OPHIO GL OSS A CEJE. 6/ 



base usually long and narrow ; basal veins 9 — 1 1, the lateral con- 

 nected above by short oblique veinlets which form long narrow 

 areolae in the middle of the leaf, and shorter hexagonal ones 

 near the margin and apex, the longer usually with one short 

 straight free veinlet ; apex obtuse ; spike f — 2' long. Quebec to 

 Florida; also in California. 



2. O. EngelmannI Prantl. Rootstock cylindric with long 

 brown roots often sheathed at the base ; leaf elliptic or lan- 

 ceolate-elliptic, obtuse but sharply apiculate, i' — 3^' long; basal 

 veins 13 or more, the outer arcuate; transverse veinlets large, 

 oblique, forming broad oblong-hexagonal areolae enclosing 

 numerous anastomosing or free veinlets ; spike f — i' long. 

 Virginia and Indiana to Texas and Arizona. 



]\ Leaf small, lanceolate; basal veins 3 — 7. 



3. O. arenarium E. G. Britton. Plant 3' — 8' high from a 

 slightly thickened rootstock ; leaf i' — 2' long, J' — \' wide, lanceo- 

 late with a long tapering base with an obtuse apex ; basal veins 

 5 — 7, the median straight, the latter nearly parallel connected with 

 short oblique veinlets forming long narrow areolae with a few 

 faint free or anastomosing veinlets ; marginal areolae shorter 

 and more irregular; spike i' — i' long, often twisted, apiculate. 

 Plants gregarious. Holly Beach, New Jersey. 



4. O. Californicum Prantl. Plants small, 1-3' high from 

 cylindric tuberous rootstocks; leaf ■}' — 1' long, lanceolate or ovate, 

 acute or obtuse ; basal veins 3, the median stronger, the lateral 

 branched; transverse veinlets oblique, forming long narrow 

 areolae with few or no free veinlets ; spike J' — ^ long with 10 — 

 15 sporangia on either side. Southern California. 



** With few or several unequal veins at the base of the leaf, 

 the midvein branching and commonly continuous to the apex. 

 t Rootstock not thickened; plants 4' — 6' high. 



5. O. Alaskanum E. G. Britton. Rootstock unknown; 

 leaf i' — 2^' long, i' wide, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, suddenly 

 dilated above the cuneate clasping base, apex obtuSe or acute, 

 never apiculate; basal veins 9 — 11, the midvein usually giving off 

 I — 4 branches; lateral veins divergent from the base, forming 

 regular hexagonal areolae including several free or anastomosing 

 veinlets ; spike i' — f long, apiculate with 8 — 21 sporangia on 

 either side. Unalaska Island ( Turner). 



