FEHN FAMILT. . 365 



numerous, oMong, 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 

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

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



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

 wing, from the feather-like fronds. ) Another largu 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 pinnm forked or again pinnate, 



the divisions and upper pinnce elongated, simple. 



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

 pinnae 1-4 pairs, the upper ones slightly decurrent, lower ones cleft almo.st to 

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

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

 has a whitish stiipe in the middle of each division. 



P. serrul&,ta. Cult, from China: l°-li° high; pinnae 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 numermis 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 'n^est Indies, &c. : fronds l°-3° 

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

 oblong, ^'-1' long, 3" wide, very numerous and often crowded, mostly rather 

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

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



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



primary divisions long-stalked. 



P. aquillna, Common Brake. Plentiftil everywhere, l°-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 broAvn spore-cases. 



§ 2. Dokt6pteeis. Veins finely reticulated: frond pedate, and 5-angled: 

 ~ stalk black and shining. 



P. ped^ta. Cult, 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. PEIiL^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. rotundifblia, from New Zealand: frond narrow, 6'- 12' long, on a 

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

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

 involucre. 



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

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

 ■toward the to.p ; 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. hastata, from South Africa : mostly larger than the last and very vari- 

 able; fi-oiid ovate-lanceolate or ofilong, 1 - 3-pmuate ;' pinnules lanceolate or 



