Ophioglosswm. | XCIV. FILICKS. «857 
No scarious scales on the stalk, No glands on the leafy part. 
29 7 (8). ASPIDIUM Thelypteris. 
Stalk with brown scarious scales at the base. Minute glands on the under surface 
of the segments . ; . 7 (4). ASPIDIUM Oreopteris. 
a Segments of the pinnas oblong, very numerous, scarcely broader at the base. 
7 (5). ASPIDIUM Filiz-mas. 
sa Segments ovate, wedge-shaped at the base ; . 7 (6). ASPIDIUM cristatum. 
eb Segments of the pinnas with finely pointed almost prickly teeth; the inner lobe 
or tooth at the base much larger than the rest 7 (2). ASPIDIUM aculeatwm. 
Segments of the pinnas with oy Eire teeth or pinnatifid, the lobes of each 
side similar . ; 25 
- (Sori circular, No indusium . 4 (3). POLYPODIUM ‘alpestre. 
=f a with a kidney- shaped or almost peltate indusium attached by a 
poin 26 
Sori rather oblong, with an indusium attached along. one side — 8. ASPLENIUM, 
Segments ovate or ovate-lanceolate. Indusia conspicuous and persistent. 
2 { 7 (6). ASPIDIUM cristatum. 
Segments oblong-lanceolate . ; : : ; : ‘ , 2 . 27 
97 { Indusia conspicuous and persistent - ; . 7 (8). ASPIDIUM rigidum, 
Indusia small and often soon disappearing » (7). ASPIDIUM spinulosum, 
I. OPHIOGLOSSUM. ADDER’S TONGUE, 
Stem simple, bearing a single leaf-like barren frond in the lower 
part, and a simple terminal fruiting spike. Spore-cases rather large, 
closely sessile, in two opposite rows, each opening by a transverse 
fissure. 
A genus of very few species, but widely distributed over most parts 
of the globe, 
1, O. vulgatum, Linn. (fig. 1278). Adder’s-tongue.—Rootstock very 
small, but apparently perennial, Stem (combined stipes of the barren 
and fertile frond) solitary, from a few inches to near a foot high, with 
an ovate or oblong entire leaf-like barren frond, usually 2 to 3 inches 
long, narrowed at the base into a shortly sheathing footstalk, and 
usually attached below the middle of the stem. Spike terminal, 3 to 
about an inch long, bearing on each side from about 15 to 25 closely 
sessile spore-cases. 
In moist meadows, and pastures, throughout Europe, Asia, except 
the extreme north, North America, and apparently also in the southern 
hemisphere as well as within the tropics. Generally distributed over 
Britain, but more common in some parts of England and in Ireland 
than in the north of Scotland. Fr. summer. 0, lusitanicwm, Linn., is 
now believed to be a mere variety, only differing from the common 
form in its small size, the slender stems varying from 1 to 3 inches, 
the leaf or barren frond linear or lanceolate, narrowed into a stalk, and 
seldom above 14 inches long. It is usually to be found only in winter 
near the sea, along the west coast of Europe to Guernsey, but not on 
the main British Isles, 
ooo 
II, BOTRYCHIUM. MOONWORT. 
Stem of Ophioglossum, but the leaf-like barren frond is divided, the 
terminal spike is branched, forming a panicle, and the spore-cases are 
globular, and, although sessile, quite distinct. 
_ A small genus, distributed over the temperate regions of the northern 
hemisphere, and more sparingly in the southern one. 
