233 



scarious ; spikes linear oblong, cylindric, IJ in. 1 , more or less, in single 

 pairs terminal on forked peduncles which are 3 in. or more 1. from the 

 base; bracts peltate, sub-deltoid or diamond shaped, acuminate, sca- 

 rious-edged; sporangia corrlate. — Hook. Icon. t. 126. Bak. Fer. Al. 

 p. 29 



Infrequent in moist places at 5,000 ft. alt., growing with sphagnum 

 moss, gathered at Morce's Gap, near the Govt. Cinchona Plantation, 

 the locality where Purdie and Bancroft previously gathered it The 

 American var ety differs from the type by the long forked peduncles. 

 The branches are flat, and spread flatly over the surface, with diffused 

 growth. The lateral leaves are attached longitudinally, not transversely 

 as in the other species, and the branchlets resemble fronds of Polypo- 

 dium tric'iomanoides. The smaller leaves are exceedingly minute and 

 confined to the underside. 



2. L complanatum, Linn. — Stifily coriaceous and rigid, light green ; 

 stems prostrate. 1-2 ft. 1. or more, a li. thick, terete, clothed laxly or 

 more closely with small subulate leaves ; branches erect, or spreading, 

 alternate fas ligiate, rather flattened, repeatedly dichotomous ; the final 

 branchlets very numerous and crowded, linear, f-1 li. w. 1-2 J in. 1. 

 from the fork, convex above, sub-concave beneath ; leaves of two forms : 

 the larger lateral, keeled, concave entire, sharply cartilaginous-pointed, 

 transversely adnate and decurrent, J li. 1. sub-deltoid; the smaller 

 uniserial on both the upper and undersides, adnate and decurrent, 

 narrow, entire, cartilaginous pointed, those of the former seiies larger 

 and lanceolate-acuminate, filling the spaces between the lateral ones ; 

 posterior much smaller, subulate with vacant space around ; peduncles 

 2-4 in. 1., 1-3 from each branch, repeatedly dichotomous ; spikes vary- 

 ing from two to upwards of a dozen together, f-lf in. 1. cylindric ; 

 bracts peltate, sub-deltoid cuspidate, the bas3 rather cordate but also 

 pointed ; sporangia reniform — Bak. Fer. Al. p. 28. 



Abundant on open banks and waysides, often spreading over exten- 

 sive spaces and covering the ground as densely as grass, at 4,OOU-6,OOo 

 ft. altitude. It may be readily recognised by the copious crowded nar- 

 rowly linear branchlets, and numerous spikes. The latter are either in 

 pairs or solitary on the final peduncles. All parts are very rigid. The 

 lateral leaves of the branchlets are folded with a sharp angle and attached 

 transversely, and adherent half their length. The intermediary ones 

 are also adherent in like manner but narrow. Though in this and the 

 two preceding, the branchlets appsar flattened, and the uppsr and under- 

 sides distinct and different the leaves are really all round them as in 

 the truly cylindrical species. 



3. L. clamfum., Linn. — Stems repent, rooting here and there and 

 branching laterally, 2-3 ft. 1. cylindric ; leaves lax, showing the stem 

 between ; branches erect ; freely again branched but not in a dichoto- 

 mous manner , densely clothed with leaves, which are in several series, 

 rather stiff, subulate, J li. w., 1^-2 li. 1. with a hair point, incurved ; 

 fertile branches 1-3 in. 1., slender, terete, erect, with minute verticil- 

 late leaves at interval ; spikes in pairs or alternate, 2-6 in all to a 

 branch ; bracts ovate-acuminate, attenuated, undulate-margined, some- 

 what spreading. PI. Fil. t. 165 B. Baker, Fern. Al. p. 26. 



