K5323

THE BRITISH FERNS AT ONE VIEW,

*

By BERTHOLD SEEMANN, Ph.D., F.L.S.,

AUTHOR OF ‘ THE BOTANY OF H.M.S. HERALD,’ ‘ POPULAR HISTORY OF THE PALMS,’ ETC.

THE ILLUSTRATIONS BY WALTER FITCH, F.L.S.

The object of the present Publication is to serve as a key to the writings of Newman,
Moore, and others, by exhibiting at one glance all the genera and species of British
Ferns. The idea originated with my friend Mr. Scheer, of Northfleet ; and the
arrangement followed is that of Smith’s * Cultivated Ferns.’ Magnified Figures of the
Generic Characters are placed at the foot of each column ; and when the Genus contains
more than one Species these Figures have been drawn from the most typical member
of the Genus.

FEPtNS are flowerless plants, chiefly inhabiting the tropical and temperate zones, growing
epiphytically or terrestrially. They have an erect or creeping caudex, and leafy fronds,
generally unfolding spirally, and traversed by veins, which produce cases (sporangia) con-
taining reproductive spores. The sporangia are solitary, or more generally collected in
crowded masses termed sori, the sori being either naked or furnished with a membranaceous
covering (indusium). All the British Ferns may be classed under the following Natural
Orders, Tribes and Genera : —

Order I. POLYPODIACEiE . — Fronds unfolding spirally. Sporangia globose or oval, unilocular >
pediculate or sessile, furnished with a vertical or transverse, rarely oblique, articulated ring.

Tribe I. PolypodietB. — Sori round, oblong or linear, destitute of a special indusium.

1. Polypodiuvi, J. Smith, Linn, in part. — Fronds pinnatifid or bipinnatifid . Veins forked, free,
the lower exterior venule bearing the sporangia on its apex. Sori round or oblong, transversely
uniserial.

2. Phegopteris, Fee, J. Smith. — Fronds varying from pinnate to decompound-multifid. Veins
forked or pinnate ; venules free. Sporangia terminal, medial or basal. Sori round, rarely oblong, naked.

3. Gymnogramvie, Desv. — Fronds simple, pinnate, pinnatifid or multifid, smooth, villose or farinose.
Veins forked ; venules free, sporangiferous nearly their whole length. Sori linear, simple or forked,
often becoming confluent.

Tribe II. Pteridese. — Sori round or linear, marginal, intramarginal or costal, furnished with a
speeial or universal lateral indusium, which is produced on the exterior side of the sporangiferous
receptacle, sometimes undefined or obsolete.

4. Cryptogramme, R. Br. — Fronds bi-tripinnate, the fertile contracted; segments oblong, linear;
margins membranous, revolute, oppositely conniving, forming a universal indusium. Veins forked, free,
the upper portion sporangiferous. Sori defined, oblong, becoming laterally confluent, forming a com-
pound, broad, intramarginal, linear sorus, included under the universal indusium.

' bipinnate ; pinnse and pinnules articulated
ateral or radiating, forked ; venules free,
tortion of the margin (indusium), which is
e, and ultimately becomes replicate.

innate, rarely simple ; the ultimate pinnae
snules free, the apices of the fertile trans-
uting a linear, continuous or interrupted

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K5323

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ORDERS.

TRIBES.

GENERA.

SPECIES.

P FLEXILIS, NEWM

P ALPESTR1S. KOCH

P CALCAREA, FEE

P. VULCARIS, METT.

A CAPILLUS VENERIS, L.

L . SPICANT, DESV.

G. IEPTOPHYLLA, DESV.

C CR ISPA, R B

ARE. I

P. AQUILINA, L

P. DRYOPTERIS, FEE

TRIBE I. POLYPODIE/E.

'jPOLYPODIUM. J. SMITH

PHECOPTERIS. FEE J. SMITH.

CYMNOGRAMME, DESV.

TRIBE II. PTERIDEff.

CRYPTOGRAMME, R.B" ADIANTUM, LINN.

PTERIS, LINN.

LOMARIA.WILLD

ORDER I. POLY POD

A. MARINUM, LINN

A VIRIDE. HUDS.

A TRICHOMANES, L.

A FONTANUM, R B R

A.SEPTENTRIONALE,
S W

A . ALTERNI-
FOLIUM, WU Li

A LANCEOLATUM , HUDS

A. AD I ANTUM-NICRUM.L.

A. RUTA-MURARIA.L

A F I LIX POEM I N A,
BERNH

I . cm d on . 1 1 nlm Vs tlVoi

lORDER II.OPHISGLOSSACE4E

TRIBE V. DICKSONIE£

TRIBE VI.OSMUNDE/E

COLOPEN DRIUM
J. SMITH

CETERACH, WILLD
J. SMITH

HYMENOPHYLLUM

WOODSIA, R.BR

CYSTOPTERIS, BERNH.

LASTREA PRES L , J. SMITH

P 0 LYSTICH U M , ROTH

TRICHOMANESLi

OSMUNDA. L

OPH I OGLOSSUM. L

BOTRYCHIUM.SW.

P. LONCHITIS,
ROTH

C. FRAGILIS. BERH

L. PALUSTRIS, J. SMITH

L. MONTANA, NEWM

H TUNBRIDGENSE,

C. REGIA. PRES L

P ACULEATUM, ROTH

L.RIGIDA, PRESL.

O.VU LGATUM,

L. FILIX MAS, PRESL

C. DICKIANA, SIM

P. LOBATUM

W ILVENSIS. R. B»

PRESL

p\angulare,

K v PRESL.

L. GRIST AT A

L. SPINULOSA, PRESL.

C. MONTANA. L K

H. UNI LATER ALE, WUlD.

T. RADICANS,
SWARTZ

C. OFF1CI NARUM.

WILLD

S.VULGARE, Sm

0. REGALIS L

L /SIMULA, J. SMITH

W HYPERBOREA
R.B'

L. D I L AT AT A , PRESL

L. LUSITANICUM, L.

LIBRARY

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7. Lomaria, Willd. — Fronds simple, pinnatifid or pinnate, rarely bipinnatifid, the fertile always con-
tracted. Veins '(of the sterile frond) forked; venules free, their apices usually clavate; fertile segments
rachiform. Veins obsolete, or more or less evident by their contiguity, forming a broad, transverse, con-
tinuous, sporangiferous receptacle, the sporangia becoming confluent over the whole disk of the segment.
Indusium linear, subintramarginal, vaulted and revolute.

Tribe III. Asplenieae Sporangia produced on one or both sides of the venules, forming oblong or

linear sori, oblique to the midrib or axis of venation, furnished with a plane or vaulted lateral indusium.

8. Asplenium, Linn. — Fronds varying from simple-entire to decompound, generally smooth. Veins
rayed, forked or pinnate ; venules free, sporangiferous on the superior side. Sori simple, oblong or
linear. Indusium plain or vaulted.

9. Scolopendrium, Smith. — Fronds simple, entire, lobed or pinnate, frequently abnormal and plane,
undulate, or with a comose, crested apex. Veins forked ; venules free, fhe superior and inferior
branch of each fascicle contiguous, parallel, and sporangiferous on their proximate sides, constituting two
linear, confluent sori, each furnished with a linear indusium, the free margins of which connive.

10. Ceterach, Willd., J. Smith. — Fronds sinuose-pinnatifid or pinnate, the under side densely
squamose. Veins forked, anastomosing. Sporangia unilateral, protruding through the dense squamae,
forming oblong sori. Indusium obsolete.

Tribe IV. Aspidiese. — Sori round, rarely oblong, intramarginal, furnished with an orbicular, reni-
form, cuculate or calcyform indusium.

11. Woodsia, R. Br. — Fronds bipinnatifid, smooth or squamiferous. Veins single or forked, free,
the lower exterior branch sporangiferous on or below its apex. Sori round, Indusium calyciform, nearly
entire or deeply laciniated, the lacinose usually terminating in long hairs, which involve the sporangia.

12. Cystopteris, Bernh. — Fronds slender, bipinnatifid. Veins forked ; venules free. Sporangiferous
receptacle punctiform, medial. Sori round. Indusium lateral, oblong or reniform, cucullate, dentate or
fimbriate.

13. Lastrea, Presl, J. Smith. — Fronds varying from bipinnatifid to decompound-multifid. Veins
simple or once or several times forked ; venules free. Sporangia terminal or medial. Sori round.
Indusium reniform.

14. Polystichuvi, Roth in part, Schott, Presl. — Fronds pinnate, bi-tripinnate or decompound ; pinnfe
and pinnules auriculated and lobed, dentate, rigid, spinulose, mucronate. Veins simply or pinnately
forked; venules free, the lower exterior branch or more (of each fascicle) sporangiferous on or generally
below its apex. Sori round. Indusium orbicular or subreniform.

Tribe V. Dicksoniese. — Sporangiferous receptacle terminal, marginal, punctiform, or by combina-
tion linear-elongated. Indusium lateral, interiorly attached, its exterior margin free, generally conniving
with the opposite portion of the margin (wdiich is changed in texture), forming a bivalved or tubular
cyst or groove, containing the sporangia.

15. Trichomanes, Linn. — Fronds varying from simple to decompound-multifid, membranaceous and
pellucid, smooth, or bearing simple, forked or stellate hairs. Veins simple or forked, free. Sori terminal,
often subpedicellate. Indusium urceolate or tubular; receptacle continued beyond the sporangia and
mouth of the indusium, often elongated and filiform.

16. Hymenophyllum, Smith. — Fronds varying from simple to decompound-multifid, membranaceous
and pellucid, smooth, or bearing simple, forked or stellate hairs. Veins simple or forked, free. Sori
terminal. Indusium short, urceolate, bilabiate or bivalved ; receptacle short, included within the
indusium.

Tribe VI. Osmundese. — Sporangia globose, reticulated, short, pedicellate; apex oblique, gibbous;
ring incomplete or obsolete.

17. Osmunda, Linn. — Fronds pinnate or bipinnate ; pinnae articulated with the rachis. Veins
forked, free ; fertile wholly, or the upper or middle portion only, contracted, forming simple or com-
pound sporangiferous panicles.

Order II. OPHIOGLOSSACEA!!. — Fronds not unfolding spirally. Sporangia subglobose,
exanulate, homogeneous, coriaceous, opaque, sessile, unilocular, opening by a vertical or transverse slit,
bivalved, produced on rachiform, simple or paniculate spikes.

18. Ophioglossum, Linn. — Veins reticulated. Fertile spike simple, pedunculate. Sporangia connate,
in two unilateral rows, transversely bivalved.

19. Botrychium, Sw. — Veins free. Fertile spikes compound-paniculate. Sporangia distinct, in two
lateral rowrs, transversely bivalved.

LONDON: JOHN VAN VOORST, 1, PATERNOSTER ROW.

M.DCCC.LX.