FERN FAMILY. 365 



numerous, oblong, broadest at the base, obtuse, lobed from the upper edge ; 

 fruit-dots at the top of the lobes ; involucres transversely oblong or linear. 



A. hispidulum, from Australia, &c. : commonly less symmetrical than 

 the last, when young irregularly 3 -4-branched; a smaller plant with finely 

 chafify or bristly stalk and rhachis ; pinnules minutely hairy, nearly entire ; 

 fruit-dots crowded along the upper margin, involucres rounded kidney-shaped. 



7 PTERIS BRAKE. (The ancient Greek name for Ferns, meaning a 

 wing, from the feather-like fronds. ) Another large and widely distributed genus. 

 § 1. Veins free: stalk straw-colored or brownish.. 

 * Frond simply pinnate : pinnae undivided. 

 P. longifolia. Cult, from warm regions, native in S. Florida : oblong- 

 lanceolate in outline ; pinnae numerous, linear and tapering from a truncate or 

 cordate base, the upper and lower ones gradually smaller. 



« * Frond pinnate, and with the lower pairs of pinnce forked or again pinnate, 



the divisions and upper pinnce elongated, simple. 

 P. Crfetioa. Cult, from warm climates, native in Florida: l°-2° high; 

 pinnse 1-4 pairs, the upper ones slightly decurrent, lower ones cleft almost to 

 the base into 2-3 long linear-lanceolate acuminate divisions; sterile ones and 

 tips of the narrower fertile ones finely and sharjjly serrate. Var. albo-lineata 

 has a whitish stripe in the middle of each division. 



P. serrul&,ta. Cult, from China: 1°-1^° high; pinna; 3-8 pairs, all 

 but the lowest decurrent and forming a wing 3" wide on the main rhachis ; 

 lower pairs pinnately or pedately cut into several narrow linear-acuminate 

 divisions ; upper ones simple, sterile ones spinulose-serrulate. 



« « « Fronds pinnate, and the numerous primary divisions pinnately cut into many 

 lobes, the lowest ones mostly with 1-3 elongated similarly-lobed branches on 

 the lower side. 



P. quadriaurita. Cult, from East or West Indies, &c. : fronds l°-3° 

 long, 6'- 12' wide, broadly ovate in outline; lobes of primary divisions linear- 

 oblong, J'-l' long, 3" wide, very numerous and often crowded, mostly rather 

 obtuse. Var. argtrea, has a band of white along the middle of the primary 

 divisions ; to this is added a tinge of red in var. TKfcOLOB. 



* * * # Fronds broadly triangular, twice or thrice pinnate throughout: lowest 

 primary divisions long-stalked. 



P. aquillna, Common Brake. Plentiful everywhere, 1° - 5° high, harsh 

 to the touch ; the lowest primary divisions standing obliquely forward ; second- 

 ary divisions pinnatifid with many oblong or linear sometimes hastate lobes, 

 which in a fruiting frond are bordered everywhere with brown spore-cases.' 



§ 2. Dosy6ptekis. Veins finely reticulated: frond pedate, and 5-angled: 

 stalk black and shining. 



P. ped&,ta. Cujt. from West Indies and S. America: frond 2' -6' long 

 and nearly as wide, almost parted into a few primary divisions ; upper ones en- 

 tire, lowest pair again cleft ; the lobes on the lower side much largest. 



8. PBLL^A, CLIFF-BRAKE. (Name from the Greek, meaning dark- 



colored, descriptive of the stalk.) Mostly small Ferns : the following species 



have fronds of a somewhat coriaceous texture. 



P. rotundif611a, from New Zealand: frond narrow, 6'- 12' long, on a 

 chaffy and pubescent wiry stalk, simply pinnate; pinnse round or roundish- 

 oblong and entire ; band of spore-cases very wide and concealing the narrow 

 involucre. 



P. atropurpiirea. Wild, on shaded limerock : fronds tufted, 6' - 12' long, 

 2' - 4' wide, with polished and sparingly downy stalks, 2-pinnate, simply pinnate 

 toward the top ; pinnules distinct, oblong; or linear-oblong, rarely halberd-shaped, 

 obtuse or slightly mucronate ; involucre rather broad, and at length hidden by 

 the spore-cases. 



P. hast&.ta, from South Africa : mostly larger than the last and very vari- 

 able; frond ovate-lanceolate or oblong, 1-3-pinnate; pinnules lanceolate or 



