( 4« ) 
GROUP II; GENUS I; SPECIES I. 
OSMUNDA REGALIS. (Royal Fern.) 
Plate I. 
Fronds. Lanceolate, bi-pinnate. Pinnae lanceolate 
and opposite. Pinnules oblong, slightly 
% 
auricled at the base, and notched on the 
margin. Some fronds are barren and leafy 
to the apex; and in others the pinnules 
are leafy at the apex, and fertile at the base. 
Rachis and stipes green, smooth and fleshy ; 
the latter about one-half the length of the 
entire frond. 
Growth. Erect. Fronds springing from a thick 
rhizoma which in old plants rises a foot or 
more above the ground, appearing like a stem 
or trunk. 
Height. From one foot to nine feet. 
Colour. Reddish-brown when young; bright green 
when mature. 
Habitats. Marshy, swampy situations ; borders of 
lakes and rivers. Generally distributed, but 
not very common. 
