FERNS : BRITISH AND FOREIGN. 
Sub-Order IV. — Osmundacea. 
Bing apical, often rudimentary only. 
Tribe I. Schizaeae. — Sporangia produced on contracted racemes, 
or on terminal or marginal spike-like appendices, ring 
complete. 
II. Osmundese. — Sporangia globose. Bing rudimentary 
only. 
2. Exannulatae. — Sporangia coriaceous, destitute of a ring. 
Order II. — Marattiaccce. 
Fronds circinate. Sporangia dorsal, free, or connate, opaque, 
coriaceous. 
Order III. — Ophioglossacea. 
Vernation straight, the fronds rising from a root-stock, consisting 
of a fascicle (more or less according to age) of fleshy roots. Sporangia 
homogeneous, connate on spikes, or free and paniculate. 
Order IV. — Lycopodiacece. 
Plants with indefinite prolonging, erect or pendulous, stems 
furnished with acerose rusciform, or jungermania-like leaves (some- 
times very small), bearing 1-3-celled sporangia in their axes, or 
on catkin-like spikes. 
Order V. — Marsileacece. 
Plants floating or growing in water, consisting of grass or trefoil- 
like leaves, or branched with imbricate leaves, bearing 1-3, or 
many-cclled sporangia at their base or otherwise (see the characters 
of the respective genera). 
