THE FERN WORLD OF AUSTRALIA. 
81 
A SHORT 
GLOSSARY OF TERMS 
USED IN DESCRIBING FERNS, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE 
EXPLAINED IN OTHER PARTS OF THIS WORK. 
Aculeate — furnished with prickles. See Aspidium aculeatum. 
acuminate — prokmged into a point. See leaflet of Polypodium 
urophyllum. 
adnate — grown to or attached lengthwise. See auricles at base of 
fronds of Marattia fraxinea. 
anastomosing — veins joining like the meshes of a net. See Polypo- 
dium irioides. 
appressed — pressed close to, as the scales of many ferns. 
apex — the summit. 
alveoles — spaces or meshes of netted veins. 
aristate — awned or bearded. See Aspidium aristatum. 
articulate — jointed as pinnse of Aspidium cordifolium. 
ascending — applied to the rhizome when it is horizontal with a 
somewhat erect apex. See Doodia aspera. 
auriculate — having ear-like appendages. See Polypodium subauri- 
culatum, &c. 
axil — the angle formed between two parts of rhachis, &c. 
Barren — without fructification. See broad lower fronds of Polypo 
dium rigidulum. 
bidentate — double-toothed. 
bijid — cleft — half divided or parted. 
hipinnate — twice-pinnate. 
hullate — studded with bubbles or blisters, as leaflets of Gleichenia 
dicarpa. 
Capillary — very slender, hair-like. 
cartilaginous — gristly . 
circinate — curled round like the growing part of most ferns. 
ciliate — eyelash-haired. 
clavate — club-shaped. 
compound — fronds having many divisions. 
compressed — flattened. 
confluent — running into each other. 
cordate — ^heart shaped. See first fronds of Pteris paradoxa. 
coriaceous — hard, tough, like leather. See Pteris paradoxa. 
costa — midrib of entire frond. 
crenate — regular blunt or rounded teeth. See Pinna of Aspidium 
exalt atum. 
cuneate — tapering towards the base like a wedge. See pinnules of 
Lindssea microphylla'. 
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