112 FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES 



TERNATE GRAPE FERN. 



Botrychium ternatum. 



There is no species over which there has 

 arisen so much discussion as this. Whether it 

 shall be considered as including a large number 

 of varieties, or whether it has an unvarying stand- 

 ard, and some of the so-called vai'ieties are dis- 

 tinct species, is an open question. 



The plants are from four to fifteen inches 

 high and more or less fleshy. 



The sterile portion is long-stalked from near 

 the base of the short common stem. It is broadly 

 triangular, ternate, and variously decompound, 

 with stalked divisions. The ultimate segments 

 vary much in form. 



The fertile portion is long-stalked, and from 

 two to three pinnate, with double rows of naked 

 sporangia. 



Adhering to Gray, we give the following 

 varieties, which frecjuently pass into each other. 



COMMON GRAPE FERN. 



BotrycJihtm ternatum obliqiimn {B. obliquiini). 



Plant from four to twelve inches high but 

 more commonly small. The sterile portion is 

 long-stalked from near the base of the com- 

 mon stem, fleshy, slightly hairy, broadly trian- 

 gular in form, and ternate ; the three primary 



