I 
'SMUNDA 
spicant. Rough Spleenwort. 
OSMUNDA Linnai Gen. PI. Cryptogamia Filices. 
Spica ramofa: FruCtific. globofis. 
Raii Syn. Gen. 4. Herba: capillares et affines. 
OSMUNDA Spicant frondibus lanceolatis pinnatifidis : laciniis confluentibus integerrimis parallelis. 
Linnai Syji. Vegetab. p. 780. Sp. Piant. 1522. FI. Suecic. n. 936. 
STRUTHIOPTERIS, Haller, hift. n. 1687. 
STRUTHIOPTERIS Spicant. Scopoli Flor. Carniol. n. 1258. 
STRUTHIOPTERIS frondibus Herilibus pinnatifidis, pinnulis denfis, oblongis falcatis ; frU&ificantibus 
majoribus, laxius pinnatis, anguHioribus. Weh. Cryptog. p. 287. 
SPICANT Tragi et Germanorum. 
LONCHITIS afpera minor. Bauhin Pin. 359. Parkinfon 1042. 
LONCHITIS afpera. Gerard emac. 1140. Raii Syn. p. 118, Rough Spleenwort. 
Oeder FI. Dan . ic. 99. 
Hudfon FI. Angi. 382. ed. 2. p. 450. 
Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 634. 
FRONDES Heriles plures ex una radice fibrofa, in or- 
bem difpofitae, femiere&ae, aut reclinata:, fpi- 
thamea:, immo pedis longitudinem squantes, 
Polypodio vulgari fimiles, fimplices nempe et 
pinnatifidae, pinnis denfis, alternis, lanceolatis, 
oblongis, 2 lineas circiter latis, integerrimis, 
furlum curvis, mediis maximis, (uncialibus, 
felquiuncialibus,) fupernis et infernis brevio- 
ribus, nervofis, margine cartilagineo, fubcre- 
nato, retrorlum flexo. 
STIPES five nervus medius inferne fufcis fquamulis 
obfitus. 
E medio centro harum frondium furgunt frondes fruCti- 
ficantes aliae, etiam pinnatae, at duplo illis 
longiores, graciliores, atro purpureae, pinnis 
laxis alternis, lineam latis, mediis quoque 
longioribus, fuperioribus et inferioribus fen- 
fim decrefcentibus, capfulis refertis. 
CAPSULAE denfe coagmentatae, duas lineas diflin&as, 
marginibus parallelas efformant, et ab initio 
coloris Hint lutefcentis, fenfim per maturita- 
tem fufci. 
Fig. 1, Foliolum feu pinna 01171 capfulis auCt. 
Fig. 2, Capfula difrupta, cum annulo. 
LEAVES : feveral barren leaves proceed from one fi- 
brous root, orbicularly difpofed, either half 
upright or reclining, from three inches to a 
foot in length, fomewhat like the common 
Polypody, viz. {imple and pinnatifid ; the pin- 
na: let clofely together, alternate, lanceolate, 
oblong, about two lines broad, perfectly en- 
tire, bent upwards ; the middle ones largeH, 
(even an inch or an inch and a half in length ;) 
the upper and lower ones fhorter, ribbed, the 
edge cartilaginous, very flightly notched, and 
bent backward. 
STALK or midrib, befet on its lower part with finall 
brown fcales. 
From the center of thefe leaves arife other leaves bear- 
ing the fructifications, which alfo are pinna- 
ted, but twice as long, and more flender, of 
a dark purple colour ; the pinna: loofely fet, 
and alternate, a line in breadth, longefl alfo 
in the middle, the upper and lower ones gra- 
dually decreasing, filled with capfules. 
CAPSULES clofely crouded together, forming two 
diflinCt lines parallel with the edges of the 
leaf, at the beginning of a yellowifh colour, 
becoming brown as they ripen. 
Fig. 1, one of the fmall leaves or pinna:, with the 
capfules magnified. 
Fig. 2, a capfule burll open, with its ring. 
BOTANISTS appear much divided as to the genus of this plant; fome confidering it as an Ofmunda, among 
whom isLinnjeus ; while others of great eminence contend for its being a $truthiopteris ; of the latter opinion 
are Haller, Scopoli, and Weis. 
The divifion of the Ferns into diflant Genera, is perhaps as difficult a talk as any in Botany. From the mecha- 
mfm of the fructifications little is to be expefted, as a great fimilarity feems to pervade the whole. The various 
modes m which the capfules are placed on the plant, in fome of them are Hrikingly different, and appear to form 
very diflinCr and fatisfaCtory characters ; but when as a tribe, they come to be more minutely invefliffated the 
characters of one are frequently loH in thofe of another, and a precife generic character is in vain fought for. 
In the prefent doubtful cafe we have adopted the name of Linnaeus. 
The defcription of this plant given by Weis, in his Plant. Ctypttg. is fo very accurate, that defpairing of a bet- 
ter, we have in ithe prefent cafe adopted it ; not however meaning to eflabliih it, as a precedent : from originality 
we flail never fwerve in our figures nor in our defcriptions, but as fddom as poffible; taking care that whenever 
we do, it ihall not be to the prejudice, but rather advantage of the work. 
The Ofmnnda Spicant grows plentifully in the environs of Caen Wood, near Hampjkad-Heatb, the feat of 
Lord Mansfield; and produces its fructifications in July, AuguH, and September. 
