ETYMOLOGY. 
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Phlebodium, phlebes, veins, o clous, a tooth; the joining of the 
veins in the areoles being like teeth. 
Phymatodes, phymata, tubercles ; the impressed sori having 
the appearance of tubercles on the upper side of the 
frond. 
Pilularia, pilula, a pill ; the form of the spore-cases. 
Platycerium, platys, broad, koras, horn ; the fronds divided in 
broad segments like stags’ horns. (The stags’ -horn 
fern.) 
Platyloma, platys, broad, loma, border ; having broad sori close 
to the margin. 
Pleocnemia, pleos, full, knemia, rays ; full of rays ; the vena- 
tion. 
Pleopeltis, pleos full, peltis, shield ; the sori being furnished with 
numerous round scales. 
Pleuridium, pleura, side (ribs) ; the primary veins being costae- 
form, like ribs. 
Pcecilopteris, pcelcilos, spotted, pteris ; the appearance of the 
venation. 
Polybotrya, polys, many, botrys, bunch ; the fructification being 
in bunch-lilce racemes. 
Polypodium, polys, many, pous, foot ; polypus ; the rhizome, 
when destitute of the fronds, having the appearance of 
some kind of sea-polypus. 
Polystichum, polys, many, sticlios, order ; not specially 
applicable to the genus Polystichum, as now defined. 
Psilotum, psilos, naked ; destitute of leaves. 
Psomiocarpa, psomion, a small pellet, Icarpa, fruit ; the 
sporangia being in small round patches, in spikes. 
Pteris, pteryx, wing; the scientific name given to the plant 
known by the names of Bralce, Bracken, and Fern; 
on account of the supposed likeness of the branching 
of its fronds to wings. This, being the commonest 
of all Perns, has become the type of the whole race; 
hence Pteris means Fern, all generic names of ferns 
ending in pteris ; such as Ceratopteris means horned 
Fern, Didyopteris netted Fern ; also, if at the beginning 
of a word, as Pteridography, a book or writing on Perns ; 
Pteridologist, a studier and writer on Ferns ; Pteridophilist, 
a lover of Perns. 
Phipidopteris, rhipis, fan ; shape of the fronds like a fan. 
