209 



4, D. nodosa, Smith — Stipites erect, strong, 1 - J or 2 ft. 1., without 

 nodes, furfuracous ; fronds \\ - 2^ or 3 ft. 1., i - \\ ft.w. ; pinnaa 6 - 12 

 or more, spreading, stipitate and rounded or cuneate and often unequal 

 sided at the base, the apex acute cuspidate or acuminate, 6-10 in. 1. 

 1 - f in., w., very variable in shape ; margins usually plain within, the 

 outer part crenulate, sometimes serrate at the point, often somewhat 

 repand ; surfaces nearly or quite naked ; rachis slightly f urf uraceous ; 

 veins exceedingly fine and close, simple or forked ; fertile fronds simi- 

 lar, but the pinnae narrower. — Hook, and Grrev. Icon. t. 51. 



Frequent in moist woods among the lower hills and widely distributed. 

 Usually a large and robust species but variable in the number size and 

 form of the pinnae. In all states however it may be recognised from 

 elliptica by having no nodes in the petioles, 



Sub-Order III, Ophioglossacece. 



Sporangia globose, plain and destitute of a ring or crown, opening 

 transversely to the base (bi-valved), or by a lateral vertical slit, biserial 

 or clustered, free or connate in fia'tened spikes which are simply pin- 

 nate or paniculate ; rootstock epigeous ; vernation straight; fronds her- 

 baceous, small or medium sized, the respective fertile and barren divi- 

 sions entire, pinnate or decompound; vernation reticulated or free. 



This sub-order differs from the two preceding by the vernatioa or 

 evolution of the fronds being straight instead of coiled and crosier-like. 

 It consists of the three small genera, one of which is usually regarded 

 as monotypic ; the other two having six to a dozen species each. The 

 former ranges from India to Australia while the distribution of the lat- 

 ter two is general through the temperate and tropical regions of both 

 hemispheres. The rootstock is in all cases permanent, but even in the 

 tropics, in some instances the fronds which are naked, membranous or 

 fleshy, are annual and die after a few months duration. 



Sporangia united in simple linear spikes ; fronds simple, forked 

 or palmate ; veins reticulated. 



1. Ophioglossum. 

 Sporangia free in compound panicles ; fronds compound ; veins free. 



2. Botrychium. 



Genus I. Ophioglossum, Linn. 



Sporangia united ^laterally, splitting transversely at maturity, 

 biserial on flattened linear spikes which are |-2 in. 1., petiolaet 

 solitary, or several, shortly or long-petiolate, springing from the 

 common stem, at the base of the leaf- blade ; leaf-blade simple, forked 

 or palmate ; membraneous ; veins reticulated ; rootstock small, fleshy 

 and sometimes subtuberous. 



This is a small genus of about a dozen species, many of which 

 vary, and are perplexing to define the limits of. The majority are 

 terrestrial, and grown in open places, such as meadows or highland 



