle, are 
nearly a foot long. 
Of true Ophioglossum—that is, of the group to which our Euro- 
pean O. vulgatum and O. Lusitanicum belong—Presl enumerates 
twenty-five species. Almost innumerable specimens in our her- 
barium, from various parts of the world, induce Dr. Hooker and 
myself to believe that all are forms of one and the same species. 
In our present plant, and in the still more remarkable Ophioglos- 
sum palmatum, L., of South America (well distinguished by the sti- 
pitate palmated frond, and the aggregated spikes arising from the 
stipes), the specific distinctions are clear enough ; but then End- 
licher, adopting Blume’s sectional name, makes of it a genus, 
Ophioderma, in which he is followed by Presl, and the latter 
again makes a new genus cf O. palmatum (Cheiroglossa). Presl 
gives Quito, in South America, as a locality for O. pendulum ; 
but I am confident the Quitonian plant is the O. palmatum, 
whence I have numerous specimens. But although the former 
is exclusively a native of the Old World, I have proof in my 
herbarium that O. palmatum is not exclusively confined to the 
New, for I possess specimens from M. Bouton and from the 
Paris Herbarium, gathered in the island of Bourbon, where how- 
ever it is stated to be very rare. 
Puate 83. Fig. 1. Tuft of Ophioglossum pendulum, L.,—on a very reduced 
scale. 2. Young fertile plant,—matural size. 3. Portion of a frond, to show 
the venation. 4. Section from a spike of capsules :—magnified. 
