DESCRIPTIONS OF N.Z. FERNS. i55 



SUB-ORDER OPHIOGLOSSACE^ (O-fe-o-glos-sa-ce-^e) 

 Has capsules deeply two-valved, opening down the side nearly to the base, without a 

 ring. It differs from all the preceding, in having its vernation ereft, that is, the fronds, 

 instead of coming up curled like a bishop's crozier, and unrolling longitudinally, come 

 up in the form of a spike, and unroll laterally. 



GENUS OPHIOGLOSSUM (0-fe-o-glos-sum), 

 From " ophis " a serpent, " glossa " a tongue, has the capsules sessile, and arranged 

 in two rows, so as to form a narrow, close spike. 



OPHIOGLOSSUM VULGATUM. (0-fe-o-glos-sum vul-ga-tum.) 

 " adder's-tongue fern." 



PIATE XXI., No. 6. 



This fern occurs in the Northern Hemisphere, from Lapland to Japan and 

 Himalayas, the Sandwich Islands, and throughout temperate North America, 

 Abyssinia, St. Helena, Cape Colony, Mascaren Islands, and Australia, as well as in 

 New Zealand, and Chatham Islands. It is also called " Ophioglosum costatum,"and 

 " O. elongatum," apparently in peculiar forms. 



The plant has no distinft rhizome, but springs at once from fleshy roots. The 

 stipes is long, smooth, brown or dark green, and fleshy in texture. The rachis is 

 generally indistinfl;. Frond varying from broadly ovate-pointed to narrowly lanceolate, 

 and sometimes widening gradually upwards and terminating in a rounded end. After 

 the frond is fully developed, the fertile spike grows out of the upper side of the stipes 

 just at the base of the frond, and looks like a prolongation of the stipes, with a long, 

 narrow, double row of capsules at its top. The texture of the frond is softly 

 coriaceous, with indistinft veins. The plant is very likely to escape notice, unless 

 carefully looked for, as it usually occurs among manuka scrub, or other sheltering 

 vegetation, and comes up in spring but dies away towards winter. The fertile spike 

 only appears towards the end of summer, and, till then, the fern may be easily 

 mistaken for a small dock leaf, or other similar growth. It is very easily cultivated, if 

 carefully taken up so as not to injure the roots. It is not particular as to soil, but 

 light, rich, sandy loam suits it best. It is best to take up a sod containing it. 



OPHIOGLOSSUM LUSITANICUM. (0-fe-o-glos-sum Lu-sit-an-ik-um.) 



" little .\DDER'S-T0N"GUE." 

 PLATE XXI., No. 7. 

 This little fern is found on the shores of the Mediterranean, and thence north- 

 ward to Guernsey, also in the Azores, Madeira, and Guinea, and then crops up again 

 in New Zealand. It probably occurs in the intermediate countries, but from its small 

 size (only from two to four inches high\ and its usually growing among grass, it 

 escapes notice. It is also called " O. gramineum," and " O. minimum." It is 



