SMUNDA SPICANT. RoUGH SpLEENWORT. 



OSMUNDA Litmai Gen. PL Cryptogamia Filices. 



Spica ramofa : Fructific. globofis. 

 Rail Syn. Gen. 4. Herb^ capillares et affines. 



OSMUNDA Spicant frondibus lanceolatis pinnatifidis : laciniis confluentibus mtegerrimis parallelis. 

 Linntei Syji. Vegetab. p. 780. Sp. Plant. 1522. FL Suecic. n. 936. 



STRUTHIOPTERIS, Haller. hifi. n. 1687. 



STRUTHIOPTERIS Spicant. Scopoli Flor. Carniol. n. 1258. 



STRUTHIOPTERIS frondibus fterilibus pinnatifidis, pinnulis denfis, oblongis falcatis ; fru&ificantibus 



majoribus, laxius pinnatis, anguftioribus. Weis. Cryptog. p. 287. 

 SPICANT Tragi et Germanorum. 

 LONCHITIS afpera minor. Bauhin Pin. 359. Parkinfon 1042. 



LONCHITIS afpera. Gerard emac. 1140. Rail Syn. p. 118, Rough Spleenwort. 

 Oeder FL Dan* ic. 99. 

 Hud/on FL Angl. 382. ed. 2. ^.450. 

 Lightfoot FL Scot. p. 634. 



FRONDES fteriles plures ex una radice fibrofa, in or- % LEAVES: feveral barren leaves proceed from one fi- 



bem difpofit^, femierectae, aut reclinata;, fpi- | brons root, orbicularly difpofed, either half 



thameae, immo pedis longitudinem aequantes, % upright or reclining, from three inches to a 



Polypodio vulgari fimiles, fimplices nempe et | foot in length, fomewhat like the common 



pinnatifidae, pinnis denfis, alternis, lanceolatis, | Polypody, viz. fimple and pinnatifid ; the pin- 



oblongis, 2 lineas circiter latis, integerrimis, % nas let clofely together, alternate, lanceolate, 



furfum curvis, mediis maximis, (uncialibus, I oblong, about two lines broad, perfectly en- 



fefquiuncialibus,) fupernis et infernis brevio- % tire, bent upwards ; the middle ones largeft, 



ribus, nervofis, margine cartilagineo, fubcre- | (even an inch or an inch and a half in length;) 



nato, retrorfum flexo. | the upper and lower ones fhorter, ribbed, the 



% edge cartilaginous, very flightly notched, and 



I bent backward. 



% 



STIPES five nervus medius inferne fufcis fquamulis | STALK or midrib, befet on its lower part with fmall 



obfitus. I brown fcales. 



E medio centra barum frondium furgunt frondes fruclri- % From the center of thefe leaves arife other leaves bear- 



ficantes alias, etiam pinnatas, at duplo illis | ing the fructifications, which alfo are pinna- 



longiores, graciliores, atro purpureas, pinnis % ted, but twice as long, and more (lender, of 



laxis alternis, lineam latis, mediis quoque | a dark purple colour ; the pinnae loofely fet, 



longioribus, fuperioribus et inferioribus fen- ^ and alternate, a line in breadth, longeft alfo 



fim decrefcentibus, capfulis refertis. % in the middle, the upper and lower ones gra- 



I dually decreafing, filled with capfules. 



t 



CAPSULiE denfe coagmentatae, duas lineas diftinctas, | CAPSULES clofely crouded together, forming two 



marginibus parallelas efFormant, et ab initio | diftincl: lines parallel with the edges of the 



coloris furit lutefcentis, fenfim per maturita- f leaf, at the beginning of a yellowiih colour, 



tern fufci. I becoming brown as they ripen. 



T 



Fig. 1, Foliolum feu pinna cum capfulis au&. I Fig. 1, one of the fmall leaves or pinnae, with the 



y capfules magnified. 



Fig. 2, Capfula difrupta, cum annulo. % Fig. 2, a capfule burft open, with its ring. 



BOTANISTS appear much divided as to the genus of this plant ; fome confidering it as an Ofmunda, among 

 whom isLinn;eus ; while others of great eminence contend for its being a Struthiopteris ; of the latter opinion 

 are Haller, Scopoli, and Weis. 



The divifion of the Ferns into diftant Genera, is perhaps as difficult a tafk as any in Botany. From the mecha- 

 nifm of the frudifications little is to be expected, as a great fimilarity feems to pervade the whole. The various 

 modes in which the capfules are placed on the plant, in fome of them are ftrikingly different, and appear to form 

 very diftind and fatisfadory charaders ; but when as a tribe, they come to be more minutely inveftigated, the 

 characters of one are frequently loft in thofe of another, and a precife generic charader is in vain fought for. 



In the prefent doubtful cafe we have adopted the name of Linn^us. 



The defcription of this plant given by Weis, in his Plant. Cryptog. is fo very accurate, that defpairing of abet- 

 ter, we have in the prefent cafe adopted it ; not however meaning to eftablifh it as a precedent : .from onginahty 

 we'mall never fwerve in our figures, nor in our defcriptions, but as feldomas poffible; taking care that whenever 

 we do, it fhall not be to the prejudice, but rather advantage of the work. 



The Ofmunda Spicant grows plentifully in the environs of Caen Wood, near Hamppad-Heath, the feat of 

 Lord Mansfield ; and produces its -fructifications in July, Auguft, and September. 



