64 



A TERN BOOK EOR EVERYBODY. 



spreading tuft from the summit of the root-stock, and 

 are from 1 to 2 feet in length. The foot-stalk is clad 

 with narrow scales, and the outline of the leafy portion 

 is triangular. The branches are disposed in a feathery 

 manner, the lowest pair being the longest, 

 and decreasing upwards. The leaflets are 

 obloDg, and disposed also in a feathery 

 manner along the branches, those on the 

 lower side of the branches being larger 

 than those on the upper. The edges of all 

 are notched, sometimes deeply into lobes, 

 and at others only into short teeth. The 



Leaflet of Clisped Boss Peen. 



edges of all the leaflets are curled inwards, so as to give 

 a characteristic crisped appearance to the fronds. The 

 tufts of spore-cases have kidney-shaped coverings, which 

 are fringed at the edge with stalked glands. Similar glands 

 are also scattered over the fronds. These glands contain 



