in. EQUISETACE^. 



903 



of scape, at the end of which they form a simple spike {Ophioglossum), or a raceme 

 {Botrychium), These sporangia have no ring, and contain smooth triangular spores, 

 which ally OpMoglosseoe to 

 Lycopodiacece, through the 

 genus Phylloglossum. 



GENERA. 



Botrychium. Ophioglossum. 



Helminthostachys. 



Most Ophioglossece are exotic, 

 nearly all are terrestrial, except O. 

 pendulum, which lives on trees like 

 some Lycopods; some inhabit the 

 Mascarene Islands and extra-tropical 

 Australia ; they are rarer in the West 

 Indies and in America between the 

 tropic of Cancer and the equator; 

 the number of European species is 

 even fewer; one of these also 

 inhabits North America, another 

 the north of Asia. One or two 

 species are more frequent at the 

 Cape. None have been observed in 

 North Africa. 



All are muciliglnous, and a 

 decoction of them is alimentary. O. 

 vulgatum was formerly esteemed as 

 a vulnerary; it is still used as an 

 astringent in angina. Helmintho- 

 stachys diUcis, from the Moluccas, is 

 succulent and laxative; its young 

 shoots are edible. The herbage of 

 Botrychium cicutarium is a reputed 

 aleiipharmic in St. Domingo. 



Ophioglossum vulgatum. 



III. EQUISETACEjE, B.C. 

 (FiLiouM genus, L. — Gowoptbkides, Willdenow. — Peltata, Hoffmann.) 



■ Perennial Acotyledons, inhabiting moist places; rhizome siiMerra/nean. StbmS 

 straight, cylind/ric, channelled, stiff, simple or branched, jointed, fisttdar ; joints accom- 

 pawied by sheaths denticulate at the top, from the base of which spring branches, which 

 are whorled, and resemble the stems. Eepboductive obgans in cathins formed of 

 numerous whorled peltate polygonal scales, arranged perpendicularly to the axis, bearing 

 on their lower face 5-6-9 sacs (sporangia), which open longitudinally to emit free 



