GENERA AND SPECIES. 133 
PLAtTe LU. 
OSMUNDA REGALIS. Linnzus. 
ROYAL FLOWERING FERN. 
This species is the best known of the Flowering Ferns, 
and has a wide geographical range, both in this country and 
in Europe. It is much admired on account of its majestic 
size. Moore describes it as sometimes growing, in Eng- 
land, to the height of eight or ten feet. But it rarely at- 
tains, in the United States, such stately dimensions. In 
the Wet Woods, four miles south of Louisville, it grows 
to great perfection, but I have never secured specimens 
over four feet in height. Along the Rockcastle River, for 
miles, it grows in such profusion that it holds a predominant 
place in the vegetation of that region. It flourishes in all 
the swamps and low lands of this State, and may be found 
along the alluvial banks of most of our water-courses.. The 
sterile frond is twice-pinnate, the pinnze with about ten pairs 
of leaflets; the fertile frond is also twice-pinnate, with a 
dense racemose panicle of fruit-capsules (sporangia) at the 
top. When fully ripe this fruit-panicle has a showy appear- 
ance, like a flowering plant in fruit, whence its name of 
Flowering Fern. 
The scientific name of this fern has been the subject of 
much conjecture. Sometimes it has been said to be de- 
rived from Osmunder, the Saxon name of the Scandinavian 
Thor, and sometimes from Osmund, a traditionary person- 
age, of whom the following story is told: 
“ At Loch Tyne dwelt the waterman, old Osmund. Fair- 
est among maidens was the daughter of Osmund, the water- 
man. Her light brown hair and glowing cheek told of her 
Saxon origin, and her light steps bounded over the green 
