LIBRARY

FACULTY OF FORESTRY
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

MOV 5 -1965

OUR

NATIVE FERNS

AND

THEIR ALLIES

WITH

Synoptical Descriptions of the American
Pteridopbyta North of Mexico

LUCIEN M. UNDERWOOD, PH.D.

Professor of Biology in Syracuse University

THIRD EDITION, REVISED

NEW YORK
HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY

1888

COPYRIGHT, 1888,

BY
HENRY HOLT & CO.

DRUMMOND & NKU,

Electrotypers,

New York.

PREFACE.

THE first edition of this manual was published in 1881 and
the second in 1882 ; the continued call for copies of the work is
the only apology for a new edition. During the past six years
the interest in ferns has largely increased, and has resulted not
only in a wider and more thorough study of known forms, but
in the less explored portion of our territory new species are con-
tinually being brought to light. Of the true ferns (forming the
order Filices) 140 species were described in the first edition and
145 in the second; in the present edition 156 species are re-
corded, while three species recognized in former editions have
been reduced to varieties.

The Fern Allies are here augmented by the addition of a
genus new to this country (Salvinid), and five species, two of
which are here described for the first time ; a reduction of three
species has resulted from a more extended study of large suites
of specimens, so that 68 species are here recorded.

While the general plan as developed in the former editions
has not been greatly modified, the details of the entire work have
been thoroughly revised in order that it may be in harmony
with the present aspect of structural and systematic study which
every year is adding to the sum of our knowledge.

The work is intended as an introduction to the study of ferns
and a manual for the easy determination of our species ; as such
it has aimed to be suggestive in methods of study ; to this end
the student is referred to the necessary literature, classified ac-
cording to subjects, at the close of each chapter. It is hoped
that the introduction of eight pages of references to the intro-
ductory literature of plants lower than the pteridophytes may
prove valuable to students who, like the writer, have been
obliged to grope in the dark with no kindly suggestion as to
what works were valuable for beginners.

(v)

VI PREFACE.

Acknowledgments are here rendered to those who have aided
in the preparation of this edition. Especially we would men-
tion Dr. Sereno Watson, of the Botanic Gardens at Cambridge
for access to numerous specimens ; Professor Daniel C. Eaton,
of Yale, for elucidating the synonymy of Aspidium patulum ;
and most of all, Mr. George E. Davenport for very many kindly
suggestions, specimens, and courtesies extending through a
series of years.

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY,
Feb. 18, 1888.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PAGE

INTRODUCTION, . . ix

ABBREVIATIONS, xii

CHAPTER I. Haunts and Habits of Ferns I

II. The Organs of the Growing Fern, 8

III. Fructification in Ferns, 10

IV. Germination of Fern Spores, 19

V. Fern Structure, 24

VI. The Fern Allies, 28

VII. Classification and Nomenclature 41

VIII. The Fern's Place in Nature, 46

IX. Distribution in Time and Space, 60

X. Methods of Study, 68

OUR NATIVE PTERIDOPHYTA.

ORDER I. FILICES 75

II. MARSILIACE^E 125

III. SALVINIACE^E 127

IV. OPHIOGLOSSACE/E 128

V. EQUISETACE/E 132

VI. LYCOPODIACE^E, 135

VII. SELAGINELLACE^: 140

VIII. ISOETACE^E 142

INDEX AND GLOSSARY 149

(vii)

INTRODUCTION.

IN the entire vegetable world there are probably no forms of
growth that attract more general notice than the Ferns. Deli-
cate in foliage, they are sought for cultivation in conservatories
and Wardian cases, and when dried and pressed add to the
culture of many a domestic circle by serving as household deco-
rations. They furnish to botanists a broad and inviting field
for investigation, and he who examines their more minute struc-
ture with the microscope will find deeper and still more myste-
rious relations than those revealed to the unaided eye. Ferns
thus appeal to the scientific element of man's nature as well as
to the aesthetic, and while they highly gratify the taste, they
furnish food for the intellect in a like degree.

The Fern allies have also played their appointed part in the
domestic and decorative economy of this and other generations.
The scouring-rushes served our ancestors for keeping white their
floors and wooden- ware in the days when carpets were a luxury.
The trailing stems of various species of Lycopodmm have long
been valued for holiday decorations ; while their burning spores
have flashed in triumphal processions, and have added their
glow to the fervor of political campaigns.

In olden time the obscure fructification of the common brake
led to many superstitious ideas among the common people, and
the older poets have woven these popular notions into our litera-
ture. Butler tells in Hudibras of bugbears so often created by
mankind :

" That spring like fern, that infant weed,
Equivocally without seed,
And have no possible foundation
But merely in th' imagination."

X INTRODUCTION.

Shakespeare only reflects a prevalent belief of his time when
he says :

" We have the receipt of fern seed ; we walk invisible."

Others allude to the falling of the seed on the anniver-
sary night of the birth of the "loved disciple." The old
simplers with their lively imagination were impressed by the
fancied resemblances of some parts of fern growth to various
organs of the human body, and introduced them into their
system of specifics. Traces of their influence still remain in
the names of some of our common ferns, as spleenwort and
maidenhair.

To form a correct understanding of ferns we must study the
ferns themselves as well as the text-book, as it is only by direct
contact with nature that we gain definite and satisfactory informa-
tion. The text-book is useful only in giving directions how to
investigate. To understand thoroughly an animal we must study-
its habits in its native haunts. To know its structure and posi-
tion in the animal kingdom we must carefully dissect a large
number of specimens, and study the development of the individ-
ual from its beginning. In like manner, to understand fully a
fern we must search where nature has planted it, watch it as it un-
coils from the bud, matures, produces its fruit, and finally returns
to the earth ; examine it with needles and lenses, and discover
its minute structure and its life-history. These pages, which
aim to give an outline of the forms of fern growth, the methods
of fruiting, the germination or growth from the spore, and
finally the more minute structure of the entire plant, can only
be thoroughly understood by taking the ferns in hand and
studying them in connection with the text. For the first three
chapters and the determination of species a strong pocket lens
and a few needles mounted in handles for dissection will furnish
the necessary outfit. Chapters IV. and V. will require a com-
pound microscope with its appliances for successful investiga-
tion. Those unused to such an instrument will need special
directions in regard to the care of a microscope and the methods
of using it. Such directions will be found in the laboratory
guides recommended in Chapter X. The following will also be
useful and suggestive :

INTRODUCTION. XI

STOKES (A. C.). Microscopy for Beginners. I2mo. New York,

1887. (Harper & Brothers.)
BAUSCH (Edward). Manipulation of the Microscope. I2mo.

Rochester, N. Y., 1885. (Bausch & Lomb Optical Co.)

A collection of the native ferns of the country is interesting
and attractive. Good specimens should include roots so as to
show as much as possible of the method of growth. They
should be mounted on standard herbarium paper sixteen and
one half by eleven and one half inches.

Let no one imagine that the study of ferns will be an easy
one. Patient application and careful observation are essential
to success, yet he who becomes once interested in the work
will find a subject that deepens in interest with every step, and
even becomes enchanting as he seeks to determine the mysteri-
ous processes of fern development and the marvels of fern
structure.

ABBREVIATIONS.

ADANS M. Adanson.

AIT W. Aiton.

ANGS J. Angstroem.

BEAUV P. de Beauvais .

BERNH J. J. Bernhardi.

BIGEL J. Bigelow.

BRACK W. D. Brackenridge.

A. BR ,..A. Braun.

R. BR R. Brown.

BONG Bongard.

BRONG A. Brongniart.

CAV A. J. Cavanilles.

CHAPM A. W. Chapman.

DAY G. E. Davenport.

DC A. P. DeCandolle.

DESK R. L. Desfontaines.

DESV N. A. Desvaux.

EHRH F. Ehrhart.

ENDL S. L. Endlicher

ENGELM G. Engelmann.

H. & A Hooker and Arnott.

H. & G Hooker and Greville.

HBK..Humboldt, Bonplandand Kunth.

HITCH E. Hitchcock.

HOFFM G. F. Hoffman.

HOOK W. J. Hooker.

HUDS W. Hudson.

HUMB Baron von Humboldt

Juss A. L. Jussieu

KAULF G. F. Kaulfuss.

KOCH W. D. Koch.

KUHL Kuhlewein.

L „. ..C. von Linne [Linnaeus].

LAM J. B. de Lamarck.

L'HKR C. L. L'Heritier.

LIEEM F. Liebmann.

LINDL J. Lindley.

LINN. F C. Linnaeus (son).

MART. & GALE... Martens and Galeotti.

METT G. Mettenius.

MICHX A. Michaux.

MUHL G. H. E. Muhlenberg.

NECK N. J. Necker.

Nurr T. Nuttall.

PLUM C. Plumier.

REICHENB H. G. L. Reichenbach.

RICH C. L. M. Richard.

SCHLEICH Schleicher.

SCHREB J. C. D. Schreber.

SM J. E. Smith.

J.SM J. Smith.

SPRENG K. Sprengel.

Swz O. Swartz.

THUNB C. P. Thunberg.

TOKR J. Torrey.

TUCKERM E. Tuckerman.

UNO L. M. Underwood.

VAILI S. Vaillant.

VENT E. P. Ventenat.

WALL N. Wallich.

WALLR F. W. Wallroth.

WALT T.Walter.

WILLD K. L. Willdenow.

Gr Greek.

Lat Latin.

cm centimetre.

mm millimetre.

var. . variety.

° I feet.

' inches.

"... . . lines.

(xii)

OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

CHAPTER I.
HAUNTS AND HABITS OF FERNS.

Our outward life requires them not, —

Then wherefore had they birth ?
To minister delight to man,

To beautify the earth.

— MARY HOWITT.

1 . General Characters.— Our native ferns comprise plants
varying in height from less than an inch to six or seven feet, or
even more. Some are stout and fleshy, others are delicate and
even filmy, but most are herbaceous, resembling ordinary
flowering plants in the texture of their foliage. While most
would be recognized as ferns by even a novice, a few differ so
widely from the ordinary typical forms that to an unskilled ob-
server they would scarcely be considered as bearing any resem-
blance to ferns whatever. The fronds of one of our Florida
species resemble narrow blades of grass, and the fertile spikes
of another from New Jersey might be mistaken for a diminutive
species of sedge. A third from Alabama would, perhaps, be
called a moss by the inexperienced, while the " Hartford fern,"
found from New England to Kentucky, has a climbing stem and
broad palmate leaves.

When we add to these peculiar forms of our own country
those of foreign lands, and include the immense tree-ferns of
tropical regions, we find our early conception of a fern inade-
quate to cover this diversity of forms. Without attempting an
accurate definition of a fern, let it be regarded for present pur-

2 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

poses as a flowerless plant, producing spores instead of seeds,
possessing more or less woody tissue, and having its leaves
coiled in the bud from apex to base. After the necessary study
of the structure of some of our common ferns, we will be able
to comprehend the more technical definition found later in the
work.

2. Mode of Growth. — Ferns vary greatly in their method
of growth, yet each species has a plan which, within certain
limits, is fixed and definite. Some, like the common brake,
have their fronds rising from more or less distant portions of
the creeping rootstock. Others, like Asplenium trichomanes,
are tufted, many fronds rising irregularly in a cluster; while still
others, like the ostrich-fern (Onocled) and many of the shield-
ferns (Aspidiuui), grow in crowns or circles, the later fronds
continually rising within the older ones. In the grape-ferns
(Botrychium} the rootstocks usually produce a single frond each
season, the bud for the succeeding year growing within the base
of the common stalk.

3. In many there is a tendency to dimorphism, the fertile
or fruit-bearing fronds differing to a greater or less extent from
the sterile ones. In a few species, like the sensitive-fern and
the ostrich-fern (Onocled), this is carried so far that the sterile
and fertile fronds bear no resemblance to each other, and in one
instance have been mistaken for different species, and so de-
scribed. Osmunda cinnamomea, Woodwardia angustifolia, Pel-
Icea gracilts, Cryptogramme, and Lomaria offer further exam pies
of this principle of growth.

4. Variation. — The same species will often present wide
differences in the size of the fronds. This depends to some ex-
tent on the character of the soil and the ordinary climatic con-
ditions. For example, the lady-fern (Asplemum filix-fcemina],
which in ordinary locations grows from two to four feet high,
in mountainous regions is sometimes reduced to from three to
six inches, when it forms the var. exile. In like manner the
marginal shield-fern (Aspidium marginale), usually two or three
feet high, is reduced to five inches when growing on rocky cliffs,
and yet regularly produces fruit.*

* Cf. Bulletin Torrey Botanical Club, vi. 266 (Oct. 1878).

HAUNTS AND HABITS OF FERNS. 3

5. In some cases there is a tendency to variation in size
that cannot be referred to soil or climatic influences. The com-
mon grape-fern (Botrychium VirginiamtHi) will be found in
some localities to vary from six inches to two feet in height, all
well fruited and matured, and with the extreme sizes growing
within a pace of each other in the same soil and with the same
environment. The other species of the same genus present
similar variations, and judging from size and external appear-
ance alone, a regular gradation of forms might be arranged from
the most diminutive undivided forms of B. simplex to the larg-
est of B. Virginianum.

6. Another tendency to variation is noticed in the forking
of fronds either at the summit or at the ends of the branches.
The hart's-tongue (Scolopendriwri) is frequently forked at the
summit, the walking-leaf (Camptosorus) less commonly, while
the same tendency is noticed in various compound forms, as
Asplenium angustifolium, Cheilanthes vestita, Gymnogramme
Ehrenbergiana, Dicksonia, Pell&a atropurpitrea, and others.
Some of the species of Botrychium show the same tendency,
especially in their fertile segments. It is probable that all our
species will be found to fork under certain conditions. More
definite information is desirable with regard to many species
that show this tendency, as it doubtless involves the question
of ancestry of existing ferns.

7. In those species whose sterile and fertile fronds are un-
like, forms often appear that are intermediate between the ster-
ile and fertile fronds, and sometimes even form a graded series
from one to the other. This is especially true of the sensitive-
fern (Onoclea) and the cinnamon-fern (Osmunda cinnamomea),
and has frequently been the source of so-called "varieties."
Whether this variation arises from some peculiarity of environ-
ment, or from some inherent tendency to reversion toward an
older form, will require more extended observation to deter-
mine. One of the varieties of Botrychium ternatum seems to
have been founded on a condition which is intermediate in
structure between the sterile and fertile segments.

8. In a few forms there is an apparent mimicry, one species
imitating another in foliage or method of fruiting. In the cin-
namon-fern just alluded to, which has a cinnamon-colored

4 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

sterile frond totally unlike the fertile, sterile fronds will some-
times be found which are fertile at the apex — the normal method
of fruiting in the royal flowering-fern (Osmunda regalis) ; and in
turn the royal flowering-fern is sometimes fertile in the middle,
in imitation of Osmunda Claytoniana.

9. Time of Fruiting. — The time of maturing fruit is dif-
ferent among different species, and also varies with geographi-
cal location and proximity to tropical climates. In the Northern
States some species produce their fruit as early as May (Osmunda
cinnamomed), and others as late as September (Lygodiuui),
but the greater number are best studied in July and August.
In the Northeastern States, where the two species of Cystopteris
abound on limestone rocks, C. fragilis matures its spores and
withers in June or July, while C. bulbtfera reaches its maturity
only in August or September. In semi-tropical climates, like
Southern California and the Gulf States, the time of fruiting is
often earlier, sometimes occurring in February or March. Some
fronds are killed by the early frosts, while others, like the Christ-
mas-fern, are evergreen, and may be gathered in midwinter.

10. Local Distribution. — Ferns are largely dependent for
successful growth on the amount of warmth, moisture, and
shade to which they are subjected, and we would naturally ex-
pect to find them reaching a maximum in size and abundance in
warm swamps or shady marshes. While this is in general true,
we nevertheless find many species thriving only in rocky places,
thrusting their roots into the crevices of the rocks with little
earth for their nourishment, and many times exposed to the
scorching rays of the sun. Of necessity, such species are of
comparatively small size, and likely to be protected in some
way against the heat of the sun, and provided with means to
retain their moisture in times of drought. Others still are
found in wet, rocky ravines, often where moistened by the spray
of cascades or waterfalls, and consequently have no such pro-
vision against the heat of an extended summer. Certain others
thrive in open fields that are comparatively dry and unshaded.
One species of Southern Florida is aquatic, having the sterile
fronds floating in shallow water. A few species are epiphytic,
or grow on other plants, some being found on tree-trunks to
the height of 150 or 200 feet !

HAUNTS AND HABITS OF FERNS. 5

So, while moisture, warmth, and shade in abundance are the
climatic conditions essential to promote luxuriant fern growth,
it can and does continue when any or all these conditions are
reduced to a minimum.

1 1 . Ferns may then be sought in any of the following situa-
tions, and it will be seen that each situation has its charac-
teristic species :

A. Wet swamps or marshes with or without abundant shade.

B. Rich woods, more or less moist.

C. Uncultivated open places and dry hillsides.

D. Moist, rocky ravines or rocky places not subject to sum-
mer drought.

E. Exposed rocky cliffs.

F. Standing water.

G. Growing on other plants. (Epiphytic.)

1 2. In the first location mentioned above, we may find the
chain-ferns ( Woodwardia), many of the spleenworts (Asplenium),
a few of the shield-ferns (Aspidiuni), the flowering-ferns (Osmun-
dd), as well as the genera Acrostichum, Onoclea, etc. These in-
clude some of our largest and coarsest ferns. A few more deli-
cate in structure are also found here, notably the dainty Phegop-
teris dryopt$ris.

1 3. In the second we find a few spleenworts, most of the
shield-ferns, the beech-ferns (Phegoptcris)t most of the grape-
ferns (Botrychiuiri), the maidenhair (Adiantunf), the Dicksonia,
and some others. In this situation we find the finest develop-
ment of foliage and the greatest artistic finish among all the ferns.

14. In uncultivated places and on rocky hillsides we often
find the common bracken or brake (Pteris aquilina), and the
lady-fern (Asplenium filtx-fcemina\ though these are by no
means confined to these locations, the latter growing quite fre-
quently in moist woods, and even in cold, wet swamps. Many
other ferns are found occasionally in openings of the forest or
recent clearings, where they maintain a sickly existence, some-
times for a series of years. In such locations ferns often be-
come contracted and abnormal in growth, and take on a faded
yellow hue from their exposure to the open sunshine.

1 5. In moist ravines and on rocky banks the bladder-ferns
(Cystopteris) may be found, with the peculiar walking-leaf

0 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES

(Camptosorus), the rare hart's-tongue (Scolopendrrum)* and
many of the smaller spleenvvorts. The long, pendent fronds
of Cystopteris bulbifera add greatly to the beauty of our
natural ravines, and often serve to conceal the uncouth
rocks, or at least draw the attention to that which is more deli-
cate and artistic. On dripping rocks, or where the sides of
ravines are kept continually moist by the spray of waterfalls,
such delicate pellucid ferns as the filmy- fern {Trichomanes) and
Pellcea gracilis may be sought. There seems to be a direct
connection between the environment and the texture of the
fern. The last two mentioned grow in very damp situations,
and are pellucid and almost membranous. Cystopteris in some-
what drier situations is thinly herbaceous, while Asplenium
Trichomanes and Camptosorus, requiring less moisture, are more
firm, and form the transition to the next group.

1 6. On dry cliffs we may look for the various species of
Woodsia, the cloak-ferns (Nothcfatui), the lip-ferns (Cheilanthes),
and the cliff-brakes (Pell&a). Many of these are firm and even
leathery in texture, and others are thickly covered on one or
both sides with tangled hair or scales, fitting them to survive
long periods of drought.

1 7. Only one of our native species is strictly aquatic, the
anomalous Ceratopteris thalictroidcs found in Southern Florida,
though Acrosttckutn aureum is often found with its rhizoma
rising from the water of salt marshes. Osmitnda regalis is oc-
casionally found in standing water several inches deep, though
this is not usual.

1 8. Among the epiphytic ferns are several species of Poly-
podium, especially P. tncanum, P. Scoideri, and P. aureum, the
last always being associated with the cabbage-palmetto (Sabal
palmetto}. Vittaria, Tanitis, and Nephrolepis are also of this
class, and are frequently pendent from the same plant, though
occasionally found on other tree-trunks. Ophioglossum pal-
matum, another peculiar tropical fern-ally, belongs to the same

* This rare fern seems to show a decided preference for limestone rocks,
and thus far has been found only above the geological formation known as
the Corniferous limestone. I believe a thorough search for this fern along
the outcrops of the formation in Central New York and elsewhere would show
a wider distribution than is at present attributed, to this species.

HAUNTS AND HABITS OF FERNS. 7

list. Even in the streets of our Southern cities, Polypodiuin in-
canum is commonly seen growing with various mosses well up
on the trunks of shade-trees. It is only in tropical regions,
however, that epiphytes are seen in profusion.

1 9. These principles of climatic distribution are necessarily
modified by the geographic range of species, which must be
considered in this connection. For example, Aspidium spinu-
losum or its varieties form the leading foliage ferns of Northern
New England and New York, while Dicksonia, less common in
those localities, largely replaces them from Connecticut south-
ward. This subject will be more fully discussed in a later
chapter.

LITERATURE.

Most of the American literature bearing on this subject is in
the form of short notes which have appeared from time to time
in our two botanical monthlies ;* a classified summary appears
below :

HABITS. — Botanical Gazette, I, 2 ; II, 100 ; III, 82 ; IV, 140, 177,
232 ; v, 27, 30, 43, 48 ; vi, 161, 295 ; vn, 86.

DIMORPHISM.— Tor rey Bulletin, vin, 101, 109 ; ix, 6 ; xin, 62.

FORKING FRONDS. — Botanical Gazette, I, 50; n, 80; 111,39;
VI, 220; vill, 242. — Torrey Bulletin, vil, 26, 85; IX, 116, 129;

x, 4.

RELATIVE ABUNDANCE : —

DAVENPORT (George E.). A Bit of Fern History. In
Botanical Gazette, vil, 60-64 (May, 1882).

CULTIVATION :—

ROBINSON (John). — Ferns in Their Homes and Ours. I2mo,
illustrated. Salem, 1878. A valuable outline of fern cultiva-
tion, indispensable to those desiring to undertake the cultivation
of ferns either in conservatories or Wardian cases.

SMITH (John). Ferns, British and Foreign. 8vo. Lon-
don, 1879.

* Students of ferns, like other botanists, ought to have these valuable
journals at hand as a means of keeping abreast of the wonderful botanical
activity now manifest in America. The Botanical Gazette, now (1888) com-
mencing its thirteenth volume, is published at Crawfordsville, Indiana ($2.00
per annum). The Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, now commencing
its fifteenth volume, is published at Columbia College, New York City ($1.00
per annum).

5 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

CHAPTER II.

THE ORGANS OF THE GROWING FERN.

Pour bien savoir une chose, il faut en savoir les details.

— LA ROCHEFOUCAULD.

20. EVERY one familiar with the forest and its products
must have seen the young ferns unrolling from the bud in spring
and early summer. It will be noticed that the fronds are coiled
from the apex to the base, and form crosiers, so called from their
resemblance to the head of a bishop's staff. This method of
vernation is called circinate, and is rarely found except among
ferns. In the grape-ferns and adder-tongues the vernation is
straight or merely inclined, thus approximating that of ordinary
flowering plants.

21. Rootstock. — Ferns usually spring from an under-
ground stem called the roof stock. This may be simple or
branched, smooth or scaly, horizontal, oblique, or even vertical.
In some ferns it is fine and hairlike, while in others it is very
large and stout. In some cases the rootstock creeps at the sur-
face of the ground and even rises above it, as in the variety of
Aspidium conterminum which grows in Florida. In the tree
ferns of warmer climates it often forms a trunk fifty feet high,
bearing the fronds at the summit, when it takes the name of
caudex.

22. Frond. — The aerial portion consists essentially of a
leaf-stalk and blade ; the former is technically called the stipe,
and the latter the frond. Though these are usually distinct
from each other in appearance, the stipe is sometimes wanting,
and in others no distinction can be made between them. Both
stipe and frond, or either one, may be glabrous (smooth), pubes-
cent (softly hairy), hairy, woolly, or scaly ; when the scales are
small and somewhat appressed, the surface is said to be squa-
mous. The careful discrimination of these hairy or scaly
appendages becomes a matter of importance in distinguishing
many of the species of Cheilanthes. In a few of our native ferns

THE ORGANS OF THE GROWING FERN. Q

the under surface is covered with a white or yellow powder
bearing some resemblance to flour or corn-starch. For this
reason a surface of this character is called farinaceous. Such is
the California gold-fern or " golden back" (Gymnogramme trian-
gularis), and several of the cloak-ferns (Nothofand)t and such
are the various gold and silver ferns of conservatories, including
some of the richest and most beautiful in the world.

23. The frond may be simple, when it consists of a single
undivided leaf, as in Scolopendrium or Camptosorus ; or compound,
when it is divided into segments. The exquisite delicacy and
the extent to which this dividing is carried in some ferns deter-
mines largely their aesthetic value.

The continuation of the stipe through a simple frond is called
the midvein ; through a compound frond is called the rachis,
and is further distinguished as primary when the frond is much
compounded. A frond is entire when the margin forms an
unbroken line ; when so cut as to form lobes extending half
way or more to the midvein it is called pinnatifid ; when these
incisions extend fully to the midvein the frond is said to be
simply pinnate, and the divisions are called pinna. When the
pinnae are cut into lobes the frond is bipinnatifid and the lobes
are called segments, and when these extend to the secondary
midveins it is bipinnate and the divisions are called pinnules.
The secondary midvein then becomes a secondary rachis. In
like manner we may have ferns that are tripinnatifid and tripin-
nate, quadripinnatifid and quadripinnate. The last lobes are
designated ultimate segments, and the last complete divisions
ultimate pinnules. All these various forms from entire to quad-
ripinnate are abundantly represented among our native ferns.

24. In some pinnate fronds, as in the oak-fern {Phegopteris
dryopteris), the lower pair of pinnae is greatly enlarged and
more compound than those above, so that the stipe appears to
form three branches bearing similar and nearly equal portions.
Fronds of this character are usually triangular or pentagonal in
outline, and this method of branching is called ternate. It will
be readily seen that this is merely a modified form of the ordi-
nary pinnate frond. Throughout the domain of nature there is
infinite variety of form and structure, and at the same time unity
in plan and conformity to a few generalized types.

10 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

25. Venation. — The method of veining admits of great
variation, often serving to distinguish species, and more especi-
ally the sections of the various genera. In some ferns, like most
shield-ferns (Aspidium),\h& veins are free — that is, arising from
either side of the midvein they do not unite with any other vein.
In some of these the vein is simple (not branched), in others
variously forked. In many the veins repeatedly anastomose
or unite together, forming a series of network or areolcz. This
may be somewhat irregular, as in Onoclea / or forming a single
row of areolae next to the midvein and thence free to the margin,
as in Woodivardia Virginica ; or forming many uniform areolae
by the parallel transverse veinlets connecting the distinct and
parallel primary veins, as in PolyJ)odium phyllttidis. In case
the venation does not appear when examined by reflected light,
it may be brought out clearly by holding the frond between the
observer and the light, and then using a lens if necessary. A
few fleshy species require dissection to show the veins.

CHAPTER III.
FRUCTIFICATION IN FERNS.

" But on St. John's mysterious night,

Sacred to many a wizard spell,
The hour when first to human sight
Confest, the mystic fern -seed fell."

26. Spores and Sporangia. — In the flowering plants

(SPERMAPHYTA) there is a
manifest sexual reproduction,
the ovules in the female organs
(pistils) being fertilized by the
pollen produced by the stamens,

thus giving rise to the embryo

FIG. i. — Enlarged section through a *

sorus of Polypodium falcatum Kellogg, of the new plant. The FemS,
showing the stalked sporangia. ,

on the contrary, produce no

flowers. Instead of seeds developed from fertilized ovules,
minute spores are produced asexually, from which new ferns are
developed by a peculiar process of germination very unlike that

FRUCTIFICATION IN FERNS.

II

of flowering plants. These spores are collected in little sacs
known as sporangia or spore cases. The sporangia in the true
ferns (POLYPODIACE^E) are collected in little clusters on the
back of the frond, or are variously arranged in lines along the
veins or around the margins (Fig. i). These clusters of spo
rangia are called son', and may be naked, as in Polypodium, or
provided with a special covering known as the industum, as in
Aspidium (Fig. 8). The various forms of the
sori and indusia serve as the basis for classifica-
tion into genera and tribes, while each sub-order
has its peculiar form of sporangia.

27. In the POLYPODIACE^ the sporangia
are more or less completely surrounded with a
jointed vertical ring or annulus, and at maturity
burst open transversely by the straightening of
the annulus and discharge their copious spores
(Fig. 2). The clusters of sporangia are said to
be marginal, intramarginal, or dorsal, according
as they have their position at the margin or

more or less remote from it. They may be .Fio.2.— Sporan-

, . , . , ,. gium of Polypo-

roundish, oblong, or linear in shape, or arranged dium vuigare, L.t
in variously forking lines, or may even be spread spm-es^'Kchen-
in a stratum over the entire under surface of the lar&ed-
frond. They are called indusiate or non-indusiate according as
they are covered or naked ; and the indusia may be inferior (at-
tached below the sorus), as in Woodsia (Fig. 9), or superior, as
in Aspidium (Fig. 8), or of various intermediate methods of at-
tachment.

28. In the other sub-
orders of FILICES the spo-
rangia are variously ar-
ranged. In the HYMENO-
PHYLLACE/E or filmy ferns
the flattened sporangia are
sessile along a filiform recep-
tacle, and are surrounded
with a complete transverse
annulus. At maturity they
open vertically (Fig. 3). In

FIG.

FIG.

Much enlarged.
the SCHIZ^EACE^E

fpta

the

sporangia

12 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

are ovate, surrounded at the apex by a complete annulus, and
open by a longitudinal slit (Fig. 4). In the OSMUNDACEJE or
flowering ferns the sporangia are larger, globose, and naked, with
the mere trace of a transverse annulus, and open longitudinally.
The various methods of fructification can be best understood
by describing the peculiarities of the various genera in regular
succession and noting the variations occurring in the sections
or sub-genera. By this means we will arrive at a better under-
standing of the principles of fern classification as discussed in a
future chapter. As the subject of venation is closely connected
with that of fructification, it will be treated in the same connec-
tion.

29. Acrostichum. — In this genus the sporangia are spread
in a stratum over the under surface of the upper pinnae in our
solitary species, but in some exotics they cover portions of the
upper surface as well. There is no indusium.

30. Polypodium (Fig. i). — This genus contains the larg-
est number of existing ferns, and though all the species agree
in the roundish naked sori, the venation is widely different in
the various sections, which are chiefly formed on the character
of the veins. Four of the five sections are represented in our
nine species.

In § EUPOLYPODIUM the veins are free, yet are occasionally
known to unite,* thus indicating a tendency to vary toward the
next section. The sori are generally found at the end of a free
veinlet.

In § GONIOPHLEBIUM the veins unite near the margin, form-
ing large areolae, each containing a single free veinlet which
bears the sorus at its end. A tendency to variation is seen in
P. zncanum, in which the veins are free, as well as in P. Calif or-
m'cum in which they are often partly free.

In § PHLEBODIUM the veins form ample areolae in a row
next the midvein, and frequently in one or more secondary rows,
each bearing a single sorus at the junction of two or more vein-
lets. A large number, however, bear the sori at the end of a
single veinlet. From the fertile areolse to the margin the veins
anastomose more copiously.

* Catalogue of the Davenport Herbarium, p. 8.

FRUCTIFICATION IN FERNS. 13

In § CAMPYLONEURON the areolse, each usually bearing two
sori, are found between the parallel primary veins which extend
from the midrib to the margin.

31. Gymnogramme — In this genus the sori follow the
course of the veins, and consequently vary with the venation,
being simple, forked, pinnated, or anastomose with each other.
The sori are non-indusiate.

32. Notholaena. — In the cloak-ferns the sori are marginal,
and provided with no indusia. This genus is linked very closely
to Gymnogramme on one hand and to some species of Chei-
Ictnthes on the other. From the latter it is separable only by the
absence of the marginal indusium; the two are likely to be con-
founded by beginners.

33. Tsenitis has simple fronds, and the fructification in a
continuous sub-marginal line near the apex of the frond.

34. Vittaria. — This peculiar genus occupies a somewhat in-
termediate position between the indusiate and non-indusiate
genera, and while usually associated with the latter has consid-
erable claim to be ranked with the former. The fronds are nar-
row and grass like, bearing the sporangia in an intramargmal
groove, often more or less covered by the inrolled edge of the
frond. The venation is very obscure.

35. Adiantum (Fig. 5). — The maidenhairs have a peculiarly
smooth foliage, and usually possess no

midvein. The veins are usually flabellate,
and after forking one or more times bear
the sori at their extremities. The margin
of the frond is reflexed, thus forming an
indusium which bears the sporangia on its
under surface. FIG. 5.— -A segment of

_. f Adiantum, showing the

36. Pteris (big. 6). — In this genus, sori covered by indusia

which includes the common brake, the *™£* ^JTeSd- From
otherwise free veins are united by a fili- Le Maout and Decaisne.
form receptacle which bears the sporangia. This continuous
marginal line of fructification is covered by a membranous in-
dusium formed of the margin of the frond.

37. Cheilanthes. — The lip-ferns found within our limits
are unequally divided among four sections, all agreeing in bear-

14 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

ing the sori at or near the ends of the veins, covered by an in-
dusium formed of the margin of the frond.

In § ADIANTOPSIS the indusia
are distinct, and confined to a
single veinlet. One of our species
varies from the typical species of
this section, and has even been
assigned to a separate genus.

In § EUCHEILANTHES the indu-
FIC;. €>.—rteHs hngifoiia L. En- sia are more or less confluent but
^i^^^SS^TS^ not continuous, usually extending
nai indusmm. over tjie apjces of several veinlets.

In § PHYSAPTERIS the ultimate segments are bead- like, and
the indusium is continuous all round the margin.

§ ALEURITOPTERIS has the fronds farinose below, and in-
cludes a single species somewhat doubtfully assigned to our
limits.

38. Cryptogramme has dimorphous fronds, the margins
of the fertile being closely rolled toward the midvein, thus cov-
ering the confluent sori. At maturity these open flat in order
to discharge the spores.

39. Pellsea has representatives of three sections within
our limits, all agreeing in possessing intramarginal sori, which
finally became confluent and form a marginal line covered by
an indusium formed of the margin of the frond.

§ CHEILOPLECTON includes herbaceous species with visible
veins and broad indusia.

§ ALLOSORUS includes coriaceous species having wide
indusia. while § PLATYLOMA includes species similar in texture,
but with extremely narrow indusia and broad segments.

40. Ceratopteris is an anomalous genus from southern
Florida, having a few sori arranged on two or three veins par-
allel to the midvein, and covered by the broadly reflexed margin
of the frond.

41. Lomaria (Fig. 7) stands intermediate between those
genera, in which there is an indusium formed of the revolute
margin of the frond and those in which the indusium is remote
from the margin. Our single species has dimorphous fronds,
free veins, and the fructification in a broad band next the mid-

FRUCTIFICATION IN FERNS, 15

vein, covered by a continuous and distinctly intramarginal indu-
sium. This genus closely resembles the
next in general habit, and is sometimes
united with it.

42. Blechnum. — In this genus the
sori are linear and near the midvein, and
are covered by a membranous indusium
which is fixed at its outer margin, burst-
ing at its inner margin when the spo-
rangia are mature. A single representa-

FIG. f.—Lomana sptcant

tive is found within OUr limits. Desv. Enlarged section of

_,. . the contracted fertile pinna,

43. Woodwardia. — Ihree Species showing intramarginal indu-

of chain-ferns occur within our limits, S1

and each represents a distinct section based on the methods
of venation. All have oblong or linear sori more or less
sunken in the frond, covered by special lid-like indusia burst-
ing at their inner margins, and arranged in chainlike rows near
the midvein, thus giving the popular name to the genus.

§ EUWOODWARDIA has uniform fronds and veins forming at
least one series of areolae between the sori and the margin.

§ ANCHISTEA has also uniform fronds, but with free veins
from the sori to the margin while § LORINSERIA has dimor-
phous fronds, and the veins everywhere uniting to form areolae,
as in the sensitive- fern (Onoclea sensibilis).

44. Asplenium. — The numerous species of spleenworts
are closely related to each other in their methods of fructifica-
tion, but differ widely in the form, texture, and cutting of their
fronds. The sori are placed on the upper side of an oblique
vein (sometimes crossing it in § ATHYRIUM), and covered by an
indusium of the same shape attached by its edge to the fruiting
vein and opening toward the midvein. In some species part
of the indusia are double. The veins are free in all our species.
In § EUASPLENIUM the sori are straight or slightly curved ; in
§ ATHYRIUM they are often curved, even horseshoe shaped ;
and frequently cross to the outer side of the fruiting vein.

45. Scolopendrium bears the linear sori in pairs, one
from the upper side of a veinlet and its mate from the lower
side of the next. The indusia are attached by their edges to
the veins, and folding toward each other appear like a double

1 6 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

indusium covering a single sorus. The veins extend nearly at
right angles to the midvein, are free, and usually forked.

46. Camptosorus. — The walking-leaf has oblong or linear
indusiate sori, which are irregularly scattered and borne partly
on veins parallel to the midvein, and partly on those that are
oblique. Those near the midvein are single, those toward the
margin are often approximate in pairs and often form crooked
lines. The veins are everywhere copiously reticulated.

47. Phegopteris. — In this genus the sori are round and
naked as in Polypodium, with which this genus is sometimes
united. The sporangia spring from the back of the veins in-
stead of the apex, as in the latter genus, and the veins are free
except in the § GONIOPTERIS, in which they are more or less
united.

48. Aspidium is largely represented in our limits by two
well-marked sections, which are sometimes regarded as distinct

genera, and two others with characters scarcely
less distinct, containing each a single species.
In all the sori are roundish, and borne on the
back of the veins or rarely at their apex. In
§ NEPHRODIUM the indusium is cordato-reni-
form or orbicular with a narrow sinus. This at
first covers the sorus and is attached by its mar.
gin, but later bursts away at the margin but re-
mains attached at the sinus. In some species
in this section the indusium becomes shrivelled
before the fruit matures, and in this condition

FIG. 8. — Under

sideof a fert.ieseg- might be mistaken for a non-indusiate species

ment of Aspidium ,-r?- o\
filix - mas, with I* 'g' °)'

fndusium"' &wni- In § P°LYSTICHUM the indusium is orbicular
fied. (After Sachs.) and peltate, being fixed by the centre ; the veins
are free, as in § NEPHRODIUM.

In § CYRTOMIUM the indusium is the same as in § POLYS-
TICHUM, but the veins tend to unite near the margin, while in
§ EUASPIDIUM the veins anastomose copiously.

49. Nephrolepis has roundish sori borne at the apex of
the upper branch of a free vein, near the margin- of the frond.
The indusia are usually reniform, fixed by the sinus or base, and
open toward the margins of the pinnae.

50. Cystopteris.— The bladder-ferns take their popular

FRUCTIFICATION IN FERNS. I?

name from the delicate, hood-like indusium which is attached
by its broad base on the inner side of the roundish sorus and
partly under it. Later this is thrown back and withers away.
The veins are free, and the fronds have the aspect of species of
Aspidium, but are usually more delicate in texture.

51. Onoclea. — This genus contains two quite dissimilar
species, which until recently have been separated into two
genera by American botanists. Both have dimorphous fronds,
the margin of the contracted fertile frond being strongly revo-
lute, and concealing the fruit. O. struthtopteris has necklace-
shaped pinnee, crowded confluent sori, and free and simple
veins. O. sensibilis has panicled berry-shaped pinnules and co-
piously anastomosing veins.

52. Woodsia (Fig. 9) has round-
ish sori borne on the back of the
veins, with the indusia attached be-
neath the sporangia and flat and open,
or early bursting at the top into ir-
regular laciniae or lobes. In § Eu-
WQODSlAthe indusia are flat and open FIG. ^.—Woodsia obtusa
from an early stage, with their cleft ^ruleEst^ndg venaS anl
and ciliate margins concealed under inferior indusia.
the sori. In § HYPOPELTIS the indusium is more conspicuous
and encloses the sporangium at first, but soon bursts at the top,
forming several jagged lobes.

53. Dicksonia. — In this genus the small globular sorus is
borne in an elevated, globular receptacle, and enclosed in an in-
ferior, membranous, cup-shaped indusium. The veins are al-
ways free.

54. Trichomanes (Fig. 10) has
sessile sporangia borne on a filiform
receptacle at the summit of a vein.
The indusia are tubular or funnel-
shaped, with an expanded and often
somewhat two-lipped mouth.

55. Lygodium.— In our species

of climbing-fern the fructification is FlG- ™.— Trichomanes radi-

i , , cans Swz. Enlarged section,

borne on contracted, forked pinnules showing method of fructifica-
occupying the upper portion of the U°n'

frond. The ovoid sporangia are solitary or occasionally in
2

1 8 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

pairs, and are borne in the axils of the large, imbricated, scale-
like indusia which are fixed by their bases to short, oblique
veinlets.

56. Aneimia. — In this genus the two lowest branches of
the frond bear panicles of fruit at the end of very long stalks.
The ovate sporangia are sessile in two rows along
the branchlets of the panicle, without special
covering of any kind. In the section represented
by our species the veins are free.

57. Schizaea. — In this genus the large ovoid
sporangia are sessile in double rows along the
single vein of the narrow fertile divisions. In
our species the pairs of fertile pinnae form a dis-
tichous spike (Fig. n).

58. Osmunda has the large globose spo-
rangia, short-stalked, and borne on the con-
tracted fertile portions of the frond. In the cin-
namon-fern (O. cinnamomed) the fertile fronds
are entirely distinct from the sterile, yet mani-
festing a tendency to variation in the var. fron-
dosa. In the interrupted flowering-fern (O.
Claytoniand) the fructification is confined to a
few of the middle pinnae of the frond. In the
royal flowering-fern (O. regalis) the fructifica-
tion is borne at the apex of the fronds.

59. Spores. — The spores of ferns constitute
the fruit proper. A spore consists of two* dis-
tinct closed sacs and the cell contents, all of
which differ from each other not only in struc-
ture, but also in chemical composition. The

FIG ii —Sckiza-a outer ^a>'cr (exospore) consists chiefly of cellu-
tusiUa. Pursh. iose ; the inner layer (endospore) contains some

Entire plan*, nat-
ural size. albuminous matter in addition, while the cell

contents consist chiefly of a thin, colorless, jelly-like substance
known as protoplasm, with grains of chlorophyll (the green

* Campbell has recently demonstrated the existence of a third (middle)
layer, which is not readily apparent until after germination. Cf. Memoirs
Boston Soc. Nat. History, IV, 17 et seq. (April, 1887).

GERMINATION OF FERN SPORES. 1 9

coloring matter of plants), starch, and oil. The exospore may
be smooth or roughened by points, granules, warts, or prickles.
The shape varies with different species, yet all are rounded, and
most are oblong or at least longer than broad. All are micro-
scopic, and many are of such a shape that they do not appear
uniform owing to the various directions from which we view
them.

6O. The number of spores produced by a single fern is in-
credible. Lindley calculated that a single frond of Scolopen-
drium produced about 80 sori, with an average of 4500 sporan-
gia in each sorus, and each sporangium containing 50 spores,
making a total of 18,000,000 spores. The copious green spores
of Osmunda cinnamomea, or the pale-yellow, powdery spores of
a well-developed specimen of Botrychium Virginianum, must
far exceed this computation. By drying either of these species
under pressure between sheets of paper great quantities of the
spores may be obtained for examination. Specimens for this
purpose should be selected just before the sporangia reach
their maturity.

CHAPTER IV.
GERMINATION OF FERN SPORES.

Alle Glieder bilden sich aus nach ew'gen Gesetzen,

Und die seltenste Form bewahrt im Geheimniss das Urbild.

-GOETHE.

6 1 . THE germination of the fern spores usually takes place
a considerable time after they are discharged from the sporangia,
but in Osmunda, which develops its fruit early in the season,
they commence their growth only a few days after dissemination.

62. Thalloid Phase. — In germination the exospore splits
along the side, and the protruding endospore, sometimes with
its divisions already formed by septa or partitions, forms, not
a fern, but a thalloid structure resembling one of the lower

20 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

liverworts called the prothallium. Different ferns vary in the
method of forming this prothallium, some producing it im-
mediately at the spore and others
after the formation of a thread-
like growth known as the pro-
embryo. The prothallium is en-
tirely composed of cellular tissue,
and in the true ferns (PoLYPO-
DIACE^E) is broadly cordate or reni-

Jl/ v^JVsti33x>^ form in shape, and bears large

numbers of root-hairs from the
under part of its posterior portion
(Figs. 12. 13).

The prothallium varies in size
from less than one tenth of an

FIGS. 12, 13. — Prothallium of Pteris , ,,. , r

serruiata Linn, f., showing two inch up to one third of an inch
stages of growth. (After Moore.) in ks widest part. On the under

surface of the prothallium two sorts of organs are produced
analogous to the stamens and pistils of the SPERMAPHYTA,
respectively known as antheridia and archegonia. The position
of these organs on the prothallium varies in different sub orders.
In some species, notably the ostrich-fern, the two kinds of sex-
ual organs are produced on separate prothallia, so that the plant
becomes dioecious instead of monoecious. Analogous cases are
familiar to all among flowering plants like the willows, poplars,
and box elders (dioecious), and begonias and melons (monoe-
cious).

63. Antheridia. — These are small masses of tissue developed
in the same manner as the root-hairs, consisting of a single
layer of cells forming the wall, and containing a number of
spirally coiled threads, usually with a number of cilia on their
anterior coils. At maturity the antheridium swells by the ab-
sorption of water and finally bursts its wall, discharging these
coiled filaments, which possess the power of locomotion, and for
this reason are called antherozoids. These antherozoids often
drag with them a little vesicle which seems to play no part in
the process of reproduction (Fig. 14).

64-. Archegonia. — The archegonium (sometimes called
pistillidium) is also a rounded mass of tissue usually less prom-

GERMINATION OF FERN SPORES.

21

inent than the antheridia, consisting of an external layer of
cells and a large central cell, which soon divides into two. The
lower portion, at first the larger, develops into a roundish cell,
which is analogous to the ovule of flowering plants, and is called
the oosphere. The upper portion of the central cell develops
between those composing the neck of the archegonium into a
canal filled with a sort of mucilage ; this finally swells up, forces
the cells of the neck apart, and is expelled to aid in attracting

FIG. 14.— Antheridium of Adiantum FIG. 15.— Young archegonium of Pteris
capillus-veneris L., showing the es- serrulata Linn, f., showing oosphere,
caping antherozoids. (After Sachs.) neck, and canal-cell. (After Sachs.)

and retaining the antherozoids at the neck of the archegonium.
The oosphere is thus left exposed (Fig. 15).

65. Fertilization. — The antherozoids, analogous to the
pollen of flowers, when discharged from the antheridium swim
in the moisture always present on the under surface of the
prothallium, swarm in large numbers around the neck of the
archegonium, and are retained by the mucilage. Some finally
force their way into the canal of the neck, a few reaching the
oosphere and disappearing within its substance. There is thus
a true sexual generation among ferns, and the formerly appro-
priate term Cryptogamia (hidden marriage) loses its application
under the untiring scrutiny of the microscopist. After fertili-
zation the neck of the archegonium closes, and the fertilized

22 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

oosphere, now called the oosfiore, increases in size, and finally

develops into a true fern.

66. Pteridoid Phase.— After the oo-
sphere has been fertilized it commences its
growth by the ordinary processes of cell
multiplication, and for a time remains wath_
in the walls of the archegonium, which
continue to grow, until finally the interior
growth breaks through the walls, differen-
tiated into its first root and leaf. The young
fern draws its nourishment from the pro-
thallium for a time, but soon develops
root-hairs, which, extending into the soil,
maintain thereby an existence independent
of the prothallium. The latter growth hav-
FIG 16 — Adiantum ing accomplished its work, withers away

S£&ZS%& £r°n (F^ l6)' The firSt PartS Of the r°0t' Stem>

seen from below; //, an(j frond are very small and comparatively

prothallium; b, first leaf;

A, root-hairs of prothai- simple in structure, but those formed later
£SndW'nSt8.fira(Af£r are successively larger, and not only bear
Sachs-> a closer resemblance to the mature form

of the species, but also develop increased complexity of struc-
ture. " The fern continues to gain strength, not by subsequent
increase of size of the embryonic structures, but by each succes-
sive part attaining a more considerable size and development
than the preceding ones, until at length a kind of stationary
condition is arrived at, in which the newly formed organs are
nearly similar to the preceding ones."

67. The complete life-history of a fern illustrates a principle
common among the lower forms of animal life known as "alter-
nation of generations." Instead of the direct production of a
mature sexual plant, as among the higher forms of vegetation,
there is the production of a sexual growth resembling a lower
form of vegetation, which in turn is followed by the growth of
a mature plant producing its fruit without the assistance of sex-
ual organs.

68. Recapitulation. — To review the life-history of a fern
we find the following processes :

GERMINATION OF FERN SPORES. 2$

A. Production of the spores asexually by the mature plant.

(FRUCTIFICATION.)

B. Growth of the prothallium from the spore with or with-
out the development of a pro-embryo. (THALLOID PHASE.)*

C. Production of sexual organs, archegonia (female) and
antheridia (male), on the under surface of the prothallium, or
on separate prothallia.

D. Fecundation of the oosphere developed in the arche-
gonium by the antherozoids developed in the antheridium.

(FERTILIZATION.)

E. Growth of the mature fern in successive stages from
the oospore. (PTERIDOID PHASE.)*

LITERATURE.t

BESSEY (Charles E.). Botany, pp. 361-388. New York,
1881. (Henry Holt & Co.)

GOEBEL (K.). Outlines of Classification and Special Mor-
phology of Plants, pp. 189-298. (English Translation.) Ox-
ford, 1887. (Macmillan & Co.)

CAMPBELL (Douglas H.). Fern Notes. In Torrey Bulletin,
x, 1 1 8, 119. (Nov. 1883.)

The Development of the Prothallia in Ferns. In Botan-
ical Gazette, x, 355-360, with Plate IX. (Oct. 1885.)

* The terms " Thalloid Phase" and " Pteridoid Phase" in place of the
older terms " sexual generation" and "asexual generation" were first sug-
gested in the first edition of this work (1881). The older terms, although in
common use by botanical writers, are decidedly unfortunate and misleading.
A generation is properly the production of offspring resembling the parent,
or the offspring thus produced, which the prothallium is not and the mature
fern is not. The generation proper must then be considered as including the
entire life-history of a fern, of which the prothallium and mature fern are suc-
cessive phases. The terms "sexual " and "asexual " as used in this connec-
tion are likewise misleading, as they might apply as well to the origin as to
the producing power of the so-called " generation." The prothallium is asex-
ual in origin, but develops sexual organs ; the mature fern, on the other hand,
produces no sexual organs, but is itself the product of bisexuality. The same
criticism applies with equal force to the expression " alternation of genera-
tions," used alike by botanists and zoologists.

t As elsewhere, reference is made mainly to American literature. The
more extensive European literature is already well catalogued in Goebel's
Outlines, so is not repeated here.

24 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

CAMPBELL (Douglas H.). On the Development of the
Antheridium in Ferns. In Torrey Bulletin, xm, 49-52, with
Plate Liv. (Apr. 1886.)

The Development of the Ostrich fern. In Memoirs

Boston Society of Natural History, iv, 17-52, with Plates iv-
vil. (Apr. 1887). This model account of the life-history of
Onoclea struthiopteris ought to incite others to a similar study
of our other native species.

CHAPTER V.
FERN STRUCTURE.

Be it ours to meditate,

And to the beautiful order of thy works
Learn to conform the order of our lives.

— BRYANT.

69. Tissues. — The life-history of every plant commences
in a single cell, and all the complications of vegetable growth
depend on two simple processes, viz., the enlargement of indi-
vidual'cells to their full size, and their multiplication by divi-
sion. The lowest forms of vegetable life consist of a single
cell, either globular or elongate. Those of a somewhat higher
grade consist of a single row of cells, or at most a single layer;
while still higher forms of growth consist of masses of cells
variously grouped together and specialized by differentiation
from the typical form and character.

70. Cells become specialized or set apart to fulfil a certain
function in the economy of plant growth in many ways. Some
are lengthened for giving strength to stems or leaves ; some
have their walls thickened to give rigidity or hardness where
protection is needed from injury to more delicate structures
within ; and some are variously adapted for containing and dis-
tributing the secretions or other fluids connected with the cir-
culatory system of plant life. Seven distinct varieties of tissues
are recognized by structural botanists, yet some of these are
connected with each other by various gradations.

FERN STRUCTURE. 2$

71. Tissue Systems. — The earliest tendency to differen-
tiation of cells is seen in the arrangement of the outer row of
cells to form a boundary wall. In higher forms of growth the
interior cells tend to form one or more series of string-like rows
surrounded by the normal cellular tissue. We thus reach the
basis of the classification of vegetable tissues into three groups :
(a) Epidermal Syste.n. (b) Fibro-vascular System. (c) Fun-
damental System (Fig. 17). The first and third are common
to both ferns and mosses. The second is first seen in the ferns
and their allies, where it is a character so constant that it serves
as the basis for separating the so-called " vascular" cryptogams
from other flowerless plants. These three forms of tissue may
be seen by examining a thin cross-section of the stipe of a living
fern with the microscope. Longitudinal sections will show still
further the character of the tissues composing the fibro- vascular
bundle.

72. Roots. — Roots are constantly produced as the root-
stock advances, and consist for the most part of little fibrils
which are naked for a short distance from the apex in order
that they may freely absorb moisture from the earth. The epi-
dermis is also thin, and usually consists of a single layer of small
cells. It differs from that of the rest of the plant in having no
stomata (77). As the apex continues to grow, the epidermis of
the part behind becomes harder, and frequently develops hairs,
or more frequently irregular scales.

73. Stipe. — The stipe is made up of the three forms of
tissue (Fig. 17), and usually con-
tains several bundles of vascular

tissue. In the dried stipe these
can be easily seen, by scraping off
the external covering of the stem.
These bundles of fibres give sta-
bility to the fern, and are con-
tinued through the rachises and
veins, thus forming the frame-

, FIG. 17.— Cross-section of stipe of

work for the Softer portions of Cystopteris fragilts Bernh., showing
.1 c j -y,, . two bundles of fibre-vascular tissue.

the frond. The stipes are some-
times smooth and polished, sometimes hairy or beset with
stalked glands, and sometimes densely clothed, especially near
the base, with chaffy scales.

26 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

74. Frond. — In the H YMENOPHYLLACE/E the frond con-
sists of a single layer of cells. This condition is also found in
the leaves developed along the axis of growth among the
mosses to which this sub-order is related in some of its forms.
In all other ferns there are several layers of cells variously
compacted together, and forming all the varieties of texture
— membranous, herbaceous, coriaceous and fleshy. The epi-
dermis is usually easily separable from the underlying tissue,
when its peculiar markings can be studied.

75. From the epidermis a great variety of appendages are
developed which are all modifications of hairs, and are all in-
cluded under the term trie/tomes, however different in appear-
ance or distinct in function. These are not confined to the
frond, but develop here their greatest variation. They are fre-
quently found on the roots, the rootstock, and the stipe, under
the form of root-hairs or scales of various forms. Scales are
especially abundant in certain forms of Aspidium, as well as
in Scolopendrium, Cheilanthes, and other genera.

76. Trichomes.— On the fronds the trichomes may be de-
veloped as simple unarticulated or articulated hairs, consisting
of one or two cells at most. They may appear as stalked
glands like those that arise from the stipe of Cheilanthes
Coopers or the margin of the indusium of Aspidiuin spinulosum,
var. intermedium ; or they may be developed into scales of in-
tricate cellular structure like those on the under surface of cer-
tain forms of Cheilanthes, particularly C. Fendleri and C. Cleve-
landii. Among the FlLlCES the sporangia are specialized, tri-
chomes developed -in clusters (sort) along the veins, or spread
over the entire surface of the frond, or even arranged in spikes
or panicles. The epidermis also develops an excrescence
known as the indusium, which consists of a single layer of cells,
and is variously arranged as indicated in Chapter III. In some
cases a false indusium is provided, which is not a growth from
the epidermis, and may consist of several layers of cells.

77. Stomata. — If the epidermis covering the under surface
of a fern be examined under a high magnifying power, peculiar
structures will be seen in the form of semi-elliptical or crescent-
shaped cells connected at their apices and separated between.
These are the stomata or breathing pores, and are merely open-

FERN STRUCTURE.

ings to the air-chambers of the plant. The two elliptical cells
form the mouth of the passage and expand when moist, allow-
ing the atmospheric gases and watery vapor to escape or enter
but close the entrance by contraction in time of drought. The
stomata are not confined to the fronds, but are found to a
greater or less extent on all aerial portions of ferns and higher
plants, as well as on subterranean stems.

78. Asexual Reproduction. — Besides the ordinary meth-
ods of sexual reproduction discussed in Chapter IV., most ferns
are propagated by growth of the rootstock under ground, giving
rise to a succession of fronds each season. In addition to this,
which is common to all perennial plants, there are some meth-
ods of reproduction that deserve attention. The first is by

79. Buds and Bulblets. — In a few species of conservatory
ferns adventitious buds are produced on the surfaces of the
fronds. These soon develop into young ferns, and it is not un-
common to see a large number in vari-

ous stages of growth rising from a sin-
gle frond. This peculiarity is common
among several species of Asplemum,
especially A. furcatum Thunb., and
will be sometimes found to occur among
some of our native species. Bulblets are
found in the axils of the upper pinnae of
Cystopteris bulbifera, which often fall to
the ground and develop into new plants
after a manner analogous to the devel-
opment of the axillary buds of the tiger-
lily.

SO. Another method is seen in the
walking-leaf (Camptosorus rhizophyllus),
in which the long, attenuated, simple
fronds bend over and take root in the
adjoining soil in a manner quite analo- FlG ^.—Camptosorus rhi-

f zophyllus Link., reduced,

gous to the propagation of strawberries showing peculiar method of

by runners (Fig. 18). The same method

of rooting at the apex has also been noticed in Asplenium

pinnatifidum, A. ebeneum, and Phegopteris reptans.

28 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

LITERATURE.*

BESSEY. Botany. (See p. 23.)

GOEBEL. Outlines of Classification. (See p. 23.)

DE BARY (A.). Comparative Anatomy of Phanerogams
and Ferns. 8vo. Oxford, 1884. (Macmillan & Co.)

CAMPBELL (Douglas H.). A Third Coat in the Spores of the
Genus Onoclea. In Torrey Bulletin, xn. 8, 9 (Jan. 1885).

SCHRENK (Joseph). The Dehiscence of Fern Sporangia.
In Torrey Bulletin, XI 1 1, 68, 69 (1886).

LYON (Florence May). Dehiscence of the Sporangium of
Adiantum pedatum. In Torrey Bulletin, XIV, 180-183 (Sept.
1887).

CHAPTER VI.
THE FERN ALLIES.

Beneath my feet
The ground-pine curled its pretty wreath .

—EMERSON.

A. THE GRAPE-FERNS AND ADDER-TONGUES.

8 1 . General Characters.— These peculiar plants, former-
ly united with the order FILICES, are now regarded as consti-
tuting a distinct botanical order. They include mostly small,
fleshy, terrestrial plants, and, like ferns, may usually be found
in swamps or rich, moist woods. As already noticed (5), there
is a marked tendency to variation in the same species, and
numerous varieties have been established from the various
forms.

82. The sterile and fertile portions of the plant are borne
on a common stalk, and either portion may be sessile, long

* See other references at close of Chapter X.

THE FERN ALLIES,

29

or short stalked, in the various species. In Ophioglossum
the sterile portion is simple, and
in all our species except the anoma-
lous O. palmatum appears like a sin-
gle leaf borne on the common stalk.
In Botrychium (Fig. 19) the sterile
segment (except in some forms of
B. simplex) is somewhat pinnately or
ternately divided, and in the larger
forms of B. Virginianum is broad-
ly ternate, with the divisions even
tri — quadripinnatifid. The veins are
free in the latter genus, but anas-
tomose in the former. This charac-
ter, however, is frequently obscured
by the fleshy texture of the plant.

83. Vernation. — As has been
before stated, ferns are rolled in the
bud from the apex downward (cir-
cinate), distinguishing them from
the higher forms of vegetation.
Among the OPHIOGLOSSACE^:, how-
ever, the vernation is either straight,
inclined at the apex of one or both
segments, or else the fertile seg-
ments are folded on the main stalk,
making the vernation wholly in-
clined. Until recently there has been
much difficulty in distinguishing the
smaller species of Botrychium, and
some forms seem to connect the
smaller ones with the reduced forms
of B. ternatum and B. Virgini-
anum,

Mr. Davenport has investigated the bud characters of these
intimately related species, and has made their identification a
matter of comparatively easy investigation. The buds may be
found enclosed in the base of the common stalk (except in B.
Virginianum, where they are placed in an upright cavity at one

FIG. 19.— Plant of Botrychium
lunaria^ natural size.

30 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

side), and may be examined with a strong lens. The three di-
visions are summed up as follows :

"I. Vernation wholly straight. B. simplex Hitch. (Fig. 31).

II. Vernation partly inclined in one or both portions. B.
lunarta Swz. (Fig. 32), B. boreale Milde, B. matricaricefolium

A. Br. (Fig. 33), and B. ternatum Swz. (Fig. 34).

III. Vernation wholly inclined, in the fertile frond recurved.

B. lanceolatum Angs. (Fig. 35), and B. Vtrgtnianuin Swz."
The special characters of each species will be found under

the descriptions of the Botrychia later in this work. The cuts
will be valuable for reference, and will enable even beginners to
identify the species of this complicated genus with compara-
tively little difficulty.

84. Fructification. — In this order of
plants the fructification consists of sporangia,
which, unlike those of the true ferns, are not
reticulated, possess no trace of a ring, open by
a transverse slit, and are variously spiked and
panicled (Fig. 20). In the adder-tongues
(Ophioglossunt) the sporangia are large, and
cohere in two ranks along the margins of a
single spike, opening transversely to discharge
their copious sulphur-yellow spores. In the
grape -ferns (Botrychtuni) the sporangia are
FIG. 20.— Enlarged globular and arranged in double rows along
S/™gia °ternatruym the narrow segments, more or less in panicles.
Swz- In both genera the sporangia are not developed

from the epidermal cells, but arise from a transformation of the
interior tissue of the leaf. This, with other characters as clear-
ly defined, serves to separate these anomalous plants from the
order FILICES.

85. Germination. — Among the OPHIOGLOSSACE^E. so far
as known, the prothallia are destitute of chlorophyll, develop
under ground, and are monoecious. In Botrychium lunar ta
the prothallium is an ovoid mass of cellular tissue, light brown
without and yellowish white within. It produces a number of
antheridia and archegonia on the upper surface as well as the
lower, differing in a few minor points from the true ferns in the
method of their development,

THE FERN ALLIES. 31

LITERATURE.*

HOOKER (W. J.) and BAKER (J. G.). Synopsis Filicum, pp.
444-448.

MILDE (J.). Botrychiorum Monographia. In Verhandl. der
k.k. zool. bot. Gesellschaft.xvm, 507-516 (1868); XIX, 55-190;
Tafel vii, vni (1869); xx, 999-1002 (1870).

DAVENPORT (George E.). Notes on Botrychium simplex.
410, paper, with plates (1877).

—Vernation in Botrychia. In Torrey Bulletin, VI, 193-
199, plate (1878); vii, 115,116 (1880); viil, loo, 101 (1881). Cf.
also xii, 22, 23.

CAMPBELL (Douglas H.). The Development of the Root in
Botrychium ternatum. In Botanical Gazette, XI, 49-53, with
plate (March, 1886).

A Method of Spore Germination. In Botanical Ga-
zette, x, 428 (1885).

GILBERT (Benjamin D.). Notes on Botrychia. In Torrey
Bulletin, XI, 75, 76 (July, 1884). Cf. xii, 22, 23.

B. THE HORSE-TAILS.

86. General Characters.— The horse-tails or scouring-
rushes belonging to the genus Equisetum are perennial, rush-
like plants, that may be found in damp, gravelly, or loamy soil,
some species even growing in shallow water. Our native species
vary in height from a few inches up to eleven feet, as seen
in some of the larger forms of E. robustum. In some species
only the root is perennial, the stems which are sent up for
producing fruit dying down to the ground every year. In others
the stems are evergreen, continuing through the winter. Some
species, like the common horse-tail (E. arvense), are dimorph-
ous, the fertile stems being simple and destitute of green color-
ing matter (chlorophyll), while the sterile stems are green
and copiously branched, The fertile stems of some other spe-
cies, as E. silvaticum, which are simple at first, after maturing
their fruit produce branches and resemble the ordinary sterile
stems (Figs. 21, 22).

* In addition to these papers, Bessey's Botany and Goebel's Outlines of
Classification should be consulted (or further references on Fern Allies.

32 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

37. The furrowed stems are hollow, except in E. scirpoides,
and in, addition to the large central cavity there is a series of
smaller air-cavities opposite the furrows known as the vallecular
canals, the furrows themselves being called vallecula and the
ridges carince. Opposite the carinse there are still smaller cavi-
ties known as carinal canals. The carinae vary in number from

FIGS. 21, 22. — Eguisetum sylvaticum L., showing sterile and fertile stems.
(From Thome.)

five to fifty in different species. The stems are also jointed, and
at each node some species produce a whorl of branches which
may be simple or compound. Some species, however, like the
common scouring-rush (E. hiemale), produce simple stems.

88. The leaves are produced also at the nodes, and by the
union of their margins form a short sheath which ends in a row

THE FERN ALLIES. 33

of teeth. These teeth may be deciduous or persistent, and their
number, varying from three upwards, indicates the number of
leaves forming the united whorl.

89. Stomata (77) are distributed along the valleculse either
irregularly or disposed in ranges on either side cff the valleculae.
The epidermis frequently contains much silica, and the rough-
ened tubercles of some species give the surface a harsh feeling.

90. Fructification. — The fructification in Equisetum is
arranged in cone-like spikes borne at the apex of the fertile
stems. These spikes are composed of successive closely-placed
whorls of shield-shaped, stalked scales or modified leaves, each
of which bears from five to ten one-celled sporangia on its under
side. The sporangia open along the inner side to discharge
their numerous spores, whose outer coat is spirally split into
two bands, forming the so-called elaters. The elaters when dry
are spread out at right angles to each other in the form of a
cross, and probably assist in scattering the spores ; when moist
they rapidly absorb water, and become closely coiled around the
spore.*

91. Germination. — The spores of Equisetum retaining
their powers of germination only a few days, soon develop
branched and irregularly lobed prothallia, which are provided
with chlorophyll. These are usually dioecious, the male being
smaller, and producing antheridia at the end or margin of the
larger lobes. The antherozoids are large, and provided with a
peculiar appendage known as the "float." The female prothal-
lium may reach one half inch in length, and develops archegonia
on the anterior margin of the fleshy lobes. The process of
fertilization is similar to that of ferns.

* An interesting illustration of this can be seen by placing a mass of fresh
spores on a slide uncovered, and examining it with a low power. By breath-
ing on the slide the elaters coil closely about the spore ; as soon as the moist-
ure evaporates they uncoil, and in their activity jostle each other in great
confusion.
3

34 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

LITERATURE.

BAKER (J. G.). Fern Allies, pp. 1-6 (1887).

BRAUN (Alexander). A Monography of the North American
Species of the Genus Equisetum* With additions by George
Engelmann, M.D. In Silliman's Journal, XLVI, 81-91 (1843).
Describes the then known North American species of Equisetum.

CAMPBELL (Douglas H.). The Development of the Male
Prothallium of the Field Horse-tail. In American Naturalist,
xvi, i-io (Jan. 1883).

MILDE (J.). Monographia Equisetorum. 4to, pp. 607, with
35 plates. Dresden (1865). This elegant work is a marvel of
completeness, and a monument to the patience, industry, and
ability of the author.

C. THE CLUB-MOSSES.

92. General Characters. — The club-mosses are chiefly
small perennial plants usually growing in dry or moist woods,

or even on exposed rocks
with little soil for nourish-
ment. Most of the species
are somewhat moss-like in
habit, as might be suspected
from the popular names
given to these plants, the
genus Lycopodium taking
the name of club-moss and
Selaginella that of rock-
moss. Various species of
Lycopodium are also known
as ground-pine, ground-fir,
ground-cedar, running pine,
etc., from more or less
marked resemblances (Fig.
23). In the curious Sela-
ginella lepidophylla from

FIG. 23. — Portion of Lycopodium clavatum L. . . ...

M natural size. (After Prantl.) Arizona the branches of the

closely coiled central stem roll up when dry into a nest-like
ball, and when moistened expand so as to appear flat or saucer-

THE FERN ALLIES.

35

shaped. As the plant retains t-his power indefinitely, it has
sometimes been called " the Resurrection-plant."

93. The stems are usually creeping, yet in some species
show a tendency to become erect, and most species send up
erect branches which bear the fruit. Most species bear roots
at irregular intervals along the under side of the creeping stems,
but our solitary species of Psilotum is rootless, bearing only
underground shoots which perform the functions of roots. The
leaves are small and unbranched, in some instances resembling
appressed scales, in others resembling the acicular leaves of
Conifers, and are arranged in four, eight, or many ranks. In
some species the leaves are of one kind, while in others two or
even more forms may occur on the same plant. In Psilotum
the leaves are all rudimentary.

94. Fructification. — The fructification of the club-mosses
is chiefly borne on upright branches in solitary or clustered
(2-5) spikes, which are formed of numerous scales or scale- like
leaves, each bearing a single large sporangium in its axil. The
sporangia open transversely, and are

one-celled, except in Psilotum, where
they are three-celled. In a few species
of Lycopodium the sporangia are borne
near the summit of the fertile stems
in the axils of ordinary leaves. The
usual shape of the fruit-bearing scales
is represented in Figs. 24-26.

95. The spores of Lycopodium
and Psilotum are of one kind (Fig. 24),
but in Selaginella two kinds of spo-
rangia are developed— the microspo-
rangia, producing numerous micro-
spores (Fig. 25) not unlike the spores
of Lycopodium; and the macrospo-
rangia, producing usually four macro-

Spores (Fig. 26), SO called from their beannga sporangiumin itsaxil.

. FIGS. 25, 26.— Scales from fer-

larger Size. ThlS Character of Sela- tile spike of Selaginrlla rupes-

ginella, which it shares with the quill- «i^**j£™*$^^
worts and pepperworts soon to be described, serves as the
basis for the division of the fern allies into two groups : the

36 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

isosporous, producing spores of one kind ; and the heterosporous,
producing spores of more than one kind.*

96. Germination. — The germination of Lycopodium is
only partially known, as the prothallia have been seen in only
three species, and in these they have not been carried through
all the stages of development. That of L. annotinum is a yel-
lowish-white mass of tissue with a few small root-hairs.! The
antheridia and archegonia are developed from the upper side
of the prothallium. In L. cernuum, TreubJ found the pro-
thallia much smaller (one twelfth of an inch long), vertical in
growth, yellowish below and bright green above. The anthe-
ridia and archegonia are found round the summit of the cylin-
dric prothallium.

97. The germination of Selagtnella is better known. The
contents of the ripened microspores are transformed into a
mass of tissue consisting of a few cells, one of which remains
sterile and is considered a rudimentary prothallium, while the
others give rise to antherozoids, and are consequently considered
as a rudimentary antheridium. The macrospores, on the other
hand, produce a many-celled prothallium, which develop a few
root hairs and numerous archegonia, which after fertilization
give rise to a new plant. Two plants are sometimes produced
on the same prothallium.

98. The microspores are thus seen to be male and the
macrospores female, showing a clearer differentiation of sex
in the products of the mature plant than appears in any other
group of the fern allies already studied. This may be consid-
ered a foreshadowing of the completely differentiated sexual
organs which occur in the flowering plants. In the method of
formation of the embryo the Selagtnella also differs from all
other plants of this group, and approaches the flowering plants.

* This division, though used by some of the best botanists, is at best an
artificial classification, as it separates genera otherwise closely allied to each*
other.

t Cf. J. Fankhauser, Botanische Zeitung, 1873, pp. 1-6; Bruchmann,
Botanisches Centralblatt, XX I (1885).

\ Cf. Treub, Ann. d. Jard. Bot. d. Buitenzorg, iv (1884).

THE FERN ALLIES.

37

LITERATURE.

BAKER (John G.). Fern Allies, pp. 7-123. London, 1887.
(George Bell & Sons.)

SPRING (A.). Monographic de la Famille des Lycopodia-
cees. In Mtmoires de I 'Academic Roy ale de Belgique, XV, i-i 10
(1842); xxiv, 1-358 (1849).

D. THE QUILLWORTS.

99. Genera] Characters. — The quillworts, so named
from the appearance of the
leaves, are principally incon-
spicuous aquatic plants of a
grass-like or rush-like aspect
(Fig. 27). Some species are
always submerged — often in
several feet of water ; others
grow in marshy soil or in the
shallow margins of ponds or
streams, where they become ap-
parently terrestrial in time of
low water; while others still are
found between high and low
water marks, where they will be
covered by water at high tide.
The leaves are awl-shaped or
linear, and are attached to a
short fleshy trunk. They vary
in number from ten to one hun-
dred in each plant, and in length
from two to twenty inches in
various species. On account of
their resemblance to the im-
mature forms of rushes and
other aquatic vegetation of a

higher order, they have been very sparingly collected. Many
questions of distribution, habits, and life-history may be studied
by even amateur botanists in various sections of the country.

FIG. 27. — Isoetes lacustris L., natural
size. (Redrawn from Sprague.)

38 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

In this way valuable additions to science may be contributed
by those whose labor misdirected might be wasted.

1 OO. Fructification. — The sporangia of the quillworts,
like those of the club-mosses, are sessile in the base of the
leaves. The leaf base, sometimes called the sheath, is some-
what triangular from the broad insertion, convex behind and
concave in front, where there is a
large depression known as \\izfovea,
which contains the sporangium.
The margin of the fovea rises in the
form of a delicate membrane called
the velum, which in many species
lies above the sporangium and en-
closes it. The sporangia of the outer
i? !n2/r/I™/r£mL.! en- leaves contain large spherical ma-
larged. (After Sprague.) crospores ; those of the inner con-

tain numerous oblong, triangular microspores. The size and
marking of the spores form important characters in distin-
guishing species.

1 O 1 . Germination. — The microspore after remaining dor-
mant through the winter forms a few-celled structure which
produces the antherozoids, which are long and slender, and
provided with a tuft of cilia at each end. The macrospore
produces a prothallium much as in Selaginella (97) ; from this
the germ of the mature plant arises after fertilization by the
antherozoids.

LITERATURE.

BAKER (J. G.). Fern Allies, pp. 123-134 (1887).

BRAUN (Alexander). On the North American Species of
Isoetes and Marsilea. Communicated by Dr. G. Engelmann.
In Sillimans Journal, Second Series, in, 52-56 (1847).

ENGELMANN (George). Isoetes of Northern United States.
In Grays Manual, Fifth Edition (1868).

— The Species of Isoetes of the Indian Territory. In Bo-
tanical Gazette, m, I, 2 (Jan. 1878).

The genus Isoetes in North America. In Trans. St.

Louis Acad. Set., iv, 358-390 (1882). A valuable monograph of
this most difficult genus of the fern allies.
See also notes in Botanical Gazette, VI, 228.

THE FERN ALLIES.

39

E. THE RHIZOCARPS.

1O2. General Characters.— The Rhizocarps, so-called
from the fruit being produced at or near the roots in some
genera, include aquatic plants of very diverse characters.
Some, like Marsilia, root in mud and produce long-petioled
leaves resembling " four-leaf clovers" which sometimes float on
the surface of water ; more often the plant will be found grow-
ing in wet or marshy places, with more rigid stipes. Others,
like Pilularia, resemble the sterile conditions of EUocharis or
other sedges with a habit similar to Marsilia. Others, like
Azolla or Salvinia, float on the surface of water, and consist of
a leafy axis, sending numerous roots deep into the water. In
Azolla the leaves are minute and lobed ; in Salvinia (Fig. 30)
they are larger and simple. Marsilia and Pilulana have cir-
cinate vernation.

1 O3. Fructification. — The fruit of Marsilia consists of a
hollow-stalked receptacle known as
the sporocarp, which is oblong or
rarely globose, and bears the spo-
rangia in sori on the inner walls of
its two valves. The spores are of
two kinds, as in all rhizocarps. The
numerous microspores are con-
tained in microsporangia, while the
macrospores are solitary in the few
macrosporangia.

1 04. The sporocarp of Pilu-
Iraia is globose, containing from
two to four cells, which produce
microsporangia in the upper portion
and macrosporangia below ; the
microspores are numerous, while a
single macrospore is found in each
sporangium.

1 O5. In Azolla the sporocarps
are of two kinds, borne in the axils
of the leaves ; the larger are glo-
bose, and contain numerous microspores, which are aggregated

FIG. 30. — Salvinia natans
Hoffm., natural size. (Re-
drawn from Thome".)

4O OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES,

in masses ; the smaller are ovoid, and contain a single macro-
spore.

1 O6. Salvinia (Fig. 30), recently discovered in Missouri,
has the sporocarps borne in clusters on short branches of the
floating stem, one or two of each cluster bearing ten or more
macrosporangia, each of which contains a single macrospore,
the remainder bearing numerous globose microsporangia with
numerous microspores.

1O7. Germination. — In Marsilia the antherozoids are
produced in a rudimentary prothallium which develops from the
microspore and are corkscrew-shaped, consisting of several
coils. The prothallium, developed from the apex of the ma-
crospore is a hemispherical mass of tissue, and contains a sin-
gle archegonium. Much is yet to be learned of the habits and
life-history of our native species.

LITERATURE.

BAKER (J. G.). Fern Allies, pp. 134-149 (1887).

BRAUN (Alexander). On the North American Species of
Isoetes and Marsilca. In Sillimans Journal, Second Series,
ill, 52-56 (1847).

Ueber Marsilia und Pilularia. In Monatsberichte dcr

Ko'nigl. Akademie der Wissenschaft zu Berlin, 1863, 413-436.

- Neuere Untersuchungen iiber die Gattungen Marsilia
und Pilularia. Ibid., 1870, 653-753.

— Nachtragliche Mittheilungen iiber die Gattungen Mar-
silia und Pilularia. Ibid., 1872, 635-679.

ENGELMANN (George). New Species of Marsilia. In Stl/t-
maris Journal, Second Series, vi (1848).

STRASBURGER (L.). Ueber Azolla. 8vo, 7 plates. Jena

(1873).

UNDERWOOD (L. M.) and COOK (O. F,). Notes on the
American Species of Marsilia. In Torrey Bulletin, xiv, 89-94
(May, 1887).

CLASSIFICATION AND NOMENCLATURE. 41

CHAPTER VII.
CLASSIFICATION AND NOMENCLATURE.

The education of a naturalist now consists chiefly in learning how to compare.

— AGASSIZ.

1 O8. Nomenclature.— Before the time of Linnaeus, the
method of naming plants and animals was a subject of much
embarrassment to science, and gave rise to endless confusion.
This great author, justly called the " Father of Botany," intro-
duced a new system of nomenclature that gave an impetus to
the study of nature. His system has since been in constant use,
and has made possible the greater accuracy and definiteness in
the descriptions of subsequent naturalists. He also introduced
a system of classification which, though artificial and since
abandoned, paved the way to the more natural system since
adopted. He arranged the various plants and animals known
to him in a few groups according to some particular plan of
structure, divided these into still smaller groups, and so on to
the lowest divisions, genera and species. To these divisions
special names were assigned, thus giving to each organism a
double name, the first generic, which may be likened to our fam-
ily name, the other specific, corresponding to our baptismal
name. Thus the " golden-back" of California bears the name
Gymnogramme triangularis given it by Kaulf uss. The first it
bears in common with other species from this and other coun-
tries which possess a like fructification. The latter is peculiar to
this species, which has a somewhat triangular frond.

1 O9. Generic Names. — These may be derived from some
characteristic of growth or structure (Cryptogramme, Cheilan-
thes, Schtziza), in honor of some botanist or distinguished patron
of science (Dzcksonia, Woodsid), or occasionally from some
mythological or symbolical character (Osmundd).

1 1 O. Specific Names. — These are usually adjective ele-
ments either Latin or Latinized, and must agree in gender with

42 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

the generic name, according to the rules of Latin syntax. Errors
in agreement have frequently been made by botanists who were
not versed in the classics, and it is unfortunate that errors of
this character as well as gross errors in the orthography of gen-
eric names have found their way into accepted text-books of
botany.* Specific names frequently indicate something regard-
ing habit or mode of growth ( bulbifcra, gracilis, atropurpured),
or may indicate the locality in which the organism was first dis-
covered (Californica, Ilvensis). A few take their name from
their discover, in which case the name is Latinized and takes a
genitive ending (Boottii, Lemmoni), or else an adjective form
{Goldieanum, Clintonianum}.

111. The advantage of this binary nomenclature is at once
evident when we consider the immense number of ferns
alone, to say nothing of the remainder of the vegetable world
and the hosts of the animal creation. By this means organisms
of complex structure can be definitely characterized with com-
paratively few words, and the scientific name once established,
is recognized among scientists of all nations and languages.

112. Among some there is a tendency to regard scientific
names with disfavor, on the ground that they are long and dif-
ficult. But what shall we say of Geranium, or Gladiolus, or
Fuchsia, or Phlox Drutnmondii, or a hundred others familiar to
every lover of flowers ? Are these less difficult than Aspidium,
Nothohcna, Woodsia, or Pellcca Breweri? A little reflection will
convince a person of sense that such a criticism is unjust.

113. A worse tendency is perhaps that which prompts the
introduction of " popular names" for ferns : occasionally a name
of this kind is highly appropriate, and deserves wide-spread
adoption, as in the case of " Christmas-fern" for Aspidium
acrostichoidcs, suggested by Mr. Robinson; the greater part,
however, have no merit, and when such monstrosities appear
as " Leather-leaf Polypody" for Polypodium Scoulert, " Mr.
Goldie's Shield-fern" for Aspidium Goldieanum, nomenclature
is made cumbrous instead of simple.

1 1 4. There are liabilities to error and confusion even in
the Linnaean system of nomenclature, as various authors have

* Cistopteris for Cystopteris is an example.

CLASSIFICATION AND NOMENCLATURE. 43

often assigned the same name to several species. For example,
the name Cheilanthes vestita was given by Brackenridge to C.
gracillima. Hooker assigned the same name (in part) to C.
lanuginosa, while Swartz assigned the same to the fern de-
scribed in this volume under the name of C. vestita. It be-
comes necessary, therefore, in referring to a species to indicate
the author of the specific name thus — Cheilanthes vestita Swz.

1 1 5. Synonymy. — It may also be remarked in this con-
nection that different authors have described the same fern
under widely different generic and specific names, owing (i) to
the different conceptions that have prevailed at different times as
to what constituted generic characters, and (2) to ignorance of
what others had already written on species, redescribed as new.
For example, the delicate Woodsia Ilvensis of Robert Brown was
described as Acrostichum Ilvense by Linnaeus, Polypodium II-
vense by Swartz, Nephrodium rufiditlum by Michaux, Aspidium
rufidulum by Willdenow, and Woodsia rufidula by Beck. Many
other species have been as variously classified. The oppor-
tunities for errors of this character are much less now than for-
merly, yet redescription is not unknown in our day.

1 1 6. Species. — Goethe tells us that nature knows only in-
dividuals, and that species exist only in the school-books. From
this extreme there has been every grade of opinion respecting
species to the one which regards species as invariable, actual
existences, types originally ordained and summoned to existence
by the Creator. Linnaeus, for example, defined species in these
words : " Species tot sunt diversce, quot diver sas formas ab initio
creavit infinitum ens" * Various definitions have been given to
species, but none accord with the actual practice of systematists,
who seem inclined to make a species what they choose ; and
indeed the existence of various connecting forms between
many species distinct under normal conditions makes the prac-
tical definition of the term almost an impossibility. We may,
however, for practical purposes, regard as a species an assem-
blage of individuals not differing essentially from each other,
and capable of producing like individuals by the ordinary pro-
cesses of reproduction. A recent writer defines species as " the

* There are as many different species as the Infinite Being created in the
beginning.

44 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

present aspect of a line of organic development, destined to
become something else in the future, as it was something else
in the past," — a definition in accord with the now universally
accepted biological doctrine respecting the origin of species.
Species among ferns are founded chiefly on differences in the
cutting of the fronds and their method of venation.

1 1 7. Varieties. — Many forms differing only slightly from
the ordinary specific types, and yet capable of transmitting their
variations from generation to generation, are regarded as vari-
eties. It was the opinion of a prominent botanist, that all
so-called varieties among the lower plants " were purely the
result of the accident of environment, and never of cross-fertili-
zation." Since a species which varies in some minor particular
is likely to revert to the ordinary form as soon as the normal
conditions of soil, moisture, or environment are restored, there
is no scientific foundation for the multiplication of varieties to
serve as rubbish in works on systematic botany. There is a
tendency on the part of a few authors to multiply varieties in-
definitely, and of a single species as many as sixty-five varieties
have been described. The mania for naming new varieties is
quite universal, but is usually transient, and seldom affects one
a second time ; with some, however, it becomes chronic, when
more vigorous treatment is necessary. In the systematic por-
tion of this volume varieties that are deemed worthy to stand
as such are printed in the same bold-face type as the species.
Others less marked are noted in italics under the descriptions
of species. A true variety is doubtless the early stage of a
species in process of separation from its parent form.

1 1 8. Genera. — The genera of ferns are founded mostly on
the arrangement of the sporangia on the veins, as well as the
character, shape, and position of the indusia. The generic
limits, however, are largely matters of opinion, and vary among
different authorities.

1 19. Tribes. — Genera are collected into tribes, according
as they agree in the position and arrangement of the sporangia
in clusters or sori, or resemble each other in mode or habit of
growth.

1 2O. Sub-Orders. — Tribes are grouped into sub-orders,
according as they agree in the characters of the sporangium, its

CLASSIFICATION AND NOMENCLATURE. 45

shape, method of discharging its spores, and the existence, char-
acter, or absence of a ring. The true ferns contain with us
three well-marked sub-orders; the Gletchemacece are mainly
tropical ferns.

121. Orders. — Ferns were formerly classed in a single
order, but in accordance with later researches they are sepa-
rated into three distinct orders, FILICES, MARATTIACE^E, and
OPHIOGLOSSACE^E, which are distinguished by the method in
which the sporangia are developed, by the character of their
spore development, and by other minor characteristics. Two
of the orders are well represented in our flora; the MARAT-
TIACE7E* are mostly confined to tropical regions. The horse-
tails (Equisetuni) form a distinct order, the EQUISETACE^. The
club-mosses of the genera Lycopodium and Psilotum, with two
genera not found in America, form the order LYCOPODIACE^E.
Selaginella and Isoetes each form an order which takes its name
from the single genus. Marsilia and Pzlularia form the MAR-
SILIACE^E, while Azolla and Salvinia form the order SALVINI-

ACE^E.

1 22. Principle of Classification. — The true idea of clas-
sification is the grouping together of objects according to essen-
tial and fundamental resemblances. Every system is more or
less artificial, yet there is a continual approach toward the true
natural system, which is the ultimatum of scientific classifica-
tion. The study of life-histories will continually clear up points
of relationship before unknown, and it will be long before the
classification will become fixed and constant. Every new study
contributes to this end.

LITERATURE.

The references to original writings would include all the
botanists who have named or classified ferns since the time of
Linnaeus (1707-1778). Among the more prominent of these we
may mention Swartz (1760-1818), Willdenow (1765-1812), Presl
(1791-1849), Mettenius (1823-1866), Hooker (1785-1865), Fee
(1789-1874), Milde (1824-1871), Al. Braun (1805-1875), and J. G.
Baker ( - ). The following work gives a good review
of the various systems :

SMITH (John). Historia Filicum. London, 1875. (Mac-
ro illan & Co.)

46 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES,

CHAPTER VIII.
THE FERN'S PLACE IN NATURE.

1 23. LOOKING about us on every hand we see a vast array
of plant life, varying in size and complexity of structure, from the
yeast we use in bread-making to the highly organized tree of the
forest, and including such diverse forms of growth as the green
scums, often called " frog-spittle," that accumulate on ponds in
summer, the gray lichens covering rocks and trees, the puff-
balls and mushrooms that seemingly develop in a single night,
the mosses, ferns, and flowers in all their variety and beauty.
We ask where in all this array do our ferns stand, and what re-
lations do they sustain to other plants ? In answering this
question we can best proceed by giving a tabulated arrange-
ment of the plant world, noting here and there in their appro-
priate place in the system such forms as are popularly recog-
nized.

1 24. Aside from the plants producing flowers, the ferns
and the mosses which are widely known and generally recog-
nized, we find two types of plants of lower grade that stand out
prominently to even the unpractised eye. Of these the first
are mostly green,* and though variously known and named may
be called collectively alga. Like the higher plants, these low
forms maintain an independent existence, drawing their nour-
ishment from air and water. Of the second group we may find
examples in the mildew that spreads over leaves of lilac and
other plants its white, cobwebby film ; or in the rust, red or
black, that injures our fields of standing grain ; or in the black
smut that often replaces the ear of corn and greatly disfigures
the plant. Other examples may be seen in the shelving masses
that protrude from old stumps or logs, or the half-dead trunks
of trees still standing, and in the bright scarlet cups that ap-
pear on the ground in forests in earliest spring. Whatever the

* Observant visitors to the seaside are familiar with brown, purple, and
bright-red " sea-weeds," that belong here, their green color being masked.

THE FERN'S PLACE IN NATURE. 47

color of all these forms of plant growth, they may be character-
ized as not green. They represent a group of plants that re-
quire nourishment from some source besides air and water;
some are parasitic — drawing nourishment from living plants or
animals, while others are saprophytic— living on decaying or-
ganic matter. Though widely different in character, we may
call them all fungi. With these ideas clearly in mind we are
better prepared to appreciate the classifications which follow.

1 25. System of Linnaeus. — In the sexual system of Lin-
naeus the plants now collectively known as "flowerless plants"
formed the twenty-fourth class, to which he gave the name
CRYPTOGAMIA (hidden marriage), because in them no proof of
a sexual reproduction was apparent. His remaining twenty-
three classes constituted what are now called PHANEROGAMIA
or flowering plants, in which the sexual organs (stamens and
pistils) were apparent then as now.

126. Linnaeus divided the class Cryptogamia into orders
as follows :

I. FiLlCES, the ferns and their allies;

II. Musci, the true mosses and club-mosses ;

III. ALG^E, which comprised hepatics and lichens in addi-
tion to what the term now includes ;

IV. FUNGI, mushrooms, etc.

It will thus be seen that Linnaeus simply put under concise
definition the groups still popularly recognized (124).

127. Before the Linnaean system was discarded, his fol-
lowers had increased the orders to eight, the Equtsetacea hav-
ing been separated from the ferns, the Lycopodmece from the
mosses, and the Hepaticce (liverworts) and Lichenes (lichens)
from the algae.

1 28. Without stopping at the various stages in the history
of classification since Linnaeus, we will present briefly the sys-
tem followed by the leading authorities in Europe,* and then
outline with more detail the system commonly followed in this
country, which is based on methods of sexual reproduction and
follows morphological and fundamental rather than physiologi-
cal characters.

* Outlines of Classification and Special Morphology of Plants. By Dr. K.
Goebel. (English Translation.) Oxford, 1887. (Macmillan & Co.)

4 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

129. European System. — The system commonly fol-
lowed in continental Europe reduces plants to four groups, the
lowest including the great mass of plants below the mosses. A
few of the leading sub-groups are added :

Group I. THALLOPHYTES.

1. Myxomycetes. (Slime Moulds.)

2. Diatomacecc. (Diatoms.)

3. Schizophyta. (Bacteria, etc.)

4. Alga;. (In a narrow sense.)

5. Fungi. (Including Lichens.)
Group II. MUSCINE^E.

1. Hcpaticce. (Liverworts.)

2. Musct. (True Mosses.)

Group III. VASCULAR CRYPTOGAMS (ferns and their al-
lies).

Group IV. SEED PLANTS (Phanerogamia).

1 3O. American System. — This system is with slight mod-
ifications that proposed by Dr. Bessey in his larger Botany in
1880, and afterwards modified in his " Essentials." * It consists
in a division of the plant kingdom into seven co-ordinate
branches, of which the three highest correspond to Groups
II-IV. above (129), except in name, while the four lower
branches are themselves divisions of the thallophytes. The
branches and their leading classes are as follows :

131. -I. Protophyta. — Plant body minute, often micro-
scopic, unicellular, or consisting of shapeless masses of proto-
plasm ; reproduction entirely asexual by fission, gemmation,
or internal cell-division ; contains three classes, of which the
first two are "fungi."

1. Myxomycetes. (Slime Moulds.)

2. Schizomycetes. (Bacteria and Yeast Fungi.)

3. Cyanophycece. (Blue-green Scums.)

132.— II. Zygophyta.t — Plant body unicellular or consist-

* Botany for High Schools and Colleges. New York, 1880. (Henry Holt
& Co.)— The Essentials of Botany. New York, 1884. (Henry Holt & Co.)

t The evolution of the terms Zygophyta, Oophyta, and Carpophyta is of
interest. When Dr. Bessey in 1880 first raised the groups Zygosporece, Oo-
sporece, and Carposporece from classes to branches, he retained their names
intact. With a view of securing uniformity of termination I suggested in

THE FERN'S PLACE IN NATURE. 49

ing of filaments ; sexual reproduction consisting of the union
of two similar cells, both of which are equally active in the pro-
cess. Product of reproduction a zygospore. Contains five
classes, of which the first four are " algae." *

1. ZOOSPORE^E. (Water-net, Sea Lettuce, etc.)

2. DESMIDIACE^E. (Desmids.)

3. DIATOMACE^E. (Diatoms.)

4. ZYGNEMACE^E. (Pond Scums.)

5. ZYGOMYCETES. (Black Moulds.)

133.— III. Oophyta — Plant body varying from a loosely
united colony of cells through filamentous forms to a well-
developed thallus ; sexual reproduction accomplished by the
union of a small active cell (antheridium} with a larger passive
cell (pogoniutn). Product of reproduction an oospore. Con-
tains seven classes.t of which the first three and the last are

1. ZOOSPORE^E. (Volvox, etc.)

2. CEDOGONIE/E. (Small fresh-water algae.)

3. VAUCHERIACE^:. (Green Felts.)

4. SAPROLEGNIACE.E. (Water-mould ; Fish-fungus.)

5. ENTOMOPHTHORE/E. (Fly-fungus.)

6. PERONOSPORE^:. (Downy Mildew; White Rust.)

7. FUCACE^E. (Rock-weed and other brown algae.)

1 34.— IV. Carpophyta. — Plant body varying from poorly
developed filaments (in parasitic forms) to a highly developed
thallus (Floridece), or with a distinct leafy axis (Characece) •
sexual reproduction accomplished by the union of an active cell
or cells produced in the antheridium, and a larger passive cell
(here called carpogoninni) ; product of reproduction a sporo-
carp (spore-fruit), usually containing numerous spores sur-
rounded by a more or less complicated envelope of sterile cells.

1882 (2cl edition, p. 53) the shortening of the terms to Zygospora, Oospora,
and Carpospora. Dr. Bessey in his " Essentials" (1884) completed the uni-
formity by changing all so as to end in phyta. To complete the series, I
have adopted Spermaphyta for the highest group.

* The last four are often grouped together as " conjugatce" differing
from the first in possessing stationary instead of motile reproductive cells.

t The 3d, 4th, 5th, and 6th form the class Cosloblastece of Bessey's Botany.
4

50 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

Contains the following twelve groups* which are variously
classified by different authors. The first, second, and twelfth
are algae.

1. COLEOCH^ETE^E. (Small fresh-water algae.)

2. FLORIDE^E. (Red algae.)

3. PERISPORIACEJE. (Powdery Mildews.)

4. TUBERACE^E. (Truffles, etc.)

5. HELVELLACE^E. (Cup-fungi, Morels, etc.)

6. PYRENOMYCETES. (Ergot, Black-knot, etc.)

7. LICHENES. (Lichens.)

8. UREDINE^E. (Cluster-cups, red and black Rusts.)

9. USTILAGINE/E. (Smuts.)

10. HYMENOMYCETES. (Mushrooms, Pore-fungi, etc.)

1 1. GASTEROMYCETES. (Puff-balls, Earth -stars, Stink-
horns.)

12. CHARACE^E. (Stone-worts.)

1 35.— V. Bryophyta. — Plant body varying from a thallus
to a distinct leafy axis, containing only a rudimentary fibro-
vascular system ; life-history involving two alternating phases :
(i) a highly organized sexual phase, producing archegonia and
antheridia; and (2) a sporogonial phase, living parasitically on
the first, and asexually producing spores. Two well-marked
classes are recognized.

1. HEPATIC/E. (Liverworts.)

2. Musci. (True Mosses, Peat Mosses.)

136.— VI. Pteridophyta. — Plant body usually a leafy axis
containing a well-developed fibro-vascular system of highly dif-
ferentiated tissue; life-history involving two phases : (i) a thal-
loid phase, producing sexual organs (antheridia, archegonia),
and (2) a highly organized asexual phase, producing spores.

(The subdivisions of this branch are more fully arranged in
another portion of this work.)

137.— VII. Spermaphyta.f — Plant body, except in rare

* The groups from 3 to 9 inclusive are classed by Bessey as Ascomycetes ;
10 and ii as Basidiomycetes.

t I have followed Goebel in using th is term in place of the older Phanero-
gamia, because of (i) its fitness, and (2) its uniformity with other branches.
Like the term Cryptogamia, Phanerogamia has lost its original significance,
and may well be classed with it as obsolete.

THE FERN'S PLACE IN NATURE. 51

cases (Lemna, etc.), a well-developed leafy axis containing
highly differentiated tissues of every kind ; sexual reproduction
consisting of the union of pollen grains (male element) with the
embryo-sac (female element), resulting in the formation of an
embryo, which with its coverings constitutes the seed.* Con-
tains two well-marked classes.

1. GYMNOSPERM^E. (Cone-bearing trees, Cycads, etc.)

2. ANGIOSPERM^:. (All other seed-bearing plants.)

1 38. It will thus be seen that the Ferns and their Allies
occupy a high place in the plant world just below the seed-pro-
ducing plants. This position they maintain not only from
complexity of structure and the character of their reproduction,
but also from their evident graded relation to some of the
lower forms of spermaphytes, including many now extinct.

LITERATURE.

In preparing this list of reference works on the various
groups of plants, a list recently published by Dr. Besseyt has
served as a basis. Numerous additions have been made, and
such comments have been introduced as will enable the student
to select intelligently the most desirable works. As the lower
groups of plants have been classed heretofore in the two great
divisions algce and fungi, we begin with general works on these
two groups, and then indicate special works and papers relating
to narrower groups, as they have been independently mono-
graphed.

Algae.

The algae are frequently grouped according to habitat.
The works relating to fresh-water forms are :

WOLLE (F.). Fresh-water Algae of the United States. 2
vols. 8vo. Bethlehem, Pa., 1887.

* It will be readily seen that this method is only a slight modification of
what appears in the development of the higher forms of Pteridophytes like
Selaginella, the microspores corresponding to the pollen and the macro-
spores to the embryo-sac. The prothallium, which in ferns is a marked fea-
ture of the sexual stage, becomes reduced in Selaginella, and disappears ex-
cept in rudiment in the seed plants. There are no sharp lines possible in
classification.

t American Naturalist, XXI, 376-379 (April, 1887).

52 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

COOKE (M. C). British Fresh-water Algae. 8vo. London.

For marine forms :

FARLOW (W. G.). Marine Algae of New England, in Report
of U. S. Fish Commission for 1879. 8vo. Washington. Will
serve as a manual for the Eastern States.

For more extended study the following more expensive
works will be desirable :

HARVEY (W. H.). Nereis Boreali-Americana. In three
parts. 4to. Washington. D. C., 1851, 1853, 1857.

- Phycologia Britannica. 4 vols. royal 8vo. London,
1871.

Both these works are profusely illustrated with colored
plates.

Fungi.*

For the study of the structure and biology of this group the
following is the best work extant :

DE BARY (A.). Comparative Morphology and Biology of
the Fungi, Mycetozoa, and Bacteria. (English Translation.)
8vo. Oxford, 1887. (Macmillan & Co.)

No systematic work on the N. A. Fungi has been published,
and none covering the entire group is likely to be published for
many years. The best general work is the following:

WINTER (G.) et al. Die Pilze. In Rabenhorsfs Krypto-
gamen Flora von Deutschland, Oesterreich, und der Schivciz.
This excellent work is being issued in parts, of which the
first of the third volume has already appeared. Until this work
is completed, the following, though vastly inferior, will be found
serviceable if it can be obtained :

CobKE (M. C.). Handbook of British Fungi. 2 vols. I2mo.
London, 1871.

* In preparing these lists the " List of Works on North American Fungi,"
by Drs. Farlow and Trelease (Bibliographical Contributions of Harvard Uni-
versity, No. 25), has been of great assistance. This will serve as a valuable in-
dex for students of Fungi.

THE FERN'S PLACE IN NATURE. 53

Myxomycetes.

ROSTAFINSKI (J.)- Sluzowce Monographia. 410. Paris,
1875-6. This most valuable work is unfortunately locked up in
the Polish language. A translation of the parts relating to
the British species, with a reproduction of most of the plates,
will be found in the next title.

COOKE(M. C). Myxomycetes of Great Britain. London,

1877-

- The Myxomycetes of the United States. In Annals
N. Y. Lyceum Nat. Hist.,m, 378-409 (June, 1877). A servicea-
ble list of the American species.

Sch izomycetes.

GROVE (W. B.). A Synopsis of the Bacteria and Yeast
Fungi. i2mo. London, 1884.

The literature relating to Bacteria is becoming enormous ;
many references will be found in De Bary, I. c., who treats of
their morphology and biology.

Desmidtacece.

WOLLE (F.). Desmids of the United States. 8vo. Beth-
lehem, Pa., 1884.

STOKES (A. C.). Key to the Desmidieae. In Amer.
Monthly Micros. Journal, vil, 109-114, 125-131, 144-148,163-
169 (1886). An analytic key for the above-named work.

Diatomacece.

SMITH (H. L.). Conspectus of the Families and Genera of
the Diatomaceae. In The Lens. I, 1-19, 72-93 (1872).

RABENHORST (L.). Flora Europasa Algarum. Sectio I.
8vo. Lipsiae, 1864.

For more extended study the following more expensive work,
with over 3000 illustrations, will be found serviceable.

VAN HEURCK (H.). Synopsis des Diatomees de Belgique.
8vo. Anvers, 1880.

54 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES

Peronosporea.

FARLOW (W. G.). Enumeration of the Peronosporeae of the
United States. In Botanical Gazette, viil, 305-315, 327-337
(Oct. and Nov. 1883).

— Additions to the Peronosporeae of the United States.
Ibid., ix, 37-40 (Mar. 1884).

Perisporiacea.

BESSEY (C. E.). The Erysiphei. In Biennial Report Iowa
Agric. Coll. 1877, 185-204 (1-20). 2 plates.

BURRILL (T. J.) and EARLE (F. S.). Parasitic Fungi of Il-
linois. Part n, Erysipheae. In Bull. III. State Lab. Nat. Hist.,
n, 387-433 (1877).

Helvellacece.

COOKE (M. C.). Mycographia, seu Icones Fungorum.
Vol. I. Discomycetes. 4to. London, 1879.

Pyrenomycetes.

TULASNE (L. and C. R.). Selecta Fungorum Carpologia. 3
vols. 4to. Paris, 1 86 1, 1863, 1865. This classic work, with truly
elegant plates, treats also of the Perisporiacea and some other
ascomycetous fungi.

SACCARDO (P. A.), BERLESE (A. N.), and VOGLINO (P.).
Sylloge Fungorum omnium hucusque cognitorum. Vols. I-v
already issued. 8vo. Padua, 1882-1887. This extensive work
is a compilation of all the described fungi of the world. The
first two volumes only treat of the Pyrenomycetes. The work
is a library in itself, and will stand as a monument of patient
and exhaustive labor.*

Lie he ties.

WlLLEY (H.). An Introduction to the Study of the Li-
chens. Pamphlet. New Bedford, Mass., 1887. This will serve

* The student of Pyrenomycetes as well as other difficult groups will need
to have reference to the valuable set of North American Fungi prepared by
J. B. Ellis. 1900 specimens are already issued.

THE FERN'S PLACE IN NATURE. 55

as an introduction to the descriptive works to follow in the
next two titles.

TUCKERMAN (E.). Genera Lichenum. 8vo. Amherst,
Mass., 1872. (S. E. Cassino & Co.)

— A Synopsis of the North American Lichens. 8vo.
Boston, 1882. (S. E. Cassino & Co.;

Uredinece.

BURRILL (T. J.). Parasitic Fungi of Illinois. Part I. In
Bull. III. State Lab. Nat. Hist., II, 141-255 (1885).

Hymenomycetes.

COOKE (M. C.). Handbook of British Fungi. Second edi-
tion. Published as a supplement to Grevillca.

PECK(C. H.). Botanists' Report. In Twenty '-third Report of
Regents, 27-135. Albany, 1872; this and following reports con-
tain many synopses and descriptions of New York fungi.

MORGAN (A. P.). The Mycologic Flora of the Miami Val-
ley. In Jour. Soc. Nat. Hist., Cincinnati, VI, 54-81, 97-117,
173-199; vii, 5-10; vin, 91-111, 168-174; ix, 1-8 (1883-1885).

For more expensive works, illustrating many species with
colored plates, the following may be mentioned :

FRIES (E.). Icones selectae Hymenomycetum. Series land
n. Folio. Holm, 1867-1884. This work contains two hundred
colored plates.

COOKE (M. C.). Illustrations of British Fungi. 4 vols.
London, 1881-1887.

Gasteromycetes.

PECK (C. H.). United States Species of Lycoperdon. In
Trans. Albany Inst., IX, 285-318 (1-35) (1879).

MORGAN (A. P.). The North American Geasters. In Amcr.
Naturalist, xvm, 963-970 (Oct. 1884). Reprinted without the
illustrations in Journal of Mycology, \, 11-13 (1885).*

* Students of fungi will find much matter relating to the American spe-
cies in this monthly, published at Manhattan, Kan. ($1.00 per annum.) It
is devoted entirely to Fungi.

56 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

Characece.

ALLEN (T. F.). Characeae of America. Part I. New York,
1888.

Development of the Cortex in Chara. In Torrey Bul-
letin, ix/37-47; plates xv-xxi (Apr. 1882).

Notes on the American Species of Tolypella. Ibid., x,

109-117 (Oct. and Nov. 1883).

Some Notes on Characeae. Ibid., xiv, 211-215; plates

LXXI-LXXV (Oct. 1887).

Observations on some American Forms of Chara coro-

nata. In Amcr. Nattiralist, XVI, 358-369 (May, 1882).

HALSTED (B. D.). Classification and Description of the
American Species of Characeae. In Proc. Boston Soc. Nat.
Hist., xx, 169-190 (1879).

Musci.

B.\GNALL (J. E.). Handbook of Mosses. I2mo. London,
1886. Though an English work, this will be of value for
beginners.

LESQUEREUX (L.) and JAMES (T. P.). Manual of the Mosses
of North America. 8vo. Boston, 1884. (S. E. Cassino & Co.)

BARNES (C. R.). Analytic Key to the Genera of Mosses.
In Bull. No. i, Purdue Univ. School of Science (1886). A
valuable supplement to the preceding.

— A Revision of the North American Species of Fissidens.
In Botanical Gazette, xn, 1-8, 25-32 (Jan. and Feb. 1886).

For more extended and expensive works the following are
important :

SULLIVANT (W. S.). Icones Muscorum, with Supplement.
2 vols. royal 8vo. Cambridge, Mass., 1864-1874.

BRAITHWAITE (R.). British Moss Flora. Vol. I (all yet
published). Royal 8vo. London, 1887.

The Sphagnaceae, or Peat Mosses of Europe and North

America. Royal 8vo. London, 1880.

SCHIMPER (W. P.). Synopsis Muscorum Europaeorum. 2
vols. 8vo. Stuttgart, 1876.

THE FERN S PLACE IN NATURE. $7

Hepatica.

SULLIVANT (W. S.). Musci and Hepaticae of the Eastern
United States. 8vo. New York, 1871. Also published with
the fourth edition of Gray's Manual. The text of this book is
out of date as compared with our present knowledge, but the
three plates are excellent, illustrating nearly all the genera.

UNDERWOOD (L. M.). Descriptive Catalogue of the North
American Hepaticae north of Mexico. In Bull. III. Lab. Nat.
Hist., II, 1-133 (1883).*

Pteridophyta.

As we have already given the literature relating to the Fern
allies, we here add that relating to the Ferns, including many
of the original sources of description.

BECK (Lewis C.). Synoptical Table of the Ferns and
Mosses of the United States. In Silltmans Journal, vol. IV
(1829). List of 88 pteridophytes, including 63 ferns.

DAVENPORT (George E.). Aspidium spinulosum (Swartz)
and its varieties. In American Naturalist, vol. XI I (Nov.
1878).

- New Species of Ferns. In Torrey Bulletin, vi, 190-191
(Dec. 1887); vii, 50, 51 (May, 1880); vin, 61, 62 (June, 1881) ;
x, 61, 62 (June, 1883).

- Fern Notes. In Torrey Bulletin, vii, 85, 86 ; VIII, 88, 89 ;
IX, 20-23, 68, 69, 99-101 ; X, 4-7; xn, 21-24; XIII» 81, 82, 129-

'35-

EATON (Daniel C.). Ferns of the Mexican Boundary. In
Mexican Boundary Survey, 1857. List of 44 Pteridophytes,
with descriptions of new species.

— Ferns of the Southern States. In Chapman's Flora of
the Southern States, 1860. Describes 56 species.

— Ferns of Northern United States. In Gray's Manual,
5th Edition, 1868. Describes 57 species.

Notes on Some of the Plants in the Herbaria of Linne

* Students of the Hepaticas should have access, if possible, to a set of
Austin's Hepaticce Boreali-Americancz. The writer (associated with Mr. O.
F. Cook) has commenced the issue of a new series, Hepaticce Americana, of
which the first two decades are specially intended for beginners.

58 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

and Michaux. In Canadian Naturalist, Mar. 1870. Contains
interesting notes on species collected or named by these early
botanists.

EATON (Daniel C). New and Little Known Ferns of the
United States. In Tor rey Bulletin, iv, u, 12 (Mar. 1873), 18, 19
(May, 1873) ; vi, 33 (May, 1875), 7J> 72 (Jan- 1876), 263-265 (Oct.
1878), 306, 307 (Apr. 1879), 360, 361 (Nov. 1879); vn, 62-64 (June,
1880); vili, 4, 5 (Jan. 1881), 99, 100 (Sept. 1881) ; ix, 49, 50
(Apr. 1882); x, 26-29 (Mar- l883)> 101. 102 (Sept. 1883). Valu-
able notes and descriptions of new species.

Ferns of North America. Illustrated with colored

plates drawn by J. H. Emerton and C. E. Faxon. This finely
executed work contains descriptions of the North American
species miscellaneously arranged ; it contains also a systematic
arrangement, with brief synoptical descriptions. It was origin-
ally published in parts, and though somewhat expensive, ought
to be in the library of every lover of the subject. The reputa-
tion of its author is a sufficient recommendation.

Ferns of the Southwest. In Wheeler's Geological Re-
ports, vol. vi, 1877. Describes 72 species.

Vascular Acrogens of California. In Botany of Cali-
fornia, vol. u, 1880. Describes 56 pteridophytes, including 43
ferns.

GRAY (Asa). On the Discovery of Two Species of Tricho-
manes in the State of Alabama. In Silliinans Journal, Second
Senes, vol. XV (1853). Description of T. Peter sii, n. sp.

KUNZE (G.). Notes on Some Ferns of the United States.
In Sillimans Journal, Second Series, vol. VI (1848). Com-
municated by G. Engelmann. Contains notes on several Amer-
ican Ferns and their allies, with descriptions of several species.

WILLIAMSON (John). Ferns of Kentucky, 121110. Louis-
ville, Ky., 1878. Illustrated by the author with etchings of the
Ferns of that State, 40 in number.

Fern Etchings. I2mo. Louisville, Ky., 1879. Con-
taining descriptions and etchings of the Ferns of Northeastern
United States and Canada.

Those desiring more extensive literature on the Ferns of
other countries should have access to the following works :

FEE (F. L. A.). Memoires sur la Famille des Fougeres.

THE FERN'S PLACE IN NATURE. 59

Complete en 13 parties. 4to, avec 289 planches. Strasbourg,
1844-1873.

FEE (F. L. A.). Catalogue des Fougeres et des Lycopodia-
cees du Mexique. Strasbourg, 1857.

- Histoire des Fougeres et des Lycopodiacees des An-
tilles. Strasbourg, 1866.

HOOKER (William Jackson). Genera Filicum. 410. Lon-
don, 1842. Illustrated by 120 colored plates, representing 135
genera and sub-genera.

— Species Filicum. 5 vols. 8vo. London, 1846-1864.
Contains among 304 plates nineteen of North American Ferns.

HOOKER (W. J.) and BAKER (John Gilbert). Synopsis
Filicum. Second Edition, 8vo. London, 1874. Contains de-
scriptions of all Ferns known at that date, and is valuable for
the determination of species from beyond our limits. It lacks
one very essential feature of a systematic work, namely, a key
to the genera, and the grouping of the species is such as to
make it often difficult to identify them.

HOOKER (W. J.) and GREVILLE (Robert Kane). Icones Fi-
licum. 2 vols. folio. London, 1831. Containing 240 plates, of
which 13 represent North American Ferns.

Spermaphyta.

The only work attempting to describe all our flowering
plants is incomplete, covering only the Gamopetalse. It stands
as a monument to its author, the leader of American Botany
for many years.

GRAY (Asa). Synoptical Flora of North America. Gamo-
petalae. 4to. New York, 1886.

The following manuals will cover various portions of our
country :

GRAY (Asa). Manual of the Botany of the Northern United
States. 8vo. New York, 1868.

CHAPMAN (A. W.). Flora of the Southern United States.
8vo. New York, 1883.

COULTER (John M.). Manual of the Botany of the Rocky
Mountain Region. 8vo. New York, 1885.

WATSON (Sereno). Botany of California. 2 vols. 4to. 1880.

60 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

CHAPTER IX.
DISTRIBUTION IN TIME AND SPACE.

139. Geographic Distribution. — Ferns are found in all
parts of the world. The number of described species is not
certainly known, and the uncertainty is largely increased for
the reason that our best systematists do not agree as to what
constitutes a species. Baker, whose authority is generally
recognized in England and America, places the estimate at
about 3000 species. Added to these are 565 fern allies as recog-
nized by the same author.

From what has been said respecting the climatic conditions
of fern growth we would naturally expect to find them most
abundant in countries where warmth and moisture predomi-
nate. These conditions seem most completely met on tropical
islands or in tropical continental areas with insular climates.
The little island of Mauritius, having an area of 676 square
miles, or less than one third the area of Delaware, has 235 na-
tive species, while Java, little larger than New York, has 460.
Brazil furnishes 387, and the Isthmus of Panama 117. Com-
paring these with colder climates, we find 67 in all Europe, and
only 26 grow within the borders of the arctic zone.

" Our Native Ferns," as described later in this volume, in-
cluding those species that are classed in the order FILICES,
number 156 species. Adding to these the n species of the
order OPHIOGLOSSACE/E, which have frequently been enumer-
ated with the ferns, we have a total of 167 species. The remain-
ing fern allies number 56, making a grand total of 223.

140. Divisions of our Flora. — It has been found conven-
ient to divide the surface of the earth into faunas and floras,
limited by the natural distribution of the various species of
animals and plants. These limits are by no means sharply
defined, for wherever the limit is made some species will pass

DISTRIBUTION IN TIME AND SPACE. 6l

beyond it ; yet the majority found on one side are different
from the majority of those on the other. North America (ex-
cluding Mexico) forms the Nearctic realm or fauna (Regnum
Nearcticum\ and the same boundaries may be used in the limi-
tation of our fern flora, although some species from tropical
regions invade our borders in Florida, Texas, and Arizona.
Leaving out of question the species that are widely distributed
over the greater part of our country, many of which are cos-
mopolitan species, we may divide the Nearctic realm into five
provinces, each of which possesses many species peculiar to itself.
141. The provinces* are as follows :

I. BOREAL : inhabiting (with a few exceptions) the northern
portion of the United States, extending through Canada and
British America, some species even reaching Labrador, Green-
land, and Alaska, and nearly all represented also in the north-
ern portions of the Old World.

II. MEDIAL: extending throughout the mountain and hilly
region of the States east of the Mississippi, westward to the
mountains, and northward into Canada, and in a few instances
also inhabiting the Old World.

III. OCCIDENTAL : extending along the western border of
the continent from British Columbia to California, in a few
cases appearing also in the Rocky Mountain region.

IV. ARIZONIAN : inhabiting the central mountain regions of
Western Texas, Arizona, and Colorado, many of the species ex-
tending thence into Mexico, and some even to South America.

V. AUSTRAL : inhabiting the border of the Gulf of Mexico,
many of the species extending into the West Indies and Tropi-
cal America.

1 42. The following lists will indicate the relations of our
native species, though several species exceed the bounds here
indicated, and occur within the borders of other provinces.

* This division is a slight modification of one proposed by John H. Red-
field in 1875. Cf. Bulletin Torrey Botanical Club, vi, 1-7.

62 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

BOREAL.
(Those marked * are known only from Alaska.)

Cheilanthes argentea.* Local.
Cryptogram me acrostichoides.
Pellaea gracilis.
Asplenium viride.
Aspidium lonchitis.

aculeatum, van Braunii.

oreopteris.

fragrans.

filix-mas.

spinulosum.

Boottii.
Cystopteris montana.

Woodsia hyperborea.
glabella.

Botrychium lunaria. Rare and local.

boreale.* Local.
Equisetum pratense.

palustre.

litorale. Rare.

variegatum.
Lycopodium annotinum.

alpinum.

sabinasfolium.
Selaginella selaginoides.

MEDIAL.

Adiantum pedatum.
Cheilanthes vestita.
Pellaea atropurpurea.
Wood ward ia Virginica.

angustifolia.
Asplenium pinnutifidum.

ebenoides.

ebeneum.

angustifolium.

ruta-muraria.

montanum.

Bradleyi.

thelypteroides.
Scolopendrium vulgare. Rare and

local.

Camptosorus rhizophyllus.
Phegopteris polypodioides.

hexagonoptera.

dryopteris.
Aspidium acrostichoides.

Noveboracense.

thelypteris.

cristatum.

var. Clintonianum.

Goldieanum.

marginale.

Aspidium spinulosum, var. interme-
dium.

var. dilatatum.
Cystopteris bulbifera.
Onoclea sensibilis.

struthiopteris.
Woodsia Ilvensis.

obtusa.

Dicksonia pilosiuscula.
Lygodium palmatum. Rare.
Schizaea pusilla. Local.
Osmunda regalis.

Claytoniana.

cinnamomea.

Marsilia quadrifolia. Local.
Salvinia natans. Local.
Botrychium simplex.

matricariasfolium.

lanceolatum.
Equisetum sylvaticum.

limosum.

scirpoides.
Lycopodium selago.

lucidulum.

inundatum.

DISTRIBUTION IN TIME AND SPACE.

Lycopodium dendroideum.
clavatum.
complanatum.
Selaginella apus.
Isoetes lacustris.

Tuckermani. Local,
echinospora, var. Braunii.

var. robusta. Local,
var. Boottii.

Isoetes echinospora, var. muricata.

Local.

saccharata. Local,
riparia.
Engelmanni.
var. gracilis.
var. valida.
melanopoda.
Butleri. Rare.

OCCIDENTAL.

(Species marked * are confined to California ; those marked t are found only in
Oregon.)

Polypodium falcatum.

Calif ornicum.*

Scouleri.

Gymnogramme triangularis.
Notholaena Newberryi.

cretacea.*

tenera.

Adiantum emarginatum.
Pteris aquilina, var. lanuginosa.
Cheilanthes Californica.*

viscida.*

Cooperae.*

gracillima.

Parishii.*

fibrillosa.*

Clevelandii.*
Pellaea Breweri.

andromedae folia. *

brachyptera.

ornithopus.*

densa.

Bridges!!.*
Lomaria spicant.
Woodwardia radicans.

Phegopteris alpestris.
Aspidium munitum.

mohrioides.*

aculeatum.*

var. Californicum.*
var. angulare.*

Nevadense.*

rigidum, var. argutum.
Woodsia scopulina.

Oregana.

Marsilia vestita.
Pilularia Americana.
Equisetum telmateia.

robustum.
Selaginella Oregana.

Douglasii.
Isoetes pygmaea.*

Bolanderi.

Howellii.t

nuda.t

Nuttallii.

Suksdorfii.f

ARIZONIAN.

(Species marked * are found in our region only in Arizona; those marked t are

Texan.)

Polypodium thysanolepis.*
Gymnogramme Ehrenbergiana.
Notholaena sinuata.
ferruginea.

Notholaena Parryi.
Aschenborniana.*
Candida.
Hookeri.

64 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

Notholasna Grayi.*

Lemmoni.*

nivea.

Fendleri.

Adiantum tricholepis.f
Cheilanthes Pringlei.*

Wrightii.

leucopoda.f

lendigera.*

lanuginosa.

tomentosa.

Fendleri.

myriophylla.

Lindheimeri.
Pellaea aspera.

pulchella.

Pellaea ternifolia.t

Wrightiana.

flexuosa.

intermedia.*
Asplenium monanthemum.*

septentrionale.

Glenniei.*
Aspidium juglandifolium.

patulum.*
Woodsia Mexicana.
Aneimia Mexicana. t

Marsilia macropoda.

uncinata.

vestita, var. tenuifolia.t
Selaginella lepidophylla.

AUSTRAL.

(Species marked * are found in
Acrostichum aureum.*
Polypodium plumula.*

pectinatum.*

incanum.

aureum. *

phyllitidis.*

Swartzii.*

Taenitis lanceolata.*
Vittaria lineata.*
Adiantum capillus-veneris.

tenerum.*
Pteris longifolia.*

serrulata.

aquilina, var. caudata.
Cheilanthes microphylla.

Alabamensis.

Ceratopteris thalictroides.*
Blechnum serrulatum.*
Asplenium serratum.*

parvulum.

dentatum.

firmum.
Asplenium cicutarium.*

rhizophyllum,var. myriophyllum*
var. Biscaynianum*
Phegopteris tetragona.* Rare.

our region only in Florida.)
Phegopteris reptans.* Rare.
Aspidium trifoliatum. Rare.

conterminum, var. strigosum.*

patens.

unitum, var. glabrum.*

Floridanum.*
Nephrolepis exaltata.*

acuta.* Rare.
Trichomanes Petersii. Local.

radicans.
Aneimia adiantifolia.*

Ophioglossum crotalophoroides.

nudicaule.

palmatum.*
Equisetum lasvigatum.
Lycopodium inundatum, var. pinna
turn.*

alopecuroides.

cernuum. Rare.

Carolinianum.
Psilotum triquetrum. Rare.
Selaginella Ludoviciana. Rare.

rupestris, var. tortipila. Rare.
Isoetes melanospora. Local.

flaccida.*

var. Chapmani.*

DISTRIBUTION IN TIME AND SPACE. 65

COSMOPOLITAN SPECIES.

Polypodium vulgare.
Pteris aquilina.
Asplenium trichomanes.

filix-foemina.
Cystopteris fragilis.

Ophioglossum vulgatum.
Botrychium Virginianum.

ternatum.
Equisetum arvense.

hiemale.

Selaginella rupestris.
Azolla Caroliniana.

1 43. Local Lists. — The number of species found in a sin-
gle locality is usually limited, yet in certain favored locations
there is a marked diversity. As an instance, in one of the
habitats of the rare hart's-tongue * the writer has collected
twenty-three species illustrating eleven genera within the radius
of a thousand feet. Such localities, however, are comparatively
rare, and must include wide diversity of soil and shade within
very narrow limits.

Onondaga County, New York, possesses perhaps as many
ferns as any county in the entire country, including 41 species.
32 are catalogued from Essex County, Massachusetts. Several
State lists more or less complete have been compiled, and are
noticed in the literature below. Carefully prepared lists from
all the States and Territories would be a valuable addition
to our knowledge of geographic distribution.

144. Geologic Distribution. — It is well known that the
plants and animals now existing on the earth are not the same
in kind as those of former ages. Geologists have carefully
studied the stony heart of nature, and have drawn therefrom
the story of the development of land and sea, and the succes-
sive populations that from time to time have held possession
of our globe. Plants furnishing the natural food for animals
must have preceded animal life, yet in the earliest geologic
ages the remains of animals are far more numerous. The
abundance of the deposits of graphite and iron-ore in the earli-
est or Archaean rocks indicates the existence of extensive plant
growth, but the remains are so transformed as to make it im-
possible to determine the character of this primeval vegetation.

1 45. In the succeeding Silurian age the fossil remains in-
dicate the existence of algae or sea-weeds in abundance, and a

* " Green Pond," one mile east of Jamesville, Onondaga County, New
York.

66 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

single small species of ground pine attests the existence of some
of the higher Cryptoga nria ; no ferns, however, have been
found in America older than the Devonian. Over fifty species
of Devonian ferns have been described from the American
rocks chiefly, by Principal J. W. Dawson of Montreal.

1 46. It is in the coal measures, however, that ferns and
other Cryptogamia are found in the greatest abundance and
profusion. Their delicate foliage is impressed on the various
rock strata above the beds of coal, and so perfectly are they
preserved that not only the methods of fructification but even
the microscopic spores have been detected ! In the coal meas-
ures of the United States and Canada (counting from the base
of the Catskill), 381 species of ferns have been described,
chiefly by Prof. Leo Lesquereux. The most abundant Ameri-
can genera are Neuropteris 45 species, Pecopterts 50 species,
Sphenopteris 31 species, Pseudopecopteris 25 species, and Rha-
cophyllum 24 species.

The frontispiece gives an ideal representation of the vegeta-
tion of the Carboniferous age. The luxuriant tree-ferns, the
Lepidodendrids, ancient representatives of the diminutive club-
mosses or ground-pines, the Catamites, allies of the modern
scouring-rushes, and other forms no less wonderful, are seen in
their profusion.

147. In the later geologic ages, Mesozoic and Tertiary,
ferns are found preserved in the rocks, with the leaves of many
trees and shrubs of existing genera. The indications are that
Terns formed a far smaller part of the vegetation of these later
ages than in the preceding Carboniferous, and even approxi-
mated to that of the present. Six Cretaceous and twenty-four
Tertiary species have been catalogued,* including species in
the existing genera Lygodium, Pteris, Woodwardia, Aspidium,
Gymnogramme, etc., as well as some related to genera abundant
in earlier formations. No living species is found fossil, unless
Dr. Newberry's variety of Onoclea sensibilis becomes estab-
lished.t In the course of geologic history, however, we can

* Tenth report, Hayden Geological Survey of the Territories. Washing-
ton, 1878.

t Prof. Lesquereux writes me: "Though analogous by the nervation, I
doubt the identity on account of the coriaceous character of that fossil fern,

DISTRIBUTION IN TIME AND SPACE. 6?

trace a gradual approximation to the modern types from the
generalized forms of Devonian and Carboniferous times.

148. Fern Allies. — Ophioglossum dates back to the Ter-
tiary period with one species. The order EQUISETACETE have
existed since the coal period and the genus Equisetum since the
Triassic. The order CALAMARIACE^E, which combined charac-
ters of modern Equiseta and Conifers, came into existence in the
Devonian, but became extinct before the close of the Permian.
Illustrations of Calamites can be seen at the left-hand corner of
the frontispiece, also under the tree-fern in the centre. The
club-mosses proper have been in existence since the Devonian,
and the genus Lycopodium since the Carboniferous. Selaginella
has never been found fossil, but its near relatives belonging to
the extinct orders LEPIDODENDRACE^E and SIGILLARIACE^:
were very abundant in the Palaeozoic era, particularly during
the Carboniferous, where they formed the largest part of the
forest vegetation, reaching in some instances a height of sev-
enty to one hundred feet. The former possessed characters
connecting modern club-mosses with Conifers, while the latter
seem to connect the club-mosses with the Cycads. Restora-
tions of Lepidodendron may be seen on the left-hand side of the
frontispiece, and of Sigillaria on the right. Isoetes dates back
to the Miocene (Tertiary) and Marsilia and Ptlularia to the
same period.

LITERATURE.

Besides the works referred to below, many State floras will
give additional information respecting local distribution.
Among the more important of these are those of New Jersey
(Brittoti), Ohio (Beardslee), North Carolina (Curtiss), Wiscon-
sin (Lapkam), Vermont (Perkins), New Hampshire (Flint],
Pacific Coast (Lemmott), Illinois (Patterson}, New York (Torrey),
Michigan ( Wheeler and Smith}, Indiana (Coulter and Barnes),
Iowa (Arthur), Minnesota (Uphani), Missouri (Tracy).

BURGESS (T. W. J.). Recent Additions to Canadian Filici-
neae. In Transactions Royal Society of Canada (1886).

which I have not seen in any variety of O. sensibilis now living." Principal
Dawson, however, writes: "The Onoclea sensibilis of the Laramie is truly
that species, and I have found with it in our Manitoba formations another
modern fern, Davallia tenuifolia"

68 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

DAVENPORT (George E.). Catalogue of the "Davenport
Herbarium" of North American Ferns. Salem (1879). Sup-
plement (1883).

Some Comparative Tables showing the Distribution of

Ferns in the United States of North America. In Proceedings
American Philosophical Society, 1883, 605-612.

MACOUN (John) and BURGESS (T. W. J.). Canadian Filici-
nese. In Transactions Royal Society of Canada (1884).

REDFIELD (John H.). Geographical Distribution of the
Ferns of North America. In Torrey Bulletin, VI, 1-7 (1875).

Minor notes on distribution will also be found in the follow-
ing journals :

Botanical Gazette, I, u, 22, 27; II, 55, 62; III, 82; IV, 128,
139, 177, 232; v, 15, 39; vi, 195, 220, 248; VII, 76, 96, 160; x,
370; xn, 63, 67, 181 ; xil, 117.

Torrey Bulletin, II, 24, 28; III, 2, 33; IV, 2, 17, 42; v, 38, 39;
vi, 8, 175, 177, 199, 206, 221, 234, 291, 345, 347 ; vn, 16, 80, 89, 94,
96, 118; vin, 47, 93, 105, 127. 144; ix, 55, 71, 128; x, 32,40; xi,
7, 67 ; xiv, 97, 149-

Other notes still will be found in Mr. Davenport's series of
" Fern Notes" and Prof. Eaton's series of " New and Rare Ferns
of the United States," together with much of the remaining
descriptive literature noted in Chapter VIII. on the Ferns and
their allies. The literature on fossil ferns is very extensive. A
valuable work on the coal flora will be found in the Reports
P and PP of the Second Geological Survey of Pennsylvania.

CHAPTER X.
METHODS OF STUDY.

The great benefit which a scientific education bestows, whether as training
or as knowledge, is dependent upon the extent to which the student . . .
.learns the habit of appealing directly to Nature. — HUXLEY.

149. Determination of Species. — The first thing to learn
about a plant or animal is not its name, but its structural
characteristics, knowing which the name can be readily deter-

METHODS OF STUDY.

69

mined. Having provided ourselves with a strong lens, two or
more needles mounted in wooden handles for dissecting pur-
poses, and a few well-fruited ferns taken with the roots, we are
prepared to commence our study. In investigating any plant
we should be systematic and accurate in our observations, and
no subject will develop order and accuracy of description or
enlarge our powers of observation as will the subject of botany
rigidly pursued. In order to fix the characters of the fern in
question, it is well to note them down in some systematic order,
and the preparation of blanks like the following is suggested
for the purpose :

Synoptical characters of

ROOT.

ROOTSTOCK.

STIPE.

FROND.

VEINS.

SORI.

SPORANGIA.

SPORES.

The characters thus commence with the lowest parts and
continually advance upwards to completion.

1 5O. Taking now a common fern, we will notice its charac-
teristics. Suppose it to be the one commonly called " Maiden-
hair" in the Northern States. We take the parts in order and
give them a searching examination : the character of the root;
the direction of growth, position and appearance of the root-
stock ; the appearance, color, and method of growth of the

70 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

stipe; the method of cutting of the frond and the character of
its surface; the method of veining; the position of the fruit
clusters on the frond and veins, and the peculiar form of the
indusium, if present. The sporangia and spores are best
studied with a microscope, yet the shape of the sporangia and
the character of the ring can be determined with a strong lens.
151. The characters of the Maidenhair can be summed up
as follows :

Synoptical characters of
ADIANTUM PEDATUM L.

ROOT.

Many delicate fibres, somewhat matted.

ROOTSTOCK.

Scaly, somewhat creeping.

STIPE.

Separate, slender, polished, black, forked at base of
frond, forming two recurved rachises.

FROND.

Roundish in outline, formed of several pinnae, which
branch from the recurved rachises; pinnules unequal sided,
oblong or deltoid ; upper margins irregularly lobed ; sur
faces smooth.

VEINS.

Free, several times forked.

SORI.

Borne at the end of the veins on the under side of the re-
flexed margins of the lobes, which form somewhat kidney-
shaped membranous indusla.

SPORANGIA.

Globose, with a nearly complete vertical ring.

SPORES.

Minute, of one kiod.

1 52. We are now prepared to determine the specific name,
and for this purpose will turn to the "ARTIFICIAL SYNOPSIS OF
ORDERS" (p. 75), where we read the statements under A, with
the first of which our plant agrees ; then to B as directed, where
we find it agrees with the third statement ; then to C, where we
determine the Order to which our plant belongs. After having
determined the plant to be a member of the order FILICES, we
proceed to the "ARTIFICIAL SYNOPSIS OF GENERA" (p. 82).
Reading the two statements under A we find our plant agrees
with the first, bearing the sporangia at the margin of a leafy
frond, so we proceed to B as indicated at the right-hand mar-

METHODS OF STUDY. 7 1

gin. There being an indusium present, we are directed to C,
where we find four statements. Our fern agrees with the
second, as the indusium is formed of a reflexed portion of the
frond. Passing to D we find it agreeing with the first state-
ment. Passing to E, the statement, " Sporangia at the ends of
the veins, borne on a reflexed portion of the margin of the
frond," answers our purpose, and the marginal reference indi-
cates the genus Adtantum. Under this genus (p. 89) we find
two statements designated by *, and ** ; the latter referring to
the " dichotomously forked " fronds, answers our purpose, and
we find our fern to be number 5, Adiantuni pcdatum L., the
scientific name of the Maidenhair, which we can now place in
our description. Were we in Florida or any of the Southern
States, instead of A. pedatimi we would probably have found
the Venus' Hair (A. capillus-veneris), or in California the Cali-
fornian Maidenhair {A. emarginatuni), either of which would
agree with the common Eastern species in all respects save the
method of branching of the frond and the shape of the pinnules.
In like manner we can trace any of our native species to their
scientific names, by carefully noting their structure and methods
of fruiting.

1 53. In a few ferns it will be necessary to exercise great
care in the examination of the indusia. In the genera Cystop-
terts, Dicksonia, and Woodsta, and in a few species of Aspidium
the indusia wither away after fruiting, so that one is likely to
classify them under the non-indusiate genera if he carelessly
examines them in this condition. In such cases a large number
of sori should be carefully examined, and the- least trace of an in-
dusium should be noted. Five sixths of our genera, including
four-fifths of our species, are indusiate.

1 54. Fern Allies. — In determining the species of the fern
allies the method of procedure is quite similar to that indicated
above for the Maidenhair, in each case referring the plant to its
proper order. The specimens must be in fruit, and in the case-
of Equisetum must include both sterile and fertile shoots. As
the species of Isoetes differ mainly in the size, character, and
markings of the spores, they will require a microscope with
micrometers for successful determination, though some can be
identified with a lens if the life habits are also known.

72 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

\ 55. Histology. — We have now gained a slight knowledge
of the more apparent characters of the fern as viewed from*
without, and have been formally introduced to the species in
hand by name. With some the study might seem to be at an
end, but in fact it has only fairly begun. The minute structure,
the development and the life-history of our fern, is yet unknown,
leaving the most important features yet to be ascertained.
Classification as it now exists is only a temporary arrangement,
for the true relations of our species can never be fully deter-
mined until their minute anatomy and life-histories have been
thoroughly studied and compared. The minute anatomy has
been carefully studied in only a few of our native ferns, and fewer
still have been watched through the phases of their life-history.
Less still is known of the species of fern allies. There is no
fear of exhausting the subject, and even amateur botanists with
the most limited facilities can do something in original inves-
tigation.

1 56. Guides to Study. — It is impossible within the limits
of a manual of this character to do more than suggest guides
for study, yet no guide can be followed blindly to the exclusion
of native common-sense. For the study of anatomy the works
already mentioned under Chapter V. will serve for reference,
while the following laboratory guides, each containing an out-
line for the study of a single fern, will be found necessary :

ARTHUR 0- C.), BARNES (C. R.) and COULTER (J. M.). Hand-
book of Plant Dissection. New York (1886). (Henry Holt &
Co.). For Adiantum pedatmn.

BOWER (F. O.) and VINES (S. H.). A Course of Practical In-
struction in Botany, Part I. London (1885). (Macmillan & Co.)
For Aspidium fili x -mas and fern allies.

SEDGWICK (W. T.) and WILSON (E. B.). General Biology.
Part I. New York (1886). (Henry Holt & Co.). For Pteris
aquilina.

\ 57. For the study of life-histories the recent paper by Dr.
Campbell on Onoclea struthiopterts can well serve as a model.
(Cf. Literature under Chapter VI.) The study of fern structure
and fern development will grow in interest at every step, and
will result in contributions of value to the knowledge of our
native ferns and their allies.

OUR NATIVE PTERIDOPHYTA

I love not man the less, but Nature more,

From these our interviews, in which I steal

From all I may be, or have been before,

To mingle with the Universe, and feel

What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal.

—BYRON.

PTERIDOPHYTA Cohn.

Vascular acrogens containing woody tissue in the stems.
Antheridia or archegonia or both formed on a prothallus which
is developed from the spore on germination, and upon which
the asexual plant is produced. Includes eight living and three
extinct orders, all represented in North America.

ARTIFICIAL SYNOPSIS OF ORDERS.

• j Isosporous, i.e., spores of one kind, B

i Heterosporous, />., spores of two kinds, D

' Plant rush-like, . . . Order V. EQUISETACE/E, p. 132
B J Plant moss-like, . . Order VI. LYCOPOniACE^E, p. 135
Plant fern-like, C

Vernation erect or inclined ; sporangia not reticulate,
in spikes or panicles, opening by a transverse slit.

Order IV. OPHIOGLOSSACE^E, p. 128
- Vernation circinate ; sporangia reticulate, provided
with a ring, usually borne on the back or margin of
a frond sometimes in spikes or panicles,

Order I. FlLlCES, p. 75

Terrestrial, moss-like plants,

Order VII. SELAGINELLACE^E, p. 140

I Aquatic, rooting in mud, E

[Aquatic, floating, . .Order III. SALVINIACE^E, p. 127
| Leaves awl-shaped, tubular, containing the sporangia

in their axils, . . . Order VIII. ISOETACE^E, p. 142
E \ Leaves quadrifoliate or filiform ; sporangia enclosed
in sporocarps borne on separate peduncles, . . .

Order II. MARSILIACE^E, p. 125

ORDER I. FILICES Juss.

Plant body consisting of fronds usually raised on stipes ris-
ing from a prostrate, ascending, or erect rootstock, circinate in
vernation. Sporangia modified trichomes of the leaves, reticu-

76 OUR NATIVE PTERIDOPHYTA.

late, one-celled, encircled by a more or less complete, jointed
elastic ring, collected in clusters of various forms on the under
surface of the frond, with or without an indusium or covering;
or panicled, or spiked and naked ; or borne on receptacles of
various kinds. Spores of various forms, minute. Prothallium
above ground, green, monoecious or dioecious. Contains six
well-marked sub-orders, four of which are represented with us.
Genera, seventy,* of which we have representatives of thirty.

SUB-ORDER I.-POLYPODIACE/E Presl.

Sporangia pedicelled, surrounded more or less completely by
a jointed, vertical, and elastic ring, bursting transversely. Sori
dorsal or marginal, borne on a leafy frond, with or without
indusia.

TRIBE I. ACROSTICHE^E. Sporangia spread in a stra-
tum over the under surface, or rarely over both surfaces of the
frond. Indusia wanting.

I. Acrostichum L. Sori covering the entire surface of
the upper pinnae.

TRIBE II. POLYPODIES. Sori dorsal, borne at or near
the ends of the veinlets, without indusia.

II. Polypodium L. Possessing characters of the tribe.
TRIBE III. GRAMMITIDES. Sori dorsal, variously

arising from the veins, usually linear. Indusia wanting.

III. Gymnogramme Desv. Sori oblong or linear, follow-
ing the course of the veinlets.

IV. Notholaena R. Br. Sori on the veins or near their
extremities, roundish or oblong, soon confluent into a narrow
marginal band.

V. Tsenitis Swz. Sori linear, central, or submarginal.
TRIBE IV. VITTARIEyE. Sporangia borne in a continu-
ous marginal or intra- marginal furrow.

VI. Vittaria Sm. Fronds simple, linear, grass-like.
TRIBE V. PTERIDES. Sori marginal or intra-marginal,

provided with an indusium formed of the reflexed margin of
the frond, and opening inwardly.

*This number is based on Hooker's classification. Other authors, narrow-
ing the limits of generic characters, recognize a greater number. Smith, for
example, publishes 220 and Presl 230, yet the tendency among most botanists
is to restrict the number.

FILICES. 77

* Sporangia borne on a reflexed portion of the margin of the
frond.

VII. Adiantum L. Sori usually numerous and distinct.
Midrib of the pinnules near the lower margin or wanting.

** Sporangia borne an a continuous vein-like receptacle which
connects the apices of the veins.

VIII. Pteris L. Sori continuous. Indusium delicate,
whitish. Midribs of pinnules central.

*** Sporangia at or near the ends of unconnected veins, borne
on the under surface of the frond.

IX. Cheilanthes Swz. Sori minute, at the ends of the
veins. Indusium continuous or interrupted.

X. Cryptogram me R. Br. Sporangia on the back or
near the ends of the veins forming oblong or roundish sori,
which are at length confluent and cover the back of the pin-
nules. Sterile and fertile fronds unlike, smooth.

XI. Pellaea Link. Sori on the upper part of the veins,
distinct, or mostly forming a marginal band of sporangia.
Sterile and fertile fronds usually similar, smooth.

TRIBE VI. CERATOPTERIDE^E. Sori on two or three
longitudinal veins which are nearly parallel with the edge of the
frond. Habits aquatic.

XII. Ceratopteris Brong. The only genus ; having the
characters of the tribe.

TRIBE VII. BLECHNE^E. Sori dorsal, linear or oblong,
borne on transverse veins, parallel to the midrib. Indusium
fixed at its outer margin, opening at the inner.
* Veins free.

XIII. Lomaria Willd. Sori in a continuous band next
the midrib. Indusium elongate, formed of the recurved and
altered margin of the pinnae, or else sub-marginal. Fronds of
two sorts, elongate, pinnate.

XIV. Blechnum L. Sori linear, elongate, continuous
near the midrib. Indusium continuous. Fronds pinnate.

** Veins more or less reticulate.

XV. Woodwardia Sm. Sori linear or oblong, forming
chain-like rows. Indusia separate.

TRIBE VIII. ASPLENIE^E. Sori dorsal, linear or oblong,

78 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES

oblique to the midrib, or rarely sub-parallel with it. Indusium
fixed by one margin to the veinlet, opening at the other, some-
times double.

* Veins free.

XVI. Asplenium L. Sori on the upper side of a fertile
veinlet, rarely on both sides.

XVII. Scolopendrium Sm. Sori linear, confluent in
pairs, which appear like a single sorus with the double indusium
opening in the middle.

** Veins reticulate.

XVIII. Camptosorus Link. Sori oblong or linear,
borne partly on veins parallel to the midrib, partly on veins
oblique to the midrib.

TRIBE IX. ASPIDIE^E. Sori dorsal, round or roundish,
on the back or rarely on the apex of a vein. Indusium usually
membranous, rarely wanting.

* Without indusia.

XIX. Phegopteris Fee. Sori round, rather small, borne
on the back of the free veins.

** With indusia.
t Indusia superior.

XX. Aspidium Swz. Indusium orbicular and fixed by
the centre, or reniform and fixed by the sinus, opening all
round the margin. Sori mostly on the back of the veins.

XXI. Nephrolepis Schott. Indusium reniform, fixed at
the sinus or at the arcuate base, opening toward the margin of
the frond. Sori at the end of free veins.

ft Indusia fixed by a broad base partly under the sorus.

XXII. Cystopteris Bernh. Indusium convex, usually
reflexed as the sporangia ripen. Texture delicate.

ttt Indusia obscure. Fertile frond much contracted, "very un-
like the sterile.

XXIII. Onoclea L. Sori dorsal on the veins of the con-
tracted pinnae, concealed by their revolute margins.

fttt Indusia inferior.

'FILTCES. 79

XXIV. Woodsia R. Br. Indusium roundish or stellate,
delicate, cleft into irregular lobes.

TRIBE X. DICKSONIE^E, Sori roundish or transversely
elongate, borne at the ends of the veins or on marginal cross-
veinlets, with an indusium attached at the base or base and
sides and opening toward the margin of the segment.

XXV. Dicksonia L'Her. Sori marginal, small, the indu-
sium cup-shaped, somewhat two-valved, the under portion con-
fluent with a lobule of the frond.

SUB-ORDER II.-HYMENOPHYLLACE^E Endl.

Sporangia borne on an elongate, often filiform, receptacle,
surrounded by a complete transverse ring, opening vertically.
Sori terminal or marginal from the apex of a vein. Indusium
inferior, usually of the same texture as the frond. Fronds deli-
cately membranous and pellucid.

XXVI. Trlchomanes Sm. Indusia tubular, cup-shaped,
or funnel-shaped, sometimes two-lipped.

SUB-ORDER III.-SCHIZ^EACE^E Presl.

Sporangia ovate, sessile, arranged in spikes or panicles, hav-
ing a complete, transverse, articulated ring at the apex, and
opening by a longitudinal slit.

* Stems scandent.

XXVII. Lygodium Swz. Sporangia borne in a double row
on narrow fertile segments, each on a separate veinlet and pro-
vided with a special indusium.

** Stems not scandent.

XXVIII. Aneimia Swz. Sporangia naked, attached by
their bases to the narrow divisions of the panicled fertile seg-
ments of the frond.

XXIX. Schizaea Sm. Sporartgia naked, fixed in a double
row to the midrib of the narrow fertile segments. Sterile
fronds simple or dichotomously forked.

SUB-ORDER IV.-OSMUNDACEyE R. Br.

Sporangia naked, globose, mostly pedicelled, with no ring or

80 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

mere traces of one around the apex, opening into two halves by
a longitudinal slit.

XXX. Osmunda L. Fertile pinnae or fronds much con-
tracted, bearing the large and abundant sporangia on the mar-
gins of the narrow segments.

ARTIFICIAL SYNOPSIS OF GENERA.

(Sporangia collected in sori and borne on the back or margin of a
leafy frond B
Sporangia in spikes or panicles not on the leafy portion of the

I frond U

j Sori covered with indusia C

i Sori naked P

C Fertile frond closely rolled together, entirely unlike the sterile, its

(segments berry-like or necklace-like . .XXIII. ONOCLEA, p. 119
Sori marginal, covered with a reflexed portion of the frond . D
i Sori marginal or terminal, borne on an elongate receptacle,

XXVI. TRICHOMANES, p. 122
I Sori dorsal or marginal, provided with special indusia ... H

i Terrestrial, growing mostly in rocky places E
Aquatic, sterile fronds floating on the water,
XII. CERATOPTERIS, p. 101
( Sporangia at the ends of the veins, borne on a reflexed portion of the

margin of the frond VII. ADIANTUM, p. 89

J Sporangia borne on a continuous, marginal, vein-like receptacle con-
necting the apices of the veins VIII. PTERIS, p. 90

Sporangia at or near the ends of unconnected veins, borne on the

I under surface of the frond F1

( Fronds conspicuously dimorphous ; stipes light-colored,

X. CRYPTOGRAMME, p. 97

^ Fronds nearly uniform ; stipes usually dark G

f Sori on the upper part of the veins, mostly forming a continuous mar-
ginal band ; indusium membranous, continuous round the segment,
n XI. PELL^A, p. 97

ISori minute, at the ends of the veins ; indusium interrupted, or if con-
tinuous, the ultimate segments usually small and bead-like ; fronds
I mostly chaffy, woolly, or farinose, . . IX. CHEILANTHES, p. 91
| Sori roundish ; indusia not more than twice as long as broad . I

I Sori linear or oblong ; indusia more than twice as long as broad LJ

(Indusium superior, attached by the centre or sinus J
Indusium convex, fixed by a broad base partly under the sorus,
XXII. CYSTOPTERIS, p. 118
I Indusium inferior K

C)

FILICES. 8 1

f Sori mostly on the back of the veins ; indusium orbicular or reniform,

opening all round the margin XX. ASPIDIUM, p. no

J \ Sori at the end of a free vein ; indusium reniform, opening toward
the margin of the frond ; fronds simply pinnate, the pinnae articu-

[ lated to the rachis . . • XXI. NEPHROLEPIS, p. 117

I Indusium roundish or stellate, delicate . . XXIV. WOODSIA, p. 119
K A Indusium cup-shaped, somewhat two-vSlved,

XXV. DICKSONIA, p. 121

{Sori all parallel to the midribs or rachises M
Sori all oblique to the midribs O
Sori partly oblique and partly parallel to the midrib ; frond simple,
tapering to a point XVIII. CAMPTOSORUS, p. 108

j Veins free N

( Veins reticulate XV. WOODWARDIA, p. 102

Indusium near the margin ; fertile frond much contracted,

XIII. LOMARIA, p. 101

Indusium remote from the margin ; fronds nearly uniform,

XIV. BLECHNUM, p. 102
Sori on the upper side of a veinlet, rarely on both sides,

XVI. ASPLENIUM, p. 103

Sori confluent in pairs, with an apparently double indusium open-
ing in the middle XVII. SCOLOPENDRIUM, p. 107

Sori spread in a stratum on the under surface of the frond,

I. ACROSTICHUM, p. 82

Sori roundish, or not more than twice as long as broad ... Q
Sori usually linear, always more than twice as long as broad . R
Stipes articulated to the rootstock ; fronds (in our species) entire or

simply pinnate II. POLYPODIUM, p. 82

Stipes not articulated to the rootstock ; fronds (in our species)

bi— tripinnatifid or ternate XIX. PHEGOPTERIS, p. 108

Fronds simple S

Fronds pinnate to quadripinnate T

Fronds very narrow, grass-like ; veins indistinct, free,

VI. VlTTARIA, p. 89

Fronds broader ; veins anastomosing .... V. T^ENITIS, p. 88
Sori marginal, more or less confluent in a marginal band,

IV. NOTHOL^ENA, p. 85

Sori following the veinlets, simple, forked, pinnate, or variously

anastomosing III. GYMNOGRAMME, p. 84

., \ Sporangia ovate, with transverse ring at apex V

I Sporangia globose without a ring .... XXX. OSMUNDA, p. 124
•y j Stems scandent, pinnae palmate . . . XXVII. LYGODIUM, p. 122

' Stems not scandent W

«y j Sporangia in close distichous spikes . . XXIX. SCHIZ^A, p. 123
' Sporangia in copiously branching panicles, XXVIII. ANEIMIA, p. 123
6

82 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

I. ACROSTICHUM L.

Sporangia spread over the whole surface of the frond or upper
pinnae, or occasionally over both surfaces. Venation and cut-
ting various (in our species simply pinnate). Name from Gr.
axpoS, the summit, and^ OT/JOC, a row. A tropical genus con-
taining over 170 species.

§ CHRYSODIUM.

1. A. aureum L. Stipes i°— 2° long, tufted, strong, erect,
glossy; fronds 2° — 6° long, i°— 2° broad, upper pinnae fertile,
slightly smaller than the barren ones ; texture coriaceous ;
areolae small, copious, without free veinlets. Florida.

II. POLYPODIUM L.

Sori round, naked, dorsal, in one or more rows each side of
midrib, or irregularly scattered. Stipes articulated to root-
stock. Name from Gr. aroAuS, many, and novS, 7ro5o5, foot, allud-
ing to the branching rootstock. The largest, most cosmopolitan
genus of ferns, containing 350 or more species.

§ i. EUPOLYPODIUM. Veins free ; fronds (in our species)
pinnate.

* Sori large.

— i. P. vulgare L. Stipes 2' — 4' long, firm, erect ; fronds 4'—
10' long, i' — 3' broad, cut nearly or quite to the rachis into entire
or slightly toothed, usually blunt pinnae; veins once or twice
forked. Larger fronds with their pinnae sharply serrated and
long-pointed form the var. Occident ale Hook. New England
westward to Oregon and southward to Alabama.
"~ 2- P-falcatum Kellogg. Stipes 5'— 8' long, stramineous;
fronds 12' — 15' long, 4' — 8' broad ; pinnae numerous, tapering to
a slender point, sharply serrate; sori nearest the midrib; veins
with 2 — 4 veinlets. (P. glycyrrhisa D. C. Eaton.) California to
Washington Territory.

** Sori smaller, often minute.

3. P. plumula H. B. K. Stipes i'— 4' long, black, slender;
fronds narrowly lanceolate, 9' — 18' long, i' — 2' broad; pinnae nu-
merous, narrow, entire, blunt, lower gradually reduced ; surfaces
naked except the black wiry rachis; veinlets forked, obscure.
(P. elasticum Rich.) Florida.

FILICES. 83

4. P. pectinatum L. Stipes rigid 2' — 6' long; fronds el-
liptical-lanceolate, i° — 2^° long, 2' — 6' broad, cut to the rachis
into horizontal, entire or toothed pinnae, the lower ones much
reduced ; rachis naked or finely villose ; veinlets pellucid, once
or twice forked ; sori in long rows, of medium size. Florida.

§2. GONIOPHLEBIUM Blume. Veins forming ample regular
areolce (almost imperceptible in No. 5), each with a single distinct
free included veinlet, bearing a sorus at its terminus.

* Under surface squamous.

5. P. incanum Swz. Rootstock woody, wide creeping, cov-
ered with small brown scales; stipes i' — 4' long, erect, densely
scaly; fronds 2' — 6' long, i' — iV broad, cut to the rachis into
entire pinnae; texture coriaceous ; sori small; veins indistinct,
united or frequently free. Virginia to Illinois, and southward.

6. P. thysanolepis A. Br. Rootstock slender, firm, densely
covered with minute lanceolate scales ; stipes 3' — 12' long, erect,
scaly ; fronds ovate, 3' — 9' long, 2' — 3' broad ; pinnae distant, as-
cending, blunt, dilated at base (except the lowest), thick, sub-
coriaceous, covered below with cil'iate scales with brown centre
and broad scarious border ; areolae and sori in a single series.
Huachuca Mountains, Arizona (Lemmon), Mexico.

** Under surface mostly smooth.

7. P. Calif ornicum Kaulf. Rootstock creeping, chaffy;
stipes 2' — 6' long, stramineous when dry, naked ; fronds ovate
to oblong-lanceolate, 4' — 9' long, i' — 5' broad, cut nearly or quite
to midrib into finely-toothed pinnae; texture papyraceo-herba-
ceous ; sori large; veinlets 4 — 6 to each vein. (Including/*, in-
termedium H. & A.) California.

*- 8. P. Scouleri H. & G. Rootstock stout, creeping, scaly;
stipes 2' — 4' long, erect, naked ; fronds thick, 3' — 12' long, 2' — 6'
broad, cut down to rachis into from 5 — 29 close, blunt pinnae;
texture coriaceous, fleshy when recent; sori very large ; veinlets
regularly anastomosing forming a single series of large areolae.
(P. carnosum Kellogg, P. pachyphyllum D. C. Eaton.) Cali-
fornia and northward.

?' 3. PHLEBODIUM R. Br. Veins forming ample areolce, each
with two or more distinct, free, included veinlets bearing sori on
their united points.

84 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

9. P. aureum L. Rootstock stout, densely seal)' ; stipes
i°— 2° long, castaneous, naked ; fronds 3° — 5° long, 9'—! 8' broad,
cut nearly to the rachis into broad entire or slightly undulate
pinnae ; areolae copious. Florida.

§4. CAMPYLONEURON Presl. Primary veins distinct from
midrib to the edge, connected by parallel transverse veinlets ;
areolcE similar, containing two or more sort.

10. P. phyllitidis L. Rootstock stout, scaly; stipes short
or none; fronds simple, i° — 3° long, i' — 4' broad, the point
acute, lower part gradually narrowed ; texture rigid, coriaceous ;
areolae in rows of 6 — 12 from midrib to edge. Florida.

§ 5. PHYMATODES Presl. Areolcefine, copious, irregular, the
free veinlets spreading in various directions ; sori various in posi-
tion.

11. P. Swartzii Baker. Rootstock wide creeping, slender,
covered with linear ferruginous scales ; stipes £' — i' long, slender,
naked ; frond simple, 2' — 4' long, £' — f ' broad, narrowed gradu-
ally toward both ends, the edge entire, undulate, or slightly
lobed ; sori uniserial on free veinlets. (P. serpens Swz.) Key
Largo, Florida (Curtiss).

III. GYMNOGRAMME Desv.

Sori oblong or linear, following the course of the veinlets and
like them, simple, forked, pinnate, or variously anastomosing,
without indusia. Name from Gr. yvnvoS, naked, and ypdnjAa,
line. Includes about 100 species, mostly tropical.

§ i. EUGYMNOGRAMME. Veins free, under surface not fari-
nose.

I. G. Ehrenbergiana Klotzsch. Rootstock creeping ; stipes
grayish, puberulent, 3' — 6' long; fronds 5-angled, i' — 3' each
way, hispid above, tomentose beneath, pinnate ; lower pinnae
much the largest, unequally triangular, pinnate; upper pinnae
lobed or crenate. (G.pedata of check-lists not of Kaulf., G. podo-
phylla Hook, in part, G. hispida Mett. and former edition.)
Texas to Arizona.

§ 2. CEROPTERIS Link. Fronds farinose below.
*-2. G. triangularis Kaulf. (GOLD-FERN, GOLDEN-BACK.)
Stipes densely tufted, slender, blackish-brown, polished, 6' — 12'
long; fronds 2' — 5' each way, deltoid, pinnate; lower pinnae

FILICES. 85

much the largest, triangular, bipinnatifid ; upper pinnae more or
less pinnately lobed ; lower surface coated with yellow or white
powder, finally more or less obscured by the fruit. Arizona,
California, and northward.

IV. NOTHOL>£NA R. Br. CLOAK FERN.
Sbri marginal, at first roundish or oblong, soon confluent
into a narrow band, without indusium, but sometimes covered
at first by the inflexed edge of the frond. Veins free. Name
from Lat. nothus, spurious, and Icena, a cloak, alluding to the
rudimentary inclusia. Includes 37 species.

§ i. EUNOTHOL^NA. Fronds not farinose beneath, scaly,
hairy, or toinentose.

* Fronds simply pinnate.

1. N. sinuata Kaulf. Rootstock short, thick, very chaffy ;
stipes 2' — 4' long, erect; fronds 6' — 2° long, i' — 2' broad; pinnae
numerous, short-stalked, roundish or ovate, entire to pinnately
lobed, lower surface densely scaly. Texas to Arizona.

2. N.ferruginea Hook. Rootstock creeping, covered with
dark rigid scales ; stipes tufted, 2' — 4' long, wiry, blackish, woolly
at first; fronds 8' — 12' long, £' — i' broad, narrowly lanceolate;
pinnae numerous, ovate, pinnatifid, hairy above, densely tomen-
tose beneath, the wool at first whitish, but becoming ferruginous.
(N. ntfa Presl.) Texas to Arizona.

** Fronds bi — quadripinnate.
t Fronds silky-hairy above.

3. N. Parryi* D. C. Eaton. Rootstock short, scaly; stipes
2' — 4' long, dark brown, pubescent with whitish jointed hairs ;
fronds 2' — 4' long, oblong-lanceolate, tripinnate, lower pinnae
distinct ; segments crowded, roundish-obovate, one line broad,
densely covered above with entangled white hairs, beneath with
a heavier pale-brown tomentum. Utah, California, Arizona.

4. N. Newberryi D.C.Eaton. (COTTON-FERN.) Rootstock
with very narrow dark bristly scales; stipes tufted, 3' — 5' long,
blackish-brown, woolly when young, with pale-ferruginous to-
mentum ; fronds 3' — 5' long, lanceolate-oblong, covered most
densely beneath with fine whitish hairs, tri — quadripinnate;
ultimate segments roundish-obovate, |" — £" broad. California.

ft Fronds slightly hispid above.

86 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

5. N. Aschenborniana Klotzsch. Rootstock short,
creeping; stipes tufted, 2'-— 3' long, wiry, ebeneous, densely
scaly; fronds 4' — 10' long, 2' — 3' broad, oblong-lanceolate, tri-
pinnatifid ; pinnae lanceolate, cut into linear-oblong, crenate or
pinnatifid pinnules; upper surface pale-green, the lower densely
matted with linear, ciliate, bright ferruginous scales, beneath
which it is subfarinose ; sori black. Huachuca Mts., Arizona
(Lemmoti), Texas {Drummond), Mexico.

§ 2. CINCINALIS Desv. Fronds farinose, with white or yel-
low powder (in one species naked).

* Fronds farinose below.
t Fronds deltoid or pentagonal, barely bipinnate.

6. N. Candida Hook. Rootstock creeping, with narrow,
rigid, nearly black scales; stipes tufted 3' — 6' long, wiry, black
and shining; fronds rather shorter than stipe, deltoid-ovate,
pinnate; lowest pinnae with the lowest inferior pinnules elon-
gate and again pinnatifid, the three or four succeeding pairs lan-
ceolate, pinnatifid into oblong segments, the uppermost pinnae
like the segments of the lower; upper surface green ; lower sur-
face whitish farinose ; margin slightly revolute. (N. sulphitrca
J. Sm., N.pulveracea Knnze.) Southwestern Texas (Reuerckoii)\
New Mexico ( Wright}.

7. N. cretacea Liebm. Rootstock short, oblique, the scales
rigid, lanceolate, with a narrow membranous margin ; stipes
2' — 7' long, brownish, wiry, scaly when young; fronds i' — 2'
long, broadly deltoid-ovate to pentagonal, tri — quadripinnati-
fid at base, gradually simpler above ; ultimate segments oblong
or triangular-oblong, numerous, crowded ; upper surface more or
less covered with deciduous glands; lower surface copiously
farinose with yellow or whitish powder except on the promi-
nent dark-brown rachises ; margins more or less recurved, not
covering the sporangia; spores globose, black. (N. Calif ornica
D. C. Eaton.) San Diego County, California (Cleveland, Parish};
Arizona (Parry, Lemmori).

8. N. Hookeri D. C. Eaton. Rootstock short, densely
covered with rigid lanceolate dark-brown scales; stipes tufted,
4' — g' long, reddish-brown, wiry, shining ; fronds 2' — 3' each
way, nearly pentagonal, composed of three divisions ; the mid-

FILICES. /

die one slightly stalked, rhomboid-ovate, pinnatifid into a few
toothed segments, the second pair larger than the first ; the
side divisions sessile, deltoid, pinnatifid on upper side as in
middle division, but each bearing on the lower side a single
large pinnatifid basal segment, and above it smaller segments
like those of the upper side; lower surface covered with pale-
yellow powder. (N. cretacea of check-lists not of Liebm., N.
Candida, var. ^-fido-palmato Hook.) Texas to Arizona.
ft Fronds lanceolate or linear-oblong, bipinnate or tripinnatifid.

9. N. Grayi Dav. Stipes tufted, ij' — 3^' long, terete,
chestnut-brown, with nearly black, rigid, linear-acuminate
scales below, paler, deciduous scales above ; fronds 2' — 4' long,
f — ij' broad, oblong-lanceolate, once or twice pinnate, upper
surface sparingly, under thickly covered with white powder;
rachises brown like the stipes, coated with a granular substance
extending down the stipes, and clothed with long, slender, en-
tire or ciliate, pale or whitish scales ; pinnae short-stalked,
oblique, unequally triangular-ovate, ovate-lanceolate, or lanceo-
late, deeply pinnatifid or pinnately divided into i or 2 pairs of
short-stalked or sessile, oblong, pinnatifid, obtuse pinnules, the
remaining portion obliquely pinnatifid with alternate, lobed or
entire segments ; margins unchanged, reflexed ; sori brown in
a continuous line at the ends of the free veins. Southeastern
Arizona.

10. N. Lemmoni D. C. Eaton. Rootstock short, scaly
with narrow, pointed, rigid, dark-brown chaff; stalks dark red-
dish-brown, wiry, 4' — 6' long, chaffy at the base with scales a
little wider and more scarious margined than those of the root-
stalk, otherwise smooth ; fronds 6' — 9' long, i' — 1£' wide, linear-
oblong, pinnate with numerous deltoid or ovate, once or twice
pinnatifid pinnae, the lowest ones a little shorter than the mid-
dle ones ; upper surface herbaceous-green, smooth ; lower sur-
face covered with white or slightly yellowish ceraceous powder ;
sori forming a narrow sub-marginal line; margins of the seg-
ments very slightly recurved. Arizona.

ttt Fronds deltoid-ovate, tri — quadripinnate at base.

ir. N. nivea Desv. Rootstock short, chaffy with narrow
scales ; stipes tufted, 4'— 6' long, wiry, black and polished ;

88 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

fronds 3' — 6' long, i^' — 2' broad, ovate, lanceolate, triangular-
ovate or deltoid, tripinnate ; primary pinnae mostly opposite,
the rachises nearly straight ; pinnules long-stalked ; segments
roundish, nearly as broad as long, terminal ones larger, entire
or 3-lobed ; upper surfaces green, smooth, lower densely coated
with pure white powder; sori brown, often descending the free
veins half-way to the mid vein. Arizona, New Mexico.

Var. dealbata Dav. Segments smaller, more numerous,
longer than broad, terminal ones rarely lobed. (N. dealbata
Kunze and former editions. Cheilanthes dealbata Pursh.) Up-
per Missouri to New Mexico and Arizona.

12. N. Fendleri Kunze. Stipes densely tufted, dark-
brown, 3' — 5' long ; rachis and all its branches zigzag and
flexuous; fronds broadly deltoid-ovate, 3' — 5' each way. quad-
ripinnate below, gradually simpler above; pinnae alternate;
ultimate pinnules oval or elliptical, simple or 3-lobed. Colo-
rado, New Mexico, Arizona.

** Fronds naked below.

13. N. tenera Gillies. Stipes tufted, brownish, smooth
and shining; fronds 3' — 4' long, ovate-pyramidal, bi — tripinnate ;
pinnae mostly opposite, distant, the lower ones somewhat tri-
angular; ultimate pinnules ovate, often sub-cordate, obtuse,
smooth, and naked oh both surfaces ; possibly only a form of
TV*, nivea. Southern Utah, California.

V. T^ENITIS Swz.

Sori linear, but the line sometimes interrupted, central or
sub-marginal. Veins reticulate. Name from Lat. tania, a
band. Includes five species, all tropical.

i. T. lanceolata R. Br. Rootstock creeping; stipes i'—
2' long ; fronds simple, 6' — 13' long, £' — |' broad, tapering both
ways, the edge entire or sometimes crisped, midrib prominent ;
veins immersed, the exterior free and clubbed at their apices ;
sori ante-mnrginal, in a continuous line near the apex. (Lingua
ceri'ina Plum., Pteris lanceolata L , Pteropsis lanceolata Desv.,
Neurodium lanceolatum Fee.) Old Rhodes Key, Florida (Cur-
tiss).

FILICES. 89

VI. VITTARIA Sm. GRASS FERN.

Sori linear, continuous, in two-lipped marginal grooves or in
slightly intramarginal lines, with the unaltered edge of the frond
produced beyond and often rolled over them, but without spe-
cial indusia. Fronds narrow, grass-like. Veins free. Name
from Lat. vitta, a fillet or head-band. A tropical genus con-
taining 13 species.

§ T/ENIOPSIS J. Sm.

i. V. lineata Sm. Fronds 6' — 18' long, i" — 5" broad, nar-
rowed gradually downward to a stout compressed stem, the edge
often reflexed ; sori in a broad intramarginal line in a slight
furrow, the edge of the frond at first wrapped over it. ( V. an-
gustifrons Michx.) Florida.

VII. ADIANTUM L. MAIDENHAIR.

Sori marginal, short, covered by a reflexed portion of ;he
more or less altered margin of the frond, which bears the spo-
rangia on its under side from the approximated tips of free,
forking veins. Name from Gr. a, without, and diaivco, to wet,
alluding to the smooth foliage. Includes over 80 species,
mostly from Tropical America.

§ EUADIANTUM.

* Fronds at least bipinnate, pinnules flabellate or cuneate.
t Fronds smooth.

1. A. capillus-veneris L. (VENUS' HAIR.) Stipes nearly
black, polished, very slender; fronds ovate-lanceolate, delicate,
bipinnate, the upper half or third simply pinnate ; pinnules and
upper pinnae wedge-obovate or rhomboid, rather long-stalked,
the upper margin rounded and more or less incised, crenate,
or acutely dentato-serrate, except where the margin is recurved
to form the lunulate separated indusia. Virginia, Kentucky,
and Florida to Utah and California.

2. A. tenerum Swz. Stipes i° high, erect, glossy; fronds
i° — 3° long, 9' — 18' broad, deltoid, tri — quadripinnate ; pinnules
articulated to their petioles, falling off at maturity, cuneate, the
upper edge rounded or somewhat angular, broadly, often rather
deeply lobed ; sori numerous, roundish, or transversely oblong.
Florida.

90 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

3. A. emarginatum Hook. Stipes rather stout, nearly
black, polished ; fronds ovate or deltoid-pyramidal, bi — tripin-
nate; pinnules and upper pinnae ample, smooth, or nearly so,
rounded or even reniform, upper margin rounded, slightly in-
cised ; sori 2 — 5, transversely linear-oblong, subcontinuous. {A.
teneruni Torr.) California and northward.

tt Fronds pilose, "with whitish hairs.

4. A. tricholepis Fee. Stipes smooth, polished, deep
black ; fronds oval ; pinnules roundish, moderately long-stalked ;
sort few (3 — 7), of unequal size ; indusia very velvety. (A.
dilatatum Nutt.) Western Texas.

** Fronds dichotomously forked, with numerous pinner spring-
ing from the upper side of the two branches.

— 5. A. pedatum L. Stipes 9'— 15' long, dark chestnut-
brown, glabrous; fronds nearly circular in outline; central pin-
nae 6' — 9' long, i' — 2' broad; pinnules triangular-oblong, short-
stalked ; sori roundish or transversely oblong.

— Var. rangiferinum Burgess. Pinnules longer-stalked and
deeply cleft into narrow-toothed lobes on the upper side. Mount
Findlayson, British Columbia.

VIII. PTERIS L. BRAKE.

Sori marginal, linear, continuous, occupying a slender fili-
form receptacle which connects the tips of the free veins. In-
dusium membranous, formed of the reflexed margin of the
frond. Name from Gr. nrepiS, a fern, from itrepov, a wing, al-
luding to the prevalence of pinnate fronds. A cosmopolitan
genus containing 103 species.

§ i. EUPTERIS. Veins free, stipes tufted, indusium single.
* Lower pinna linear, undivided.

i. P. longifolia L. Stipes 6' — 12' long, clothed more or
less below with pale-brown scales; fronds i° — 2° long, 4' — 9'
broad, oblong-lanceolate ; pinnae sessile, 2" — 5" broad, linear,
entire; veins close and fine, usually once branched; indusium
yellowish brown. Florida.

FILICES. QI

** Lower pinnce forked or slightly pinnate below.

2. P. Cretica L. Stipes 6' — 12' long, erect, stramineous
or pale-brown; fronds 6' — 12' long, 4' — 8' broad, lateral pinnae
usually in 2 — 6 opposite sessile pairs, the sterile ones considera-
bly the broadest and spinulose-serrate, the lower pairs often
cleft nearly to the base,. into two or three linear pinnules ; veins
fine, parallel, simple or once forked ; indusium pale. Florida.

3. P. serrulata Linn. f. Stipes 6' — 9' long, naked, pale
or brownish ; fronds 9' — 18' long, 6' — 9' broad, ovate, bipinna-
tifid, the main rachis margined with a wing which is i" — 2"
broad at the top and grows narrower downwards ; pinnae in six
or more distinct opposite pairs, upper ones simple, the lower
ones with several long linear pinnules on each side, the edge of
the barren ones spinulose-serrate ; veins simple or once forked.
Alabama (Mokr), Macon, Georgia (Farnelf).

§2. P^SIA St. Hilaire. Veins free, rootstock creeping, stipes
sub-distant, indusium more or less double.

— v4. P. aquilina L. Rootstock stout, wide-creeping, subter-
ranean ; stipes i° — 2° high, erect, stramineous or brownish;
fronds 2° — 4° long, i° — 3° wide, ternate, the three branches each
bipinnate ; upper pinnules undivided, the lower more or less
pinnatifid. North America everywhere.

Var, caudata Hook. Pinnules sometimes linear and en-
tire, or with less crowded segments than the type and the ter-
minal lobe linear and entire. {P. caudata L.) New Jersey to
Florida and Texas.

«w Var. lanuginosa Hook, Fronds silky-pubescent or to-
mentose, especially on the under surface ; otherwise as in the
typical form. {P. lanuginosa Bory.) Utah, California and
northward.

IX. CHEILANTHES Swz. LIP-FERN.

Sori terminal or nearly so on the veins, at first small and
roundish, afterwards more or less confluent. Indusium formed
of the reflexed margin of the frond, roundish and distinct, or
more or less confluent. Veins free. Name from Gr. #eiAo?, a
lip, and arQof, flower, alluding to the lip-like indusia. A
genus of 65 species of tropical and temperate zones.

92 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

§ i. ADIANTOPSIS Fee. Indusia distinct, roundish, confined
to the apex af a single veinlet.

1. C. Californica Mett. Rootstock short, creeping,
chaffy; stipes densely tufted, dark-brown, glossy, 4' — 8' long;
fronds 4' or less each way, broadly deltoid-ovate, smooth on
both surfaces, quadripinnatifid ; lower pinnae largest, triangular;
upper ones gradually smaller and simpler; ultimate segments
lanceolate, acute, incised or serrate ; indusia membranous.
(Aspidotis Californica Nutt., Hypolepis Californica Hook.) Ca-
lifornia.

2. C. Pringlei Dav. Rootstock slender, creeping, clothed
with linear-lanceolate scales; stipes i^' — 4^' long, reddish or
chestnut brown, scaly at base and sparingly above; fronds i'—
2^' long, nearly as broad, triangular or ovate-deltoid, bi— tripin-
nately divided into 5 — 7 pairs of pinnae, opposite and spreading
in the smaller sterile fronds, alternate and erecto-patent in the
larger fertile fronds, naked, dark-green; pinnae f — i£' long, the
lower unequally deltoid or ovate, bipinnate, the uppermost ob-
long, pinnate or deeply pinnatifid; pinnules ovate or oblong,
pinnately divided or cleft into oblique segments, which are again
deeply cleft into cuneate, strap-shaped divisions, those of the
largest segments again deeply cut into narrow, obtuse, cuneate
lobes, the recurved tips in fertile fronds forming distinct her-
baceous involucres with entire or slightly crenulate margins ;
sori one to each ultimate lobe on the apex of a free veinlet.
South-eastern Arizona {Pringle).

§ 2. EUCHEILANTHES. Indusia more or less confluent, usu-
ally extending over the apices of sei'cral vcinlets, but not continu-
ous all round the segments ; segments mostly fiat, not* bead-like.

* Segments of the frond smooth.
t Pinncefew, not more than 5 — 6 pairs.

3. C. Wrig-htii Hook. Stipes castaneous, slightly chaffy
at base, i' — 2' long; fronds 2' — 3' long, ovate-oblong, tripinnat-
ifid, segments more or less incised; indusium sub-continuous
or interrupted, similar to frond in texture. Western Texas to
Arizona.

ft PinncE numerous.

4. C. microphylla Swz. Rootstock short, creeping;

FILICES. 93

stipes dark-brown, glossy, rusty pubescent on the upper side,
4' — 6' long; fronds 4' — 6' long, ovate-lanceolate, bi — tripinnate ;
pinnae lanceolate, the lowest ones usually largest and more del-
toid ; pinnules oblong or deltoid-ovate, deeply incised or pin-
nate; indusium similar in texture to frond, interrupted or sub-
continuous. Florida, New Mexico.

5. C. Alabamensis Kunze. Rootstock creeping, clothed
with slender brown scales; stipes black with scanty ferruginous
wool ; fronds 2' — 10' long, narrowly lanceolate, bipinnate ; pinnae
close, ovate-lanceolate, the lowest ones not enlarged, usually
smaller than those above; pinnules mostly acute, often auricu-
late on the upper side at the base; indusia pale, membra-
nous, interrupted only by the incising of the pinnules. (Pellaa
Alabamensis Baker, Pteris Alabamensis Buckley.) Virginia,
Alabama, Tennessee to Texas and Arizona (Lemmott).

** Segments of the frond glandular viscid.

6. C. viscida Dav. Stipes 3' — 5' long, wiry, blackish, chaffy
at the base with narrow ferruginous scales ; fronds 3' — 5' long,
f' — i' broad, narrowly oblong, pinnate, with 4 — 6 distant
pairs of nearly sessile, deltoid, bipinnatifid pinnae; segments
toothed, minutely glandular and everywhere viscid; teeth of
segment recurved, forming indusia. California.

*** fronds somciuhat hairy and glandular, not tomcntose.
t Fronds dcltoid-watc; stipes stramineous.

7. C. leucopoda Link. Stipes 3' — 4' long, stout, chaffy at
base ; fronds 2' — 4' long, deltoid-ovate, quadripinnate at base,
gradually simpler above, everywhere glandular-puberulent ;
lowest pair of pinnae unequally deltoid-ovate, upper ones ob-
long; pinnules short-stalked; ultimate pinnules divided into
minute rounded lobules, strongly revolute when fertile. Texas.

ft Fronds ovate-lanceolate; stipes brownish.

8. C. vestita Swz. Stipes tufted, 2' — 4' long, wiry, chest-
nut-brown ; fronds 4'— 9' long, i' — 2' broad, tripinnatifid ; pinnae
somewhat distant, lanceolate-deltoid ; segments more or less
thickly covered with acute hairs ; sori copious ; indusia formed
of the ends of roundish or oblong lobes. (Nephrodium lano-
s^tm Michx.) New York to Kansas and southward to Georgia.

9. C. Cooperae D.C.Eaton. Stipes densely tufted, fragile,

94 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

hairy with straightish nearly white articulated hairs, which are
usually tipped with a glandular and viscid enlargement; fronds
3' — 8' long, bipinnate, the pinnae rather distant, oblong-ovate;
pinnules roundish-ovate, crenate and incised, the ends of the
lobules forming herbaceous indusia. California.

§ 3. PHYSAPTERIS Presl. Ultimate segments minute, bead-
like ; indusiuin usually continuous all round the margin ; fronds
(in our species) bi — quadripinnate, the lower surf ace scaly or tomen-
tose or both.

Fronds hairy or tomentose beneath, not scaly.

\ Upper surface naked or nearly so.

—10. C. gracillima D. C. Eaton. (LACE-FERN.) Stipes
densely tufted, 2' — 6' long, dark-brown ; fronds i' — 4' long, nar-
rowly ovate-lanceolate, bipinnate; pinnae numerous, crowded,
pinnately divided into about nine oblong-oval pinnules, at first
slightly webby above, soon smooth, heavily covered beneath
with pale ferruginous matted wool; indusia yellowish-brown,
formed of the continuously curved margin. (C. 1'estita Brack.)
California, Oregon, British Columbia.

ir. C. lendigera Swz. Rootstock cord-like, creeping, cov-
ered with narrow scales; stipes rather distant, 4' — 8' long, at first
loosely tomentose, at length nearly smooth ; fronds 4' — 8' long,
ovate-oblong, tri — quadripinnate ; ultimate pinnules small,
cuneate-obovate, pouch-like from the recurved margins, green
above, hairy below. Huachuca Mts., Arizona (Lemmon}.
ft Upper surface decidedly pubescent.

\ Stipes tomentose or smooth.

-»i2. C. lanuginosa Nutt. Stipes densely tufted, slender,
at first clothed with woolly hairs, at length nearly smooth ;
fronds 2' — 4' long, ovate-lanceolate, tripinnate or tripinnatifid,
rarely bipinnate; pinnae deltoid beloxv, oblong-ovate above, the
lowest distant ; ultimate pinnules minute, the terminal one
slightly largest, crowded ; upper surface scantily tomentose, the
lower densely matted with whitish-brown, woolly hairs ; indu-
sia narrow, formed of the unchanged margin. (C.lanosa Eaton,
C. i>estita Hook, in part, C. gracilis Mett., Myrioptcris gracilis
Fee.) Illinois to Texas, Arizona, and British America.

13. C. tomentosa Link. Stipes tufted, 4' — 6' long, rather

FILICES. 95

stout, covered with pale-brown tomentum ; fronds 8' — 15' long,
oblong-lanceolate, everywhere but especially beneath tomentose
with slender, brownish-white, obscurely articulated hairs, tri-
pinnate; pinnae and pinnules ovate-oblong ; ultimate pinnules
^" — |" long, the terminal ones twice as large; indusium pale,
membranous, continuous. (C. Bradburii Hook.) Virginia to
Missouri, Texas, and Arizona.

\\ Stipe and racJiises covered with very narrow scales.
Var. Eatoni Dav. Differs from the type mainly in having
the rachises scaly; characters scarcely sufficient to keep it dis-
tinct. (C. Eatoni Baker and former editions.) Arizona.

14. C. fibrillosa Dav. Plant 3' — 6' high ; rootstock forming
dense, entangled clumps of short rhizomes, clothed with dark
linear-lanceolate scales, passing gradually into lighter-brown
scales, mixed with coarse fibres and tomentum at the base of
the stipes ; stipes 2' — 3' long, chestnut-brown, terete, at first
tomentose with fibrous scales and wool, becoming smooth with
age; fronds 2' — 3' long, f — i^' wide, tripinnate, loosely covered
with deciduous tomentum, that along the rachises beneath per-
sistent, tawny, mixed with coarse fibres. (C. lanuginosa, var.
fibrillosa Dav.) San Jacinto Mountains, California {Parish}.

15. C. Parishii Dav. Rootstock creeping, short, clothed
with deep-brown linear-lanceolate scales, with darker nearly
black mid-nerves ; stipes 2' — 3' long, approximate, light to dark-
brown, clothed at base with scales similar to those on the root-
stock, passing gradually into broader pale-brown or nearly white
nerveless scales, with more or less deciduous, slender, pale scales
and chaff above; fronds 3' — 4' long, i' — 1£' broad, oblong-
lanceolate, tri — quadripinnate, with both surfaces scantily
clothed with a coarse tomentum ; pinnae alternate, oblong-ovate,
obtuse, the lowermost somewhat distant; segments roundish,
the terminal ones largest and three-lobed ; indusia very narrow,
only partially enclosing the sori. San Diego Co., California
(Parish).

¥* Fronds covered beneath with imbricated scales, not tomentose.

16. C. Fendleri Hook. Stipes 2' — 5' long, chaffy with
minute slender scales ; fronds 3' — 4' long, ovate-lanceolate,
tripinnate; scales of primary rachis like those of stipe, those of

96 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

secondary and ultimate rachises larger, broadly-ovate, entire or
nearly so, usually edged with white, imbricate and overlapping
the (i" — £•" broad) sub-globose ultimate segments; these are
naked above, and commonly bear at their centre a single broad
scale; indusium formed of the much incurved margin. Texas
and Colorado to California.

17. C. Cleveland!! D. C. Eaton. Stipes scattered, 2' — 6'
long, dark-brown, scaly when young, but at length nearly smooth ;
fronds 4' — 6' long, ovate-lanceolate, tripinnate, smooth above,
deep fulvous-brown below from the dense covering of closely
imbricate, ciliate scales growing on the ultimate segments as
well as on the rachises; segments nearly round, £" — £" broad,
the terminal ones larger, margin narrowly incurved. Califor-
nia.

*** Under surface both tomcntose and scaly.

18. C. myriophylla Desv. Rootstock very short, scaly;
stipes tufted, 2' — 6' high, castaneous, covered with pale-brown
scales and woolly hairs intermixed ; fronds 3' — 8' long, oblong-
lanceolate, tri— quadripinnatifid, smooth or pilose above, be-
neath matted-tomentose and densely clothed with pale-brown,
narrowly ovate-lanceolate, ciliate scales, those of the ultimate
segments with long, tortuous cilia ; pinnae deltoid-ovate, nar-
rower upwards; ultimate segments minute, V broad, crowded,
innumerable, the margin unchanged, much incurved. Very
variable. (C. elegans Desv., C. vtllosa Dav.) Texas to Arizona.

19. C. Lindheimerl Hook. Rootstock long, slender, chaf-
fy ; stipes scattered, 4' — 7' high, blackish-brown, at first cov-
ered with scales and woolly hairs ; fronds 3' — 5' long, ovate-
lanceolate, tri — quadripinnate ; ultimate segments £•" long,
crowded ; upper surface white tomentose, lower surface very
chaffy, those of the midribs ciliate at base, those of the segments
more and more ciliate, passing into entangled tomentum. West-
ern Texas to Arizona.

§ 4. ALEURITOPTERIS Fee. Indusia more or less confluent ;
fronds farinose below.

20. C. argentea Kunze. Stipes densely tufted, 3' — 6' long,
castaneous; fronds 3' — 4' long, 2' broad, deltoid, bi— tripinnati-
fid ; lower pinnae much the largest, cut nearly to the rachis;
rachis polished like the stipe ; upper surface naked, lower thick-

FILICES. 97

ly covered with white powder; sori numerous, very small.
Alaska.

X. CRYPTOGRAMME R. Br. ROCK BRAKE.

Sporangia on the back or near the ends of the free veins,
forming oblong or roundish sori, which are at length confluent,
and cover the back of the pinnules. Jndusium continuous,
formed of the membranous, somewhat altered margin of the
pinnule, at first reflexed along the two sides and meeting at the
midrib, at length opening out flat. Name from Gr. KpvxroS,
concealed, and ypa/uua, line, alluding to the concealed fructifi-
cation. A boreal genus of two species.

«• i. C. acrostichoides R. Br. Stipes densely tufted, stra-
mineous; fronds dimorphous, sterile ones on shorter stalks,
tri — quadripinnatifid, with toothed or incised segments; fertile
ones long-stalked, less compound, with narrowly elliptical or
oblong-linear pod-like segments. (C. crispa, forma Americana
Hook., Allosorus acrostichoides Spreng.) Lake Superior, Colo-
rado to California and northward.

XI. PELL^EA Link. CLIFF-BRAKE.

Sori iritramarginal, terminal on the veins, at first dot-like or
decurrent on the veins, at length confluent laterally, forming a
marginal line. Indusium commonly broad and membranous,
formed of the reflexed margin of the fertile segment. Name
from Gr. TreAAo?, dusky, alluding to the dark-colored stipes. In-
cludes 55 species.

§ i. CHEILOPLECTON Fee, Baker. Texture herbaceous or sub-
coriaceous, veins clearly visible, indusium broad, in most of the
species rolled over the sorus till maturity.

i. P. Breweri D. C. Eaton. Stipes densely tufted, cov-
ered with narrow, crisped, fulvous chaff; fronds 2' — 6' long,
simply pinnate, the pinnae short-stalked, 6 — 8 pairs, membra-
nous, mostly 2-parted, the upper segment larger; segments ob-
tuse, in the fertile frond narrower; indusium continuous, pale;
veins repeatedly forked. Colorado to California and southward.
— 2. p. gracilis Hook. Stipes scattered, slender, 2' — 3' long,
stramineous or pale-brown ; fronds 2' — 4' long, i' — 2' broad,
ovate, bi — tripinnatifid ; pinnae lanceolate-deltoid, cut to the
7

98 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

rachis into a few broad, blunt, slightly-lobed pinnules; texture
thinly herbaceous, flaccid ; indusium broad, continuous, mem-
branous; veins of the fertile fronds mostly only once forked.
(Allosorus crispus, var. Stelleri Milde, A. gracilis Presl, Pier is
gracilis Michx., P. Stelleri Gmelin.) Labrador to Pennsylvania,
Illinois, Colorado, and northward.

§ 2. ALLOSORUS Baker. Texture coriaceous, the veins not
perceptible ; indusium broad, conspicuous.

* Pinnules or segments obtuse or barely acute.
t Fronds pinnate or bipinnate.

— »3- P- atropurpurea Link. Stipes tufted, 2'— 6' long, dark-
purple ; fronds 4' — 12' long, 2' — 6' broad, lanceolate or ovate-
lanceolate, simply pinnate or bipinnate below; pinnules and
upper pinnae i' — 2' long, £' broad or less, nearly sessile, smooth ;
indusium formed of the slightly altered incurved edge of the
pinnules. (Allosortts atropurpureus Kunze,F/en's atropurpurea
L., Platyloma atropurpurea J. Sm.) Arizona, New Mexico,
Texas to Vermont and northward.

4. P. aspera Baker. Stipes slender, 2' — 3' long, black
with scurfy pubescence ; fronds 4' — 6' long, oblong-lanceolate,
bipinnate ; pinnae and pinnules deltoid-lanceolate or oblong,
pinnules next to main rachis often lobed ; all of them rough on
both surfaces with short harsh hairs. (Cheilanthes aspera Hook.)
Western Texas and New Mexico.

tt Fronds bi — quadripinnate, ultimate segments oval or cordate.

5. P. andromedsefolia Fee. Stipes scattered, erect, pale-
brown, 2' — 12' long; fronds 6' — 12' long, 3' — 6' broad, ovate,
bi — quadripinnate, usually tripinnate; pinnae rather distant,
spreading; ultimate pinnules 2" — 5" long, oval, slightly cordate,
coriaceous, the margin of the fertile ones sometimes revolute to
the midrib; veins numerous, parallel. (Allosorus andromedce-
folius Kaulf., Pteris andromedccfolia Kaulf.) California.

6. P. pulchella Fee. Stipes densely tufted, 3' — 8' long,
chaffy at base, nearly black; fronds 3' — 9' long, i' — 5' broad,
triangular-ovate, quadripinnate below, gradually simpler above ;
lower pinnae deltoid, narrowly triangular above; ultimate pin-
nules numerous, i" — 3" long, oval or often cordate- ovate,
stalked, coriaceous, smooth, the edges often much reflexed.

FILICES. 99

(Allosorus pulchellus Mart, and Gale.) Western Texas and
New Mexico.

ttt Fronds tri — quadripinnatifid ; segments linear-oblong ;
secondary rachises margined.

7. P. marginata Baker. Stipes tufted, 3'— 9' long, casta-
neous, shining, slightly fibrillose at the. base ; fronds 4' — 6' long,
nearly as broad, deltoid ; the lower pinnae much the largest ; in-
dusium broad, continuous, the margins slightly erose ; texture
chartaceous. (Cheilanthcs marginata Hook.) Huachuca Mts.,
Arizona (Lcmmoji).

** Pinnules mucronulate or decidedly acute.
t Fronds narrowly linear in outline, usually bipinnate.

8. p. ternifolia Link. Stipes tufted, nearly or quite black,
2' — 6' long, fronds 4' — 10' long, narrowly linear; pinnae usually
9 — 15 pairs, all but the uppermost trifoliate; segments com-
monly linear, slightly mucronate, coriaceous, sessile or the
middle one indistinctly stalked, the edges much inflexed in fer-
tile fronds ; indusium broad. (P/eris ternifolia Cav.) Western
Texas.

9. P. brachyptera Baker. Stipes 2' — 8' long, stout, pur-
plish-brown ; fronds 3' — 8' long, narrow in outline from the as-
cending secondary rachis£S, bipinnate; pinnules crowded, 2"-
5" long, oblong-linear, simple or trifoliate, acute or mucronulate ;
margins inflexed to the midrib in fertile fronds. (P. ornithopns,
var. brachyptera D. C. Eaton, Platyloma bellum et P. brachypte-
rum Moore.) California.

ft Fronds broader, lanceolate to ovate, bi — tripinnate.

10. P. ornithopus Hook. Stipes tufted, 3' — 8' long,
rather stout, dark-brown; fronds very rigid, 3' — 12' long, 2' — 3'
broad, broadly deltoid-lanceolate, bi — tripinn'ate; primary pin-
nae spreading or obliquely ascending, linear, bearing 4 — 16 pairs
of trifoliate (varying from simple to 5 — 7 foliate) mucronulate
pinnules, i£" — 2" long; margins inflexed to midrib in fertile
fronds. {Allosorus mucronatus D. C. Eaton.) California.

11. P. Wrightiana Hook. Rootstock short, thick, densely
chaffy; stipes crowded, purplish-brown, 4' — 6' long; fronds
3' — 6' long, T — 3' broad, lanceolate to deltoid, trifoliate at apex,

100 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

bipinnate below; pinnae short with i — 2 pairs of long narrow
pinnules besides the terminal one ; mucro short, with margin
broad and cartilaginous ; margins of fertile fronds inflexed to
the midrib. Very variable; forms with fronds decreasing to
simply pinnate at the apex, and longer but less broadly winged
mucro form var. hnginmcronata Dav. (P. longimucronata
Hook.); forms with pinnules densely crowded are var. compacta
Dav. Colorado and Texas to California.

«•» 12. P. densa Hook. Rootstock rather slender, chaffy
with blackish scales ; stipes densely tufted, wiry, very slender,
castaneous, 3' — 9' long; fronds ovate or triangular-oblong,
i' — 3' long, densely tripinnate; segments 3" — 6" long, linear,
nearly sessile, sharp pointed or mucronate, in the fertile fronds
entire, with the margin narrowly recurved ; in the rare sterile
fronds sharply serrate, especially toward the apices. (Onych-
Jum densum Brack.) Utah (^Ml£f),and Wyoming to California,
Oregon, and northward ; Mt. Albert, Gaspe, Quebec (Allen}.

§ 3. PLATYLOMA J. Sm., Baker. Texture coriaceous, the veins
usually Jiidden, tlie ultimate segments broad and fiat, the inditsium
so narrow as to be soon hidden by the fruit.

13. P. Bridgesii Hook. Stipes 2' — 6' long, tufted, castane-
ous ; fronds 4' — 6' long, i' or more broad, simply pinnate ; pinnae
5 — 1 8 pairs, mainly opposite, nearly sessile, glaucous green,
coriaceous, rounded or cordate at the base ; indusium narrow,
formed of the whitish margin of the pinna, soon flattened out
exposing the broad sorus. California.

14. P. flexuosa Link. Rootstock creeping, rather slender ;
stipes reddish, passing into a more or less flexuous or zigzag
rachis; fronds 6' — 30' long, ovate-oblong, bi — tripinnate ; second-
ary and tertiary rachises usually deflected and zigzag, rusty
puberulent or nearly smooth ; pinnae mostly alternate ; ultimate
pinnules 5" — 10" long, roundish-ovate, or sub-cordate, smooth;
margins at first reflexed, soon flattened out. (Allosorus flexu-
osus Kaulf.) Western Texas to California.

15. P. intermedia Mett. Rootstock long, wide creeping,
slender, chaffy ; stipes scattered, 4' — 6' long, pinkish-stramine-
ous, smooth; fronds 5' — 10' long, 3' — 8' wide, ovate-bipinnate ;
pinnae nearly opposite, remote ; pinnules 2 — 6 pairs, petiolate,
sub-coriaceous, oval or cordate-ovate ; veins obscure ; ra-

FILICES. 10 1

chises often pubescent. Huachuca Mountains, South Arizona
{Lemnion).

XII. CERATOPTERIS Brong. FLOATING-FERN.

Sori placed on two or three veins which run down the frond
longitudinally, nearly parallel with both the edge and midrib.
Sporangia scattered on the receptacles, sessile, sub-globose,
with a complete, partial, or obsolete ring. Indusia formed of
the reflexed margins of the frond, those of opposite sides meet-
ing at the midrib. Name from Gr. KepaS, horn, and TtrepiS, a
fern. Contains a single tropical species. »

i. C. thalictroides Brong. Stipes tufted, thick, inflated,
filled with large air cells ; fronds succulent in texture, the sterile
ones floating in quiet water, simple or slightly divided when
young, bi — tripinnate when mature; fertile ones bi — tripinnate;
ultimate segments pod like. Southern Florida.

XIII. LOMARIA Willd.

Sori in a continuous band next the midrib of the contracted
pinnae of the fertile frond, covered till mature by an elongate
indusium, either formed of the recurved and altered margin of
the pinna or sub-marginal and parallel to the margin. Veins of
sterile frond oblique to the midrib, simple or forked and free.
Fronds mostly elongate, of two kinds, the sterile foliaceous,
the fertile commonly much contracted. Name from Gr. Ao/m, a
fringe. Principally south temperate, containing 45 species.

§ EULOMARIA.

«•»!. L. spicant Desv. (DEER-FERN.) Rootstalk short, thick,
very chaffy ; fronds tufted, erect, sterile ones nearly sessile,
narrowly linear-lanceolate, 8' — 24' long, i' — 3' wide, tapering to
both ends, cut to the rachis into oblong or oblong-linear closely
set segments, the lower ones gradually diminishing to minute
auricles; fertile fronds sometimes three feet high, long-stalked,
pinnate ; pinnae somewhat fewer and more distant, longer and
much narrower than in the sterile frond ; indusia distinctly in-
tramarginal. (Osmunda spicant L., Blechnum boreale Svvz.)
California, Oregon, and northward,

102 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

XIV. BLECHNUM L.

Sori linear, continuous or nearly so, parallel with the midrib
and usually contiguous to it. Indusium membranous, distinct
from the edge of the frond. Veins usually free. Name from
Gr. fiXexvov, an old name for some kind of fern. A tropical and
south temperate genus, containing 19 species.

§ EUBLECHNUM.

i. B. serrulatum Richard. Stipes 6' — 12' long, stout,
erect, nearly naked; fronds oblong-lanceolate, i° — 1£° long,
3' — 6' broad, with 12 — 24 pairs of distinct linear-oblong pinnae,
the margins finely incised; texture coriaceous; veins very fine
and close; fertile pinnae narrower. (Blechnum angustifolium
Willd.) Florida.

XV. WOODWARDIA Sm. CHAIN-FERN.

Sori oblong or linear, sunk in cavities in the frond, arranged
in a chain-like row parallel to the midribs of the pinnae and
pinnules and near them. Indusium sub-coriaceous, fixed by its
outer margin to the fruitful veinlet and covering the cavity like
a lid. Veins more or less reticulate. Named for Thomas J.
Woodward, an English botanist. Contains six species, mostly
north temperate.

§ I. EUWOODWARDIA. fronds uniform, the veins forming
at least one series of areolcc between the sort and margins.

i. W. radicans Sm. Caudex stout, erect, and rising a
little above the ground ; stipes stout, 8' — 12' long; fronds 3° — 5°
long, sub-coriaceous, pinnate; the pinnae 8' — 15' long, 2' — 4'
broad, oblique to the rachis, pinnatifid nearly to the midrib;
segments spinulose-serrate ; veinlets forming a single row of
oblong sorus-bearing areolae next the midvein, besides a few
oblique empty areolae outside the fruiting ones, thence free to
the margin. California, Arizona.

§ 2. ANCHISTEA Presl. Fronds uniform, the veins free be-
tween the sori and the margins.

—2. W. Virginica Sm. Stipes stout, 12' — 18' long; fronds
oblong-lanceolate, 12' — 18' long, 6' — 9' broad; pinnae linear-
lanceolate, 4' — 6' long, f — i' broad, cut nearly to the rachis
into linear-oblong lobes. ( IV. Banisteriana Michx., Blechnum

FILICES. 103

Carolinianum Walt., B. Virginicum L., Doodia Virginica Presl.)
Canada and Florida westward to Michigan and Arkansas.

§ 3. LORINSERIA Presl. Fronds dimorphous, veins every-
where forming arcolcc.

3. W. angustifolia Sm. Sterile frond with slender stipes,
9' — 12' long, 6' — 8' broad, deltoid-ovate, with numerous oblong-
lanceolate sinuate pinnae ; rachis broadly winged ; fertile frond
with an elongate, castaneous stem ; pinnae 3' — 4' long, narrowly
linear. (\V.onocleoides^f'ti\&^ W.areolata Moore, Acrostic/mm
areolatum L.) Maine to Florida, Michigan, Arkansas.

XVI. ASPLENIUM L. SPLEENWORT.

Sori oblong or linear, oblique, separate; indusium straight
or rarely curved, opening toward the midrib when single, some-
times double. Veins free in all our species. Name from Gr. a,
without, and aitXrjv, spleen. A cosmopolitan genus contain-
ing nearly 350 species.

§ i. EuASPLENlUM. Veins free, simple or branched ; indu-
sium straight or slightly curved, attached to the upper side of a
vein.

* Fronds simple.

1. A. serratum L. Fronds growing in a crown from a
short, stout, erect rootstock, i^° — 2^° long, 2' — 4' broad, simple,
spatulate or linear-oblanceolate, the margin crenulate or irreg-
ularly but finely serrate, sub-coriaceous; midrib prominent,
keeled and often blackish purple beneath ; veins closely placed,
free, once forked ; sori elongate, following the veins of the
upper half of the frond from near the midrib half-way to
the margin ; indusia single, the free edge entire. Florida.

** Fronds pinnatifid or pinnate below, tapering to a point.

2. A. pinnatifidum Nutt. Stipes tufted, 2' — 4' long ;
fronds 3' — 6' long, i' — 1£' broad, lanceolate, pinnatifid, or pin-
nate below, tapering to a slender prolongation above; lobes
roundish-ovate, or the lowest pair acuminate ; sori numerous.
Pennsylvania to Illinois, Kentucky, and Alabama.

3. A. ebenoides R. R. Scott. Fronds 4' — 9' long, broadly
lanceolate, pinnatifid, pinnate below; apex prolonged and
slender; divisions lanceolate from a broad base, the lower ones

104 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

shorter; stipes black and polished, as is the lower part of the
midrib, especially beneath. Schuylkill River, above Manayunk,
Pennsylvania {Scoff) ; Havana, Alabama {Miss Tutwiler} ;
Canaan, Connecticut {Adani) ; near Poughkeepsie, New York
{Lown), Jackson County, Illinois {Patterson}.

*** Fronds once pinnate.
t PinncE •J-' — £' long, mostly blunt.
\ Rachis chestnut-brown or blackish.

— 4. A. ebeneum Ait. Stipes tufted, 3'— 6' long, chestnut-
brown, nearly naked; fronds 8' — 16' long, linear-lanceolate;
pinnae 20 — 40, lanceolate, subfalcate, or the lower oblong, £' — i'
long, the dilated base auricled on the upper or both sides;
sori often 10 — 12 on each side. {A. trichomanoides Michx.)
Florida and Kentucky northward to Canada.

5. A. parvulum Mart. & Gale. Fronds tufted, erect,
rigid, 4' — 10' long, narrowly linear-lanceolate ; stipe and rachis
black and shining; pinnae numerous, oblong, obtuse, entire or
crenulate, auricled on the upper side, nearly sessile; middle
pinnae longest, the lower gradually shorter and deflexed ; sori
short, abundant. {A. cbcncutn var. minus, Hook., A. resilicns
Kunze.) Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida to Arkansas and
New Mexico.

—6. A. trichomanes L. Stipes densely tufted, purple-
brown, shining; fronds 3' — 8' long, $ or more broad, linear ;
pinnae 15 — 30 pairs, nearly opposite, roundish-oblong or oval,
the two sides unequal, obliquely wedge-truncate at the base, at-
tached by a narrow point, the edge slightly crenate, the mid-
vein forking and evanescent; sori 3 — 6 on each side of the mid-
rib. {A. melanocaiilon Willd.) Eastern United States to the
Pacific coast.

Var. jncisum Moore. Fronds larger, often |-' or more
broad, pinnae more or less deeply incised. California, Vermont.

7. A. monanthemum L. Stipes densely tufted, 3' — 6'
long, chestnut-brown ; fronds 6' — 12' long, narrow, with 20 — 40
pinnae on each side ; pinnae crenate above, abruptly narrowed
at base, often auricled, the lower much reduced; texture sub-
coriaceous; veins flabellate; sori i — 2, linear-oblong, parallel

FILICES. 105

with lower edge of pinnae. Huachuca Mountains, Arizona
(Lemmoii).

\\ Rachis green.

-• »8. A. viride Huds. Stipes densely tufted, 2' — 4' long, *
naked, the lower part chestnut-brown ; fronds 2' — 6' long, £'
broad, with 12 — 20 pinnae on each side, which are ovate or
rhomboidal in outline, the upper edge narrowed suddenly at
the base, the lower obliquely" truncate, the outer part deeply
crenate ; rachis naked ; sori copious. Vermont, Canada, and
New Brunswick.

9. A. dentatum L. Stipes tufted, 2' — 6' long, naked,
ebeneous below; fertile fronds 2' — 3' long, i' broad, with 6 — 8
pairs of stalked, oblong-rhomboidal pinnae, the lower side trun-
cate with a curve, the outer edge irregularly crenate ; sterile
fronds smaller on shorter stipes ; rachis naked ; sori copious in
parallel rows. Florida, South Carolina.

tt Pinna only 2 — 5, linear-cuneate.

10. A. septentrionale Hoffm. Stipes densely tufted, 3'—
6' long, slender, naked, ebeneous toward the base ; fronds irreg-
ularly forking, consisting of two to five narrowly linear rather
rigid segments, which are entire or more frequently cleft at
the end into a few long narrow teeth ; sori elongate, placed
near the margin, usually facing each other in pairs, commonly
only two or three to each segment. Ben Moore, New Mexico
(Bigelow); Middle Mountains, Colorado (Hall and Harbour).

ttt PinncE mtmerous, linear or linear-oblong, acute or acuminate.
— II. A. angustifolium Michx. Stipes i° or more long,
brownish, slightly scaly below ; fronds i^°— 2° long, 4' — 6'
broad, lanceolate-oblong, flaccid ; pinnae 20—30 pairs, linear-
lanceolate, acuminate, entire or crenulate, those of the fertile
frond narrower; texture thinly herbaceous; sori linear, 20 — 40
each side of the midvein. New England to Kentucky and Wis-
consin.

12. A. firmum Kunze. Stipes 4' — 8' long, erect, grayish,
naked; fronds 6' — 12' long, 3' — 4' broad ; pinnae 12 — 20 pairs,
oblong-hmceolate, the point bluntish, the margin inciso-cre-
nate. the upper one narrowed suddenly at the base, the lower

106 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES

one obliquely truncate ; sori short, falling short of both mid-
vein and margin. Florida, Arizona.

**** pronds fa — tripinnatifid.
t Texture somewhat coriaceous.

13. A. ruta-muraria L. Stipes tufted, 2' — 4' long, naked ;
fronds ovate-deltoid, i' — 2' long, bi — tripinnate below, simply
pinnate above; the divisions rhopibic-wedge- shaped, toothed or
incised at the apex ; veins flabellate ; sori few, elongate, soon
confluent. Vermont to Michigan and Kentucky.

14. A. montanum Willd. Stipes tufted, 2' — 3' long,
naked; fronds 2' — 5' long, ovate-lanceolate, pinnate; pinnae
3 — 7 parted below, incised or toothed above; veins obscure;
sori short, the basal ones sometimes double. Lantern Hill,
Connecticut, and Ulster County, New York, to Georgia, Ken-
tucky, and Arkansas.

15. A. Glenniei Baker. Caudex erect, with dark brown,
linear-setaceous scales; stipes densely tufted, •£' — i' long, cas-
taneous; fronds 3' — 4' long, oblanceolate, bipinnate; pinnae
20 — 25 pairs, lanceolate, the lower gradually reduced, cuneate-
truncate ; pinnules 5 — 6 pairs, oblong, toothed or externally
sub-entire ; sori, one at base of each pinnule, or two or more on
lowest anterior. Huachuca Mountains, Arizona (Lcmmoii).

\\ Texture thinly herbaceous or membranous.

16. A. Bradleyi D. C. Eaton. Stipes tufted, 2' — 3' long,
ebeneous, as is also the lower half of the rachis ; basal scales
brown-black, lanceolate-acuminate ; fronds 3' — 7' long, oblong-
lanceolate, bipinnatifid ; pinnae 8 — 12 pairs, short-stalked or
sessile, ovate-oblong, the lowest not reduced, the largest pinnat-
ifid with oblong lobes toothed at the tip; sori short, near the
midvein. Ulster County, New York; East Tennessee, Ken-
tucky, and Arkansas.

17. A. rhizophyllum Kunze, vsr. myriophyllum Mett.
Stipes tufted, 2'— 6' long ; fronds 3'— 10' long, delicately mem-
branous, lanceolate, narrowed below, bi — tripinnate; ultimate
segments obovate-oblong, entire or 2 — 3 lobed ; veins single in
each segment, bearing belowthe middle a solitary oblong sorus.
Forms with fronds narrowly linear, £' — i' wide and widely as-

FILICES. IO7

cending, 7 — 8 lobed pinnae, are var. Biscay nianum D. C. Eaton.
Florida.

18. A. cicutarium Swz. Stipes tufted, 4' — 8' long, green-
ish, naked; fronds 6' — 15' long, 4 — 6' broad, with 10 — 15 hori-
zontal pinnae on each side, the lower ones 2' — 3' long, i' broad,
cut down to the rachis into linear or oblong segments, which
are once or twice cleft at the apex ; rachis compressed and
often winged ; sori principally in two rows. Florida.

§2. ATHYRIUM Roth. Veins free ; sort more or less curved,
sometimes horseshoe-shaped, often crossing to the outer or lower
side of the fruiting veinlet.

— ^19. A. thelypteroides Michx. Stipes long, erect, stra-
mineous; fronds i° — 2° long, 6' — 12' broad, bipinnatiiid ; pinnae
linear-lanceolate ; segments crowded, oblong, minutely toothed ;
sori 5 — 6 pairs to each segment, slightly curved, the lower ones
often double. New England to Kentucky and Illinois.
-»2o. A. filix-foemina Bernh. (LADY-FERN.) Stipes tufted,
6' — 12' long, stramineous or brownish ; fronds delicate, i|° — 3'
long, broadly oblong-ovate, bipinnate; pinnae 4' — 8' long, lan-
ceolate ; pinnules oblong-lanceolate, pointed, more or less pin-
nately incised or serrate, distinct or confluent on the secondary
rachises by a very narrow and inconspicuous margin ; sori
short; indusium straight or variously curved. Small starved
specimens growing in mountainous places form the var. exile
D. C. Eaton, often fruiting when 3' — 6' high. Narrow forms
with the pinnae obliquely ascending are var. Michauxii Mett.
. (var. angustuui D. C. Eaton), and other forms equally unim-
portant, form the remaining sixty-three varieties that have been
described of this species. {Aspidiumfilix-fcemina Swz., Nephro-
dium asplenoides Michx.) Eastern United States to Utah, Ne-
vada, California, and Arizona.

XVII. SCOLOPENDRIUM Sm. HART'S-TONGUE.

Sori linear, elongate, almost at right angles to the midvein,
contiguous by twos, one on the upper side of one veinlet, and
the next on the lower side of the next superior veinlet, thus
appearing to have a double indusium opening along the middle.
Name from Gr. aKohoTtevdpa, a centipede, alluding to the posi-
tion of the sori. Includes five species.

108 OUR NA7'IVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES,

-*— i. S. vulgare Sm. Stipes 2' — 6' long, fibrillose below;
fronds oblong-lanceolate from an auricled heart-shaped base,
entire or undulate, 7' — 18' long, i' — 2' wide, bright green. (S.
officinarum Swz., Asplenium scolopendrium L.) Chittenango
Falls and Jamesville, New York; Woodstock, New Brunswick
(Suttoti), Owen Sound, Canada {Mrs. Roy), Tennessee.

XVIII. CAMPTOSORUS Link. WALKING LEAF.
Sori oblong or linear, irregularly scattered on either side of
the reticulate veins of the simple frond, those next the midrib
single, the outer ones inclined to approximate in pairs, or to
become confluent at their ends, thus forming cropked lines.
Name from Gr. ttajuxroS, curved, and <T(*)p6$, a heap. Includes
only two species.

—i. C. rhizophyllus Link. Fronds evergreen, tufted, spread-
ing or procvmbent, 4' — 9' long, lanceolate from an auricled,
heart-shaped or often hastate base, tapering above into a slender
prolongation which often roots at the apex. Var. intermedius
Arthur is an interesting form, differing mainly from the typical
forms in having the base acute, without proper auricles and
with a single nbro-vascular bundle in the stipe. (Antigramma
rhisophylla J. Sm., Scolopendrium rhizophylhim Hook., Asple-
nium rhisophylhtm L.) New England to Wisconsin and south-
ward ; the variety in Iowa.

XIX. PHEGOPTERIS Fee. BEECH-FERN.
Sori small, round, naked, borne on the back of the veins
below the apex. Stipe continuous with the rootstock. Veins
free or reticulate. Name from Gr. Qriyot, a beech-tree, and
nrepis, a fern. Includes 95 species.

§ i. EUPHEGOPTERIS. Veins free.

* Fronds triangular, bipinnatifid; pinna sessile, adnate to a
winged rachis.

— -i. p. polypodioides Fee. Stipes 6'— 9' long; fronds longer
than broad, 4' — 9' long, 4' — 6' broad, hairy on the veins especi-
ally beneat'j ; pinnae linear-lanceolate, the lowest pair deflexed
and standing forward, segments oblong, obtuse, entire, the
basal ones decurrent and adnate to the main rachis ; sori near
the margin. (P. vidgaris Mett., Polypodium phegopteris L., P.
connectile Michx.) New England to Virginia and westward.

FILICES. lOQ

— 2. P. hexagonoptera Fee. Stipes 8'— 18' long, stramine-
ous, naked; fronds as broad as long or nearly so, 7' — 12' long,
slightly pubescent, and often finely glandular beneath ; upper
pinnae oblong, obtuse, toothed or entire, the very large lowest
pinnae elongate and pinnately lobed ; sori near the margin or
some between the sinus and the midrib. (Polypodium hexagon-
opterum Michx.) Canada to Illinois, Kentucky, and Florida.
** Fronds oblong-lanceolate, tripinnatifid; rachis wingless.

,^3. P. alpestris Mett. Rootstock short, thick, erect or ob-
lique; stipes 4' — 10' long, with a few brown spreading scales
near the base ; fronds i°— 2° long, pinnae deltord-lanceolate, the
lower ones distant and decreasing moderately; pinnules oblong-
lanceolate, incised and toothed; sori small, rounded, sub-
marginal. (Polypodium alpestre Hoppe, Aspidium alpestre
Swz.) California and northward.

*** Fronds ternate,the three divisions pet ioled; rachis wingless.
•^4. P. dryopteris Fee. (OAK-FERN.) Rootstock slender,
creeping; fronds broadly triangular, 4' — 8' wide; the three
primary divisions i — 2 pinnate; segments oblong, obtuse, entire
or toothed ; sori near the margin. (Polypodium dryopteris L.,
Nephrodium dryopteris Michx.) Northeastern United States to
Virginia, and westward to Oregon and Alaska.
•» Var. Robertianum Dav. Stipes 6' — 10' long, stramineous
when dry, glandular; fronds 6' — 8' long, 5' — 7' wide, deltoid-
ovate in outline, bipinnate, lowest pair of pinnae far the largest,
pinnatifid or again pinnate; upper pinnae smaller, pinnatifid,
lobed, or entire ; sori copious, forming submarginal rows around
the segments. (P. calcarea Fee.) Minnesbta (Cat heart), Deco-
rah, Iowa (Hohvay), Northeast Territory (Macoun).

§ 2. GONIOPTERIS Presl. Veins pinnate, the lower veinlets
of contiguous groups uniting.

5. P. tetragona Fee. Rootstock creeping; stipes erect,
6' — 18' long, naked or slightly villose ; fronds i° — 2° long,
6' — 12' broad ; pinnae numerous, spreading 3' — 6' long, the lowest
narrowed at the base and sometimes stalked, deeply pinnatifid ;
texture thinly herbaceous; rachis and under surface finely pu-
bescent; sori in rows near the midrib. Marion County, Florida
{Reynolds).

110 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

6. P. reptans D. C. Eaton. Rootstock short, creeping;
stipes 3' — 10' long, clustered, gray-stramineous, slender, naked ;
fronds 4' — 12' long, membranous, softly hairy with branched or
stellate hairs, oblong-lanceolate, pinnate with nearly or quite
sessile, oblong, crenately pinnatifid pinnae, the apex pinnatifid,
often elongate and rooting; veins pinnate, simple, the basal
veinlets often anastemosing; sori on the middle of the veinlets,
rather small, sometimes with a minute rudimentary indusium.
(Polypodium reptans Swz., Aspidium reptans Mett.) On cal-
careous rocks, on left bank of Withlacoochee River, 15 miles
N.E. from Brooksville, Florida (J. Donnell Smith).

XX. ASPIDIUM Swz. SHIELD-FERN.

Sori round, borne on the back or rarely at the apex of the
veins. Indusium flat or flattish, orbicular and peltate at the
centre, or cordato-reniform and fixed either centrally or at the
sinus. Stipe continuous with the rootstock. Name from Gr.
aajiidioy, a small shield. A cosmopolitan genus containing 350
or more species.

? i. Eu ASPIDIUM. Veins anastomosing copiously.

1. A. trifoliatum Swz. Stipes tufted, i° or more long,
brownish, scaly at base; fronds 12' — 18' long, 6' — 12' broad,
with a large ovate-acuminate terminal pinna narrowed or forked
at the base, and one or two lateral ones on each side, the lowest
mostly forked ; primary veins distinct to the margin ; areolae
fine, copious, with free included veinlets; sori in rows near the
main veins; indusia orbicular, peltate. Florida, Western
Texas.

§ 2. CYRTOMIUM Presl. Indusium peltate; fronds simply
pinnate with broad pinncs; veinlets usually uniting slightly near
the margin.

2. A. juglandifolium Kunze. Stipes tufted, clothed below
with large scales; fronds 6' — 2° long, coriaceous; pinnae 2 — 12
pairs, short-stalked, ovate-oblong or broadly lanceolate, the ter-
minal one distinct, and in small fronds the largest, appressed-
serrulate, smooth on both surfaces ; veins pinnate, the veinlets
few, free or uniting near the margin ; sori scattered in several
irregular rows. Western Texas, Arizona.

§ 3. POLYSTICHUM Roth. Indusium orbicular and entire,

FILICES. 1 1 1

peltate, fixed by the depressed centre; pinnce and pinnules usually
auricled on the upper side at base, mucronately serrate; veins free.

* Fronds simply pinnate.
\ Fronds long -stalked, lanceolate.

"•^3. A. acrostichoides Swz. (CHRISTMAS-FERN.) Stipes
6' — 8' long, densely clothed below with pale-brown lanceolate
scales; fronds i° — 2° high, 3' — 5' broad ; pinnae linear-lanceolate,
somewhat falcate, half-halberd-shaped at the base, serrulate
with appressed bristly teeth ; the fertile ones contracted and
smaller, bearing contiguous sori near the middle, soon covering
the entire surface. A form with cut-lobed, often strongly fal-
cate pinnae, set obliquely to the rachis, and with the tips of
nearly all bearing sori, is the var. incisum Gray. (Nephrodium
acrostichoides Michx.) New England to Florida, Mississippi,
and northward.

—•.4. A. munitum Kaulf. Stipes 4' — 12' long, chaffy like the
rachis with brown scales; fronds growing in a crown, i° — 4°
long, tapering slightly toward the base ; pinnae numerous,
linear-acuminate, 3' — 4' long, very sharply and often doubly
serrate, with appressed needle-like points; sori numerous, form-
ing a single row each side of the midrib half-way to the margin.
California and northward.

ft Fronds scarcely stalked, linear-lanceolate.

— 5. A. lonchitis Swz. (HOLLY-FERN.) Fronds 9'— 20' long,
rigid ; pinnae i' or more long, broadly lanceolate-falcate or the
lowest triangular, strongly auricled on the upper side, the lower
obliquely truncate, densely spinulose-toothed ; sori contiguous
and near the margin. Canada and Wisconsin to Utah (Jones),
Castle Lake, Siskiyou County, California (Pringle), Mt. Peddo,
Washington Territory (Suksdorf), and northward.
** Fronds bipinnate or nearly so.

6. A. mohrioides Bory. Stipes tufted, 2' — 6' long, more or
less densely clothed with lanceolate dark-brown scales ; fronds
6' — 12' long, 2' — 3' broad, with numerous dense, often imbri-
cated, lanceolate pinnae, which are cut below into slightly
toothed oblong rhomboidal pinnules; teeth blunt or mucro-
nate ; texture coriaceous; both surfaces naked; rachis stout,

112 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

compressed, scaly; veins close, immersed; sori copious. Calu
fornia.

--7- A. aculeatum Swz. Rootstock stout, erect ; stipes vari-
able in length, very chaffy with large and small scales inter-
mixed as in the rachis; fronds i° — 2° long, growing in a crown,
oblong- lanceolate, pinnate; pinnae closely placed, lanceolate
from a broad base, mostly curved upwards, incisely pinnatifid or
again pinnate; segments or pinnules of variable shape, oval-
rhomboidal, or unequally triangular-ovate and auriculate on the
upper side of the slightly stalked base, the teeth aculeate in
various degrees; under surface more or less chaffy- fibril lose;
sori in two rows, on the segments nearer the midvein than the
edge. California, Mt. Peddo, Washington Territory (Suksdorf).

Var. Californicum D.C.Eaton. Fronds elongate, narrow,
tapering slightly at the base; pinnae but slightly incised above
the middle, more and more deeply cleft toward the rachis, the
lower superior segment largest, but scarcely distinct as a pin-
nule, and not at all auricled. (A. Californicum D. C. Eaton.)
California.

Var. angulare D. C. Eaton. Fronds oblong-lanceolate,
scarcely or not at all narrowed at the base, fully bipinnate ; pin-
nules distinctly short-stalked, mostly auricled and slightly in-
cised ; the basal one largest and again pinnatifid ; under sur-
face chaffy-fibrillose. {A. aH^u/ar? Willd.) California.
— Var. Braunii Koch. Fronds oblong-lanceolate; pinnae nu-
merous, oblong-lanceolate, the lower gradually reduced in size
and obtuse ; pinnules ovate or oblong, truncate and almost
rectangular at the base, sharply toothed, beset with long soft
hairs as well as chaffy ones. (A. Braunii Spenner.) Maine to
New York and northward.

§ 4. NEPHRODIUM Rich. Indusium cordato-reniform or
orbicular with a narrow sinus ; veins free.

* Texture thin-membranous, veins simple or once forked,
fronds bipinnatifid.

t Lowest pinncE gradually reduced to mere lobes.

A. Noveboracense Swz. Rootstock slender, creep-
ing; fronds i° — 2° long, 4' — 6' broad, lanceolate, tapering both
ways from the middle ; pinnae lanceolate, the two or more lowest

FIL/CES. 1 I 3

pairs gradually shorter and deflexed, those of the barren frond
broader; segments flat, oblong, basal ones often enlarged;
veins simple or forked in basal lobes ; sori distinct, near the
margin ; indusium minute, the margin glanduliferous. (A. the-
lypteroides Swz., Polypodium Noveboracense L., Nephr odium
Noveboracense Desv., Lastrea Noveboracensis J. Sm.) North
Carolina to Arkansas arid northward.

9. A. conterminum Willd., var. strigosum D. C. Eaton.
Rootstock stout, erect, often extending a foot above the ground,
bearing a crown of fronds ; stipes very stout, narrowly wing-
margined at the base ; fronds i°— 4° long, lanceolate in outline,
caudate-acuminate, much narrowed at the base, somewhat
rigid, pinnate ; pinnae sessile, narrowly lanceolate from a
broader base, acuminate, deeply pinnatifid into oblong, ob-
liquely sub-falcate, obtuse segments ; under-surface copiously
dotted with resinous globules ; veins free, simple; sori near the
margin; indusium reniform, minute, glandular, somewhat
pilose, evanescent. (A. strigosum Fee, Nephrodium conter-
minum Desv. in part.) Florida.

10. A. Nevadense D. C. Eaton. Rootstock creeping,
densely covered with the persistent bases of former stalks ;
fronds in a crown, i£° — 3° long, lanceolate ; pinnae linear-lanceo-
late from a broad base, deeply pinnatifid, the lower pairs distant
and gradually reduced to mere auricles ; segments crowded, ob-
long, slightly hairy on the veins beneath, and sprinkled with
minute resinous particles; veins about seven pairs to a lobe;
sori close to the margin ; indusium minute, furnished with a
few dark-colored marginal glands, and bearing several straight
jointed hairs on the upper surface. California.

MV II. A. oreopteris Swz. Rootstock short, erect or decum-
bent, scaly ; stipes short, tufted, scaly below ; fronds ii° — 2°
long, firm, membranous, broadly lanceolate, gradually tapering
and attenuated below, glandular ; pinnae 2' — 3' long, sessile
from a Jbroad base, lanceolate-acuminate, deeply pinnatifid,
gradually shorter to the lowest, which are more distant, deltoid,
and less than i' long; segments flat, nearly entire, oblong ; sori
quite marginal; indusia delicate, membranous, more or less
toothed at the margin. ^Nephrodium oreopteris Desv. , N. mon-
8

114 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

tanum Baker.) Unalaska, Mount Dawson, British Columbia
(Macoun).

ft Lower pinna little smaller than those above.

— . 12. A. thelypteris Swz. (MARSH-FERN.) Rootstock slen-
der; fronds i° — 2° long, 4'— 6' broad, lanceolate, pinnae mostly
horizontal, linear-lanceolate ; segments oblong, entire, obtuse
or appearing acute in fruit from the strongly revolute margins;
veins mostly forked, bearing the sori near their middle ; indusia
minute, smooth, and naked. (JPofypodium thelypteris L.t Ne-
phrodium thelypteris Desv. , Lastrea thelypteris J. Sm.) North-
ern United States to Florida.

13. A. patens Swz. Rootstock rather stout, bearing several
fronds at the growing end ; fronds 2° — 3° long, 4' — 10' broad,
ovate-oblong, softly pubescent beneath ; pinnae closely placed,
linear-acuminate, lowest pair somewhat deflexed, all cut three-
fourths of the way to the midrib ; segments numerous, acutish,
basal ones longest; veinlets evident, lowest ones of adjoining
segments often uniting; sori near the margin; indusia very
pubescent. {A. molle Kunze.) Florida to California.

** Texture firmer or sub-coriaceous, veins forking freely.
t Fronds pinnate; pinme cut into spreading triangular lobes;
sori confluent.

14. A. unitum R. Br., var. glabrum Mett. Stipes i°— J^0
long, brownish, naked; fronds i£° or more long, 5' — 8' broad ;
pinnae narrow, cut from one third to half-way down into sharp,
pointed lobes; lower pinnae not reduced; veins pinnate in the
broad lobes with 6 — 8 veinlets on each side, the lower ones of
contiguous groups united ; sori near the ends of the veins prin-
cipally in the lobes. Florida.

ft Fronds bipinnatifid or bipinnate ; indusia rather large ;
segments not spinulose.

\ Fronds small, narrowly lanceolate.

30/2, •"• !5- A- fragrrans Swz. Fronds 4' — 12' high, glandular and
aromatic ; pinnae linear-oblong, pinnately parted ; segments
toothed or nearly entire, nearly covered beneath with the very
large thin imbricate indusia, which are orbicular with a narrow
sinus, the margin ragged and sparingly glanduliferous. (Nc~

FILICES. 115

phrodium fragrans Rich.) New England, New York to Wis-
consin, and northward.

\\ Fronds larger, mostly 2° — 4° high.

A. Fronds bipinnatifid or nearly twice pinnate ; indusia
large, thinnish and flat.

16. A. Floridanum D. C. Eaton. Stipes 6' — 10' long,
sparingly clothed with ovate scales; fronds lanceolate, 18' — 20'
long, 5' — 8' broad ; fertile pinnae confined to the upper half of
the frond, narrowly lanceolate, cut down to the narrowly
winged secondary rachises into oblong, distinct pinnules; the
sterile pinnae broader, shorter and sub-deltoid below, less
deeply cut. (A. cristatum, var. Floridanum Hook., Nephro-
dium Floridanum Hook.) Florida.

• 17. A. cristatum Swz. Fronds linear-oblong or lanceolate
in outline, i° — 2° long; pinnae short, 2' — 3' long, triangular-ob-
long or the lowest nearly triangular, deeply pinnatifid ; seg-
ments 6 — 10 pairs, finely serrate or cut-toothed ; sori as near
the midvein as the margin ; indusia smooth, naked. (A. Lan-
castriense Spreng., Nephrodium cristatum Michx., Lastrea cris-
tata Presl.) Canada to Arkansas.

^^Var. Clintonianum D.C.Eaton. Fronds much larger,*
2£°— 4° long; pinnae oblong lanceolate, broadest at base, 4' — 6
long, i' — 2' broad, deeply pinnatifid; segments 8 — 16 pairs,
crowded or distant, linear-oblong, obscurely serrate ; veins pin-
nately forking, bearing the sori near the midvein. New Eng-
land, New York, and westward.

^18. A. Goldieanum Hook. Fronds broadly ovate, 2° — 4°
long; pinnae 6' — 9' long, broadest in the middle, pinnately
parted; the segments about 20 pairs, oblong-linear, sub-falcate,
serrate with appressed teeth ; veins bearing the sori very near
the midvein ; indusia very large, orbicular with a narrow sinus.
(Nephrodium Goldieanum Hook., Lastrea Goldieana J. Sm.)
Canada to Kentucky.

B. Fronds mostly bipinnate ; indusia convex, without mar-
ginal glands.

— 19. A. filix-mas Swz. (MALE-FERN.) Rootstock short,
stout; fronds in a crown, i° — 3° high, broadly oblong lanceo-
late, slightly narrowed toward the base, bipinnatifid or bipin-

Il6 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

nate ; pinnules oblong, smooth, polished beneath, the larger
ones pinnately incised ; sori large, near the midvein, commonly
on the lower half or two thirds of the segment ; indusia firm,
smooth ; rachis more or less chaffy. (Nephrodium filix-mas
Rich., Lastrea filix-mas Presl.) Canada to Colorado, Arizona,
California, and Oregon.

— 20. A. marginale Swz. Fronds smooth, nearly coriaceous
in texture, 6' — 2° long, ovate-oblong; pinnae lanceolate, broadest
just above the base ; pinnules oblong or oblong-falcate, entire or
crenately toothed ; sori close to the margin. {Pofypodium mar-
ginale L., Nephrodium marginale Michx., Lastrea marginalis
J. Sm.) Northern United States and Canada.

Hi Fronds bipinnate or tripinnatifid; segments spinulose- toothed.

—21. A. rigidum Swz., var. argutum D. C. Eaton. Root-
stock short, stout; fronds in a crown on chaffy stalks, half-
evergreen, smooth above, paler and more or less glandular be-
neath, i° — 3° high, ovate-lanceolate or triangular-lanceolate,
bipinnate; pinnae broadly oblong-lanceolate, the lowest ones
broadest, scarcely shorter than the middle ones; pinnules ob-
long, incised or doubly serrate with spinulose teeth ; indusia
firm, convex, the edge bearing short-stalked glands. (A. argu-
tum Kaulf.) California, Oregon.

— «.22. A. spinulosum Swz. Stipes with a few, pale-brown,
deciduous scales; fronds ovate-lanceolate, bipinnate, the pinnae
oblique to the rachis, elongate-triangular, the lower pairs
broadly triangular ; pinnules oblique to the midrib, connected
by a very narrow wing, oblong, incised or pinnatifid with lobes
spinulose toothed; indusia smooth without marginal glands.
{Nephrodium spinulosum Desv. Lastrea spinulosa Presl.)
Canada and Northern United States.

~~Var. intermedium D. C. Eaton. Scales of the stipes few,
brown with a darker centre; fronds oblong-ovate, bi — tripin-
nate; pinnae spreading, oblong-lanceolate, the lowest unequally
triangular-ovate; pinnules crowded, pinnately divided; margin
of indusium denticulate and beset with stalked glands. (A. in-
termedium Willd., A. Americanum Dav.) Canada to Tennes-
see.

dilatatum Horneman. Scales of the stipes large,

FILICES. I I /

brown with a darker centre ; fronds broadly ovate or triangular-
ovate, oftenest tripinnate; pinnules lance-oblong, the lowest
often much elongated ; indusia smooth and naked. (A. dila-
tatum Swz. A. campylopterum Kunze., Nephrodium dilatatum
Desv., Lastrea dilatata J. Sm.) A dwarf form is var. dume-
torum. Canada and New England to Oregon.
•—23. A. Boottii Tuckerman. Scales of the stipes pale-brown ;
fronds elongate oblong or elongate lanceolate in outline; pin-
nules broadly oblong, very obtuse, the lower pinnatifid, the
upper and smaller merely serrate ; indusia minutely glandular.
(A. spinuhsiim, var. Boottii Gray.) New England, New York,
and northward.

24. A. patulum Swz. Stipes tufted, 8' — 12' long, stra-
mineous, scaly at base; fronds pale green, i° — 2° long, 6' — 12'
broad, ovate-lanceolate; pinnae lanceolate or the lower subdel-
toid; rachis and both surfaces naked ; sori in rows midway be-
tween edge and midrib ; indusium conspicuous, naked. (Nephro-
dium patulum Baker, N. Mexicanum Hook. Distributed by
Lemmon as A. Karwinskyamtm.) Huachuca Mountains, Arizona
(Lemmori).

XXI. NEPHROLEPIS Schott.

Sori round, arising from the apex of the upper branch of a
vein, usually near the margin. Indusia reniform or roundish.
Veins all free, the fronds simply pinnate, the pinnae articulated
at the base, and bearing white cretaceous dots on the upper
surface. Name from Gr. refipaoS, a kidney, and Ae7r/s, a scale.
A tropical and sub-tropical genus containing seven species.

1. N. exaltata Schott. Stipes tufted, 4' — 6' long, naked or
slightly scaly; fronds i°- — 6° long, 3' — 6' broad; pinnae close,
lanceolate, the edge entire or slightly crenate, the upper side
auricled at the base, the lower rounded ; rachis nearly naked ;
sori sub-marginal ; indusia firm, distinctly reniform. Florida ;
frequent in cultivation.

2. N. acuta Presl. Stipes tufted, 4'— 8' long, naked or
slightly scaly; fronds 2°— 4° long, 8'— 12' broad; pinnae 4'— 8'
long, V — r broad, acute, entire or slightly crenate, the upper
side auricled, the lower rounded at base ; rachis and both sides
nearly naked ; sori submarginal ; indusia suborbicular, subpel-

Il8 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES

tate. South bank of Miami River, Florida. March, 1887
(H olden).

XXII. CYSTOPTERIS Bernh. BLADDER-FERN.

Sori roundish, borne on the back of the veins. Indusium
delicate, hood-like, or arched, attached by a broad base on the
inner side partly under the sorus, early opening, free at the other
side, and thrown back or withering away. Veins free. Name
from Gr. KVGTIS, a bladder, and -jtrepis, a fern, alluding to the in-
flated indusia. Found in the temperate zones of both hemis-
pheres ; contains five species.

* Fronds ovate-lanceolate, bi — tripinnate.

— i. c. bulbifera Bernh. Stipes 4' — 6' long; fronds lan-
ceolate, elongate. i° — 2° long, bi — tripinnatifid, pinnae lanceo-
late-oblong; pinnules crowded, toothed or pinnatifid; rachis
wingless, often bearing bulblets underneath ; indusia short, trun-
cate on the free side. (Aspidiwn bulbiferum Swz., Nephrodium
bulbiferum Michx.) New England to Virginia and North
Carolina.

30/yy —2. C.fragills Bernh. Fronds oblong-lanceolate, 4' — 8' long,
i1 — 2f broad, bi — tripinnate; pinnae and pinnules lanceolate or
ovate in outline, decurrent along the margined or winged
rachis; indusia tapering or acute at the free end. Narrower,
less divided sped me ns, barely bipinnate with obtuse and bluntly
toothed pinnules form the i>ar. dcntata Hook. Like many
other so-called varieties it passes insensibly into the typical
form. (Aspidium tenue Swz.) New England to Arizona, Cali-
fornia, and northward.

** Fronds deltoid-ovate, tri — qtiadripinnate.

— 3. C. montana Bernh. Rootstalk long, slender, creeping;
stipes 6' — 9' long, slender; fronds about 6' each way; lowest
pinnae deltoid-lanceolate, much larger than those above, their
inferior pinnules i' — i^ long; segments cut to the rachis into
oblong lobes, deeply and sharply toothed ; sori numerous.
Colorado (Brandegee), north shore of Lake Superior, Labrador
{Butler}, Mt. Albert, Gaspe, Quebec, and northward to Alaska.

FILICES. IIQ

XXIII. ONOCLEA L.

Sori round, borne on the back of the veins of the contracted
fertile frond, and quite concealed by their revolute margins.
Indusium very thin membranous, hemispheric or hood-like,
fixed at the inferior side of the sorus. Fronds conspicuously
dimorphous. Name from Gr. ovoS, a vessel, and xXeieiv, to close,
alluding to the fertile fronds. A cold temperate genus contain-
ing three species.

§ i. EuONOCLEA. Veins of sterile frond copiously anasto-
mosing.

— i. O. sensibilis L. (SENSITIVE-FERN.) Fertile fronds bi-
pinnate, much contracted ; pinnules short, usually rolled up and
converted into berry-shaped closed involucres, and forming a
one-sided panicle; sterile fronds broadly triangular, deeply pin-
natifid into lanceolate-oblong pinnae, wh'ich are entire, undulate,
or the lowest pair sinuate pinnatifid ; veins copiously anasto-
mosing. In var. obtusilobata Torn the sterile fronds are again x
pinnatifid, more or less contracted and revolute, and bear a few
sori. New England to Florida and Kansas.

§ 2. STRUTHIOPTERIS Willd. Veins all free.
~~>2. O. struthiopteris Hoffm. (OSTRICH-FERN.) Fertile X
fronds i° — i£° long, simply pinnate with necklace-shaped pinnae
formed of the strongly revolute margins ; sterile fronds 2° — 6°
long, growing in a crown, broadly lanceolate, bipinnatifid, the
lowest pinnae gradually much shorter ; veins pinnate, free and
simple; sori crowded and confluent. Sterile fronds are some-
times partially contracted and bear sori analogous to var.
obtusilobata above. (O. Germanica Willd., O. nodulosa Michx.,
Strtithiopteris Pennsylvania Willd., S. Germanica Willd.,
Osmunda struthiopteris L.) New England to Illinois.

XXIV. WOODSIA R. Br.

Sori round, borne on the back of simply forked free veins.
Indusium inferior, thin and often evanescent, either small and
open, or early bursting at the top into irregular pieces or lobes.
Named for Joseph Woods, an English botanist. A genus of
high temperate or boreal latitudes including 15 species.

?' i. EUWOODSIA. Indusium minute or evanescent, open and

120 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

fiat from an early stage, concealed under the sorus, its margin
cleft into slender hairs or cilia.

* Stipes obscurely jointed near the base ; cilia of the indusiuin
long, inflexed over the sporangia.

t Fronds thickly clothed underneath with rusty bristle-like
chaff.

I- W. Ilvensis R. Br. Fronds broadly lanceolate, smooth-
ish above, pinnate ; pinnae crowded, sessile, pin nately- parted,
the crowded segments oblong, obscurely crenate ; sori near the
margin, somewhat confluent when old. ( W. rufidula Beck.,
Acrostichum license L., PoJy podium Ilvensc Swz., Nephrodinm
rufiduliim Michx., Aspidium rufiduliim Willd.) Virginia to
Kentucky, westward and northward.

ft Fronds glabrous or nearly so.

$023 •"~2- W. hyperborea R. Br. Stipes and rachis sometimes
slightly hairy ; fronds linear-lanceolate, pinnate ; pinnae corda-
to-ovate, pinnaiifid with few (5 — 7) broadly obovate entire lobes.
Vermont, New York, and northwestward.

M22 —3- w< #Iabella R. Br. Smooth and naked throughout;
fronds linear, tapering slightly below, 2' — 5' high, pinnate;
pinnae deltoid or ovate, the lower rather remote, cut into 3 — 7
rounded or subcuneate entire lobes. Vermont, New York, and
northward.

** Stipes not jointed ; cilia of the indiisium very short, hid-
den by the sporangia.

302& -— 4- W. scopulina D. C. Eaton. Rootstock short, creep-
ing, very chaffy ; stipes 2' — 4' long, puberulent like the rachis
and under surface of the frond with minute flattened hairs and
stalked glands; fronds lanceolate, 4' — 8' long, pinnate; pinnae
numerous, oblong-ovate, pinnatifid with 10 — 16 short ovate or
oblong toothed divisions ; indusia very delicate, deeply cleft
into laciniae which terminate in short hairs. Colorado, Ari-
zona, California, Oregon, and northward.

•— 5- w- Oregana D.C.Eaton. Stipes and fronds smooth;
fertile fronds taller than the sterile ones; pinnae triangular-ob-
long, pinnatifid ; segments oblong or ovate, toothed or crenate;
teeth often reflexed and covering the submarginal sori ; indusia

FIL1CES. 121

very minute, divided almost to the centre into a few beaded
hairs. Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, and northward.

6. W. Mexicana Fee. Stipes 2' — 3' long, smoothish or
with a few scattered scales ; fronds 3' — 9' long, lanceolate ;
pinnae sub-opposite, triangular-lanceolate, pinnately divided
into finely-toothed segments, the teeth in young fronds ending
in delicate, semi-transparent, ciliated tips ; sori near the mar-
gin, broad, confluent ; receptacles dot-like, scales of indusium
four, laciniate, narrow, dividing at the end into articulated
hairs ; sporangia nearly sessile. Arizona, New Mexico.

§2. HYPOPELTIS Torr. Indusium conspicuous, at first en-
closing the sporangium, but early opening at the top and splitting
into several spreading jagged lobes.

•«-»7. W. obtusa Torr. Stipes not jointed, 3' — 6' long; fronds 3024"
broadly lanceolate, minutely glandular-hairy, 6' — 12' high,
nearly bipinnate; pinnae rather remote, triangular-ovate or ob-
long, pinnately parted ; segments oblong, obtuse, crenately
toothed, the lower ones pinnatifid ; veins forked. ( W. Perrin-
iana H. & G., Aspidium obtusum Willd., Chcilanthes crenata
Kunze, Hypopeltis obtusa Torr.) Smaller and more glandular
forms are var. glandulosa Eaton (IV. Plummcrce Lemmon).
New England to Kentucky, Kansas, and Arizona.

XXV. DICKSONIA L'Her.

Sori small, globular, marginal or intra-marginal. Sporangia
borne in an elevated, globular receptacle, enclosed in a mem-
branous, cup-shaped indusium, which is open at the top, and
o*n the outer side partly adherent to a reflexed toothlet of the
frond. Named for James Dickson, an English botanist, 1738-
1822. Includes about 50 species, more than half of which are
arborescent.

§ SITOLOBIUM J. Sm.

••I. D. pilosiuscula Willd. Rootstock slender, extensively
creeping, naked; stipes stout, chaffless ; fronds i° — 2^° long,
5' — 9' broad, ovate-lanceolate and pointed, usually tripinnatifid ;
pinnae lanceolate, pointed ; pinnules cut into oblong and ob-
tuse cut-toothed lobes ; rachis and under surface minutely
glandular and hairy; sori minute, each on a recurved toothlet,
usually one at the upper margin of each lobe. (D. punctiloba

122 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

Hook., D. punctilobula Kunzej Nephrodtum punctilobulum
Michx., Aspidium punctilobulum Torr.) Canada to Tennessee.

XXVI. TRICHOMANES Sm. FILMY-FERN.

Sori marginal, terminating a vein, more or less sunken in
the frond. Sporangia sessile on the lower part of a cylindrical,
filiform, often elongated receptacle. Indusia tubular or funnel-
shaped, entire or two-lipped at the mouth. Fronds delicate,
pellucid. Name from Gr. rpixouaveS, the name of some fern,
from rpi'x, hair, and juairouat, producing frenzy, alluding to
some supposed property. A tropical and temperate genus con-
taining nearly 100 species.

§ EUTRICHOMANES.

1. T. Petersil Gray. Stipes i" — 2" long ; fronds 3" — 10"
long, i" — 2" broad, oblong-lanceolate or obovate, entire or vari-
ously pinnatifid, the younger ones with a few black hairs along
the margins; indusium solitary, terminal, funnel-shaped, the
mouth expanded and slightly two-lipped, the receptacle in-
cluded. Winston County, Alabama (Peters).

2. T. radicans Swz. Rootstock wiry, tomentose ; stipes
ascending, i' — 3' long, naked or nearly so, usually broadly
winged; fronds 2' — 8' long, i' — 1£' wide, lanceolate or ovate-
lanceolate, bipinnatifid ; pinnae ovate, obtuse, the upper side of
the base parallel and appressed to the winged rachis, the lower
side cuneate ; divisions toothed or divided into linear lobes ;
indusia terminal on short lobes, tubular or funnel-shaped, the
mouth slightly two-lipped; receptacle exserted little or very
much. (T. spectosum Willd.) Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky.

XXVII. LYGODIUM Swz. CLIMBING-FERN.

Sporangia ovoid, solitary or occasionally in pairs, in the
axils of large imbricated scale-like indusia, which are fixed by
their broad bases to short oblique veinlets. Fronds scandent,
twining, bearing stalked and variously lobed divisions in pairs.
Veins mostly free. Name from Gr. XvyGoSrjS, flexible, alluding to
the scandent stems. Includes 16 species.

§ EULYGODIUM.

i. L. palmatum Swz. Stipes slender, flexile, and twin-
ing; fronds i° — 3° long, the short alternate branches or peti-

FILICES. 123

oles 2-forked, each fork bearing a round-cordate palmately
4 — 7 lobed pinnule; fertile pinnules above, contracted, several
times forked, forming a terminal panicle ; surfaces naked ; text-
ure thinly herbaceous. (Hydroglossum palmatum Willd.) Mas-
sachusetts and New York to Kentucky and Florida.

XXVIII. ANEIMIA Swz.

Sporangia ovate, sessile, placed in two rows on the back of
the very narrow branchlets of the two long-stalked, panicled,
lower branches of a pinnately divided frond, the fertile branches
in a few species entirely distinct from the sterile frond. Veins
free or anastomosing. Name from Gr. avaifiia, bloodless. A
small genus chiefly from tropical America, containing 27 species.

§ EU ANEIMIA.

1. A. adiantifolia Swz. Rootstock creeping; stipes i° —
\\° long, firm, naked ; fronds sparingly pubescent, the two
lower branches elongate, pinnately decompound, fertile; ster-
ile portion deltoid-ovate, bi — tripinnate ; ultimate segments ob-
ovate or cuneate, entire or lobed, striate above with numerous
flabellate veins. Florida.

2. A. Mexicana Klotzsch. Rootstock creeping, covered
with narrow blackish chaff; stipes slender, scattered, 6' — 12'
long; the two lower branches of the frond fertile, long-stalked,
glandular, bipinnate with densely clustered fructification ; the
rest of the frond like the sterile ones, deltoid-ovate, simply pin-
nate ; pinnae about six pairs and a rather large terminal one,
short-stalked, ovate-lanceolate, subcoriaceous, smooth and
somewhat glossy; midrib distinct, veins free, oblique, parallel,
closely placed, once or twice forked. Western Texas.

XXIX. SCHIZJEA Sm.

Sporangia large, ovoid, striate rayed at the apex, naked, ver-
tically sessile in a double row along the single vein of the nar-
row divisions of the fertile appendages to the slender and sim-
ply linear, fan-shaped, or dichotomously many-cleft fronds.
Name from Gr. o-x^eiv, to split, alluding to the forked sterile
fronds of foreign species. Includes 16 species.

§ EUSCHIZ^EA.

•• •!. S. pusilla Pursh. Sterile fronds linear, very slender,
flattened and tortuous ; fertile ones equally slender, 3' — 4' high,

124 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

and bearing at top the fertile appendage consisting of about hvc
pairs of crowded pinnae, forming a distichous spike. New Jer-
sey; Grand Lake, Nova Scotia (Miss Knight}\ Newfoundland
(De la Pylaie).

XXX. OSMUNDA L. FLOWERING-FERN.
Fertile fronds or fertile portions very much contracted,
bearing short-pedicelled, naked sporangia on the margin of the
rachis-like divisions. Sporangia large, globular, opening by a
longitudinal cleft into two halves, bearing near the apex a few
parallel striae, the rudiment of a transverse ring. Spores green.
Named for Osmunder, a Saxon name for the divinity Thor. A
genus containing six species mostly north temperate.

* Fronds bipinnate, fertile at the apex.

3030+ — I- O. regalis L. Stipes tufted, i° — i-J° long, erect, naked;
fronds 2° — 4° long, i°or more broad ; sterile pinnae 6' — 12' long,
2 — 4' broad ; pinnules oblong-ovate to lance-oblong, sessile or
slightly stalked ; the fertile pinnules cylindrical, panicled ; tex-
ture subcoriaceous ; rachis and both sides naked. (O. specta-
bilis Willd., O. glaucescens Link.) Canada to Florida and Mis-
sissippi.

** Sterile fronds biptftnatifid.

303/>C— '2. O. Claytoniana L. Stipes tufted, i° or more long,
clothed with loose woolly tomentum when young, naked when
mature; fronds i° — 2° long, 8' — 12' broad; pinnae oblong-lan-
ceolate with oblong, obtuse divisions; 2 — 5 pairs of central
pinnae fertile fertile pinnules dense, cylindrical ; texture her-
baceous. (O. internipta Michx.) Canada to Kentucky, and
northward.

3032V- »— 3. O. cinnamomea L. (ClNNAMON-FERN.) Stipes dense-
ly tufted, i° or more long, the sterile and fertile fronds dis-
tinct, clothed when young with ferruginous tomentnm ; sterile
fronds smooth when mature, the pinnae bearing a tuft of tomen-
tum at the base beneath, lanceolate, cut into broadly oblong,
obtuse divisions ; fertile fronds contracted, bipinnate, with cin-
namon-colored sporangia. In var. frondosa Gray, some of the
fronds are sterile below, and sparsely fertile at the summit.
(O. Claytoniana Conrad.) New England and Wisconsin to
Florida.

MA RSI LI A C£^£. 1 2 5

ORDER II. MARSILIACE^: R. Br.

Perennial plants rooted in mud, with a slender creeping
rootstock and either filiform or 4-parted, long-petioled leaves.
Fructification consisting of sporocarps borne on peduncles,
which rise from the rootstock near the leaf-stalk or consolidated
with it and containing both macrospores and microspores. Con-
sisting of two genera both found in this country.

I. Marsilia L. Sporocarps ovoid ; leaves quadrifoliate.

II. Pilularia L. Sporocarps globose ; leaves filiform.

I. MARSILIA L.

Sporocarps ovoid or bean- shaped, composed of two vertical
valves having several transverse compartments or sori in each
valve, the sori composed of both macrosporangia and micro-
sporangia. Sporocarps also provided with a ring which at the
opening of the valves swells and tears the sori from their posi-
tion. Leaves quadrifoliate on slender petioles ; the sporocarps
peduncled and rising from the petiole or from the rootstock at
the base of the petiole. Named for Aloysius Marst'h', an early
Italian naturalist. Contains about 40 species, four occurring
within our limits.

* Sporocarps 2 — 6 on each peduncle.

1. M. quadrifolia L. Plant usually slender, 5 — 12 cm.
high ; leaflets variable, 4 — 14 mm. wide, 5 — 15 mm. long, mar-
gins entire, smooth, or rarely with scattered hairs when young:
sporocarps 2 (rarely 3) on a branching peduncle, which is usu-
ally attached to the stipe near its base, but sometimes as much
as 2 cm. above ; young sporocarp with short yellowish-brown
hairs, later becoming naked and dark purple ; lower tooth ob-
tuse, upper small, acute or obtuse ; sori, 8 or 9 in each valve.
Bantam Lake, Litchfield County. Connecticut (Dr. T. F. Allen),
from whence it has been cultivated in several localities.

2. M. macropoda Engelm. Plant robust, 10 — 25 cm.
high ; leaflets large, 2 — 5 cm. long, 2 cm. wide or less, usually
undulate, clothed with white hairs on both sides when young,
becoming smoother with age ; sporocarps 2 — 6, on erect branch-
ing peduncles, ascending, densely villose, 6 — 8 mm. long, 5-6
mm. wide ; raphe short, the lower tooth obtuse, the upper in-

126 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

conspicuous or wanting; sori, 10 in each valve. (M. macropus
A. Br.) Texas, New Mexico.

** Sporocarps I (rarely 2) on each peduncle.

3. M. uncinata A. Br. Plant 6 — 20 cm. high ; leaflets
nearly smooth, entire, 10 — 16 mm. long ; sporocarps 6 mm. wide,
8 mm. long ; peduncles 15 — 30 mm. long, 2—4 times the length
of the sporocarps; raphe long, terminating in two approximate
teeth, the upper longer and mostly uncinately curved ; sori,
13 — 14 in each valve. Western Louisiana (Hale}, Dallas,
Texas (Revere/ion).

4- M- vestita Hook. & Grev. Plant 3—6 cm. high ; leaf-
lets entire or slightly toothed ; sporocarps 4 — 7 mm. long, 3 — 5
mm. wide ; raphe short, lower tooth short and blunt, the upper
acute, a little longer, sometimes curved ; paleae varying from
soft, dense and spreading to short and appressed, in mucronata
forms, where it is sometimes wanting ; sori, 6 — 1 1 in each valve,
a very variable species. (Includes M. mucronata A. Br.) Ar-
kansas (Nut tall'), Kansas ( IV at son), Texas, Arizona (Lemmon)t
California, Nevada (Watson), Oregon (Hall), Washington Terri-
tory, Montana (Watson), Dakota (Ntcollct).

Var. tenuifolia Und. & Cook. Plant somewhat slender,
5 — 15 cm. high; leaflets narrow (2 — 4 mm. wide), more or less
falcate, the apex often somewhat truncate and unequally
toothed, villose with appressed hairs; sporocarps single, 5 — 8
mm. long, 4 — 5 mm. wide, the teeth divergent, subequal ; sori,
9 — n in each valve. (M. tenuifolia Engelm. and former
edition.) Pierdenales, Texas (Lindhcimrr), Western Texas
(Wright).

il. PILULARIA L. PII.LWORT.

Sporocarps globose, longitudinally 2 — 4 celled, dehiscent from
the apex; cells with parietal cushions bearing in the upper por-
tion microsporangia and below these numerous macrosporangia
containing solitary macrospores. Leaves filiform from a slender
creeping rootstock, the sporocarps subsessile or ped uncled or
in the axils of the leaves. Named from Lat. pilula, a pellet.
Includes six species widely distributed.

i. P. Americana A. Br. Leaves setiform, I'long; sporo-
carps i in diameter, attached by the side to a short, descend-

SA L VINIA CE^E. 1 2 7

ing peduncle, usually 3-celled ; macrospores 13 — 17 in each cell,
not constricted in the middle. Santa Barbara, California
(Mrs. Cooper), Arkansas {Nuttall).

ORDER III. SALVINIACE^E.

Floating plants with a more or less elongate and sometimes
branching axis bearing apparently distichous leaves. Sporo-
carps soft, thin-walled, two or more on a common stalk, i-celled,
with a central, often branched receptacle which bears macro-
sporangia containing a single macrospore, or microsporangia
containing numerous microspores. Consists of the two follow-
ing genera.

I. Salvinia Sclireb. Leaves 6" — 9" long, with a distinct
midrib.

II. Azolla Lam. Leaves minute, numerous, closely imbri-
cate, deeply lobed.

I. SALVINIA Schreb.

Floating annuals with slender stems bearing small two-
ranked leaves. Sporocarps arranged in clusters, globose, mem-
branous, i — 2 of each cluster containing 10 or more macro-
sporangia, the others containing numerous smaller microspo-
rangia. Named for Salvini, a Florentine professor. Contains
thirteen species, one of which is found with us.

i. S. natans Hoffm. Leaves oblong, horizontal, rounded
or slightly cordate at base, £' — i' long, bright green above, the
under surface matted with brown, pellucid hairs ; sporocarps
4 — 8 in a cluster. (Marsilia natans L.) Bois Brule Bottoms,
Perry County, Missouri (Demetrio.) Reported by Pursh from
Central New York; the exact station unknown.

I. AZOLLA Lam.

Small, moss-like plants with pinnately branched stems cov-
ered with minute, imbricate, 2-lobed leaves, and emitting rootlets
beneath. Sporocarps of two kinds, borne in the axils of the
leaves. Smaller sporocarps ovoid, containing a single macro-
spore at the base. Larger sporocarps globose, producing from
the base many pedicelled sporangia, containing several masses

128 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

of microspores. Named from Gr. a'qeiv , to dry, and
to destroy. Includes five species.

i. A. Caroliniana Willd. Plant 4"— 12" broad, much
branched ; leaves with ovate lobes, the lower reddish, the upper
green with a reddish border; macrospores with a minutely
granulate surface ; masses of microspores barbed at the tip. (A.
inicropkylla Kaulf., A. Mexicana Schlecht.) New York to
Florida, Arizona and Oregon.

ORDER IV. OPHIOGLOSSACE^: Lindl.

Plant-body consisting of stem and leaf, usually from a fleshy,
sometimes bulbous root, straight or inclined in vernation.
Sporangia formed of the interior tissue of the frond, spiked or
panicled, naked, not reticulated, destitute of a ring, opening by
a transverse slit into two valves discharging copious sulphur-
colored spores. Prothallium (so far as known) subterranean,
not green, monoecious. Contains, besides the two following
genera, Helmint host achy s Kaulf., with a single old world species.

1. Ophioglossum L. Sporangia cohering in one or more
simple spikes. Veins reticulate.

II. Botrychium Swz. Sporangia in pinnate or compound
spikes or panicles. Veins free.

I. OPHIOGLOSSUM L. ADDER-TONGUE.
Sporangia large, coriaceous, connate, coherent in two ranks
on the edges of a simple spike. Veins anastomosing. Spores
copious, sulphur-yellow. Name from Gr. ofas, a serpent, and
yXo&o-a, a tongue. Includes ten species, four in our limits.

§ i. EUOPHIOGLOSSUM. Fertile spike single, arising from the
base of the sterile segment.

* Sterile portion near the middle of the stalk.
— - i. O. vulgatum L. Rootstock short, oblique ; stalk 6' — 12'
high, the sterile segment ovate or elliptical-oblong, i|' — 4' long,
somewhat fleshy, somewhat narrowed at the base, sessile; fer-
tile spike i' or more long. (O. Engclmannt Prantl.) Maine to
Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas and Arizona to Alaska.

** Sterile portion near the base of the stalks.

2. O. crotalophoroides Walt. Rootstock tuberous, 3" — 5"

OPIIIOGLOSSA CE^L, 1 29

thick; stalk 3' — 6' high, the sterile segment i'— i' long, ovate,
slightly petioled, the veins somewhat indistinct; fertile spike
short and thick, 3" — 6" long. (O. bulbosum Michx., O. vulgatum,
var. crotalophoroides D. C. Eaton.) Florida to Louisiana.

3. O. nudicaule Linn. f. Rootstock slightly tuberous;
stalk i' — 4' high, the sterile segment |' — 1|' long, ovate or ob-
long, the veins indistinct ; fertile spike linear-acuminate, 6"
long, the peduncle very slender. . (O. ellipticum H. and G., O.
Calif or nicum Prantl, O. vulgatum, var. nudicaule D. C. Eaton.)
Georgia and Florida to Southern California.

§ 2. CHEIROGLOSSA Presl. Fertile spikes several, arising
from the base of the sterile segment.

4. O. palmatum Plumier. Rootstock fleshy, tuberous,
covered with fine wool-like chaff; plant fleshy, 6' — 2° high, the
sterile segment cuneate at the base, 2 — 6 lobed or rarely entire,
the lobes elongate and tapering; fertile spikes I — 8 or more,
borne on the sides of the stipe just below the sterile segment or
on its margin. Florida.

II. BOTRYCHIUM Swz. GRAPE-FERN.

Rootstock very short, erect, with clustered fleshy roots, the
bud for the next year's growth usually imbedded in the base of
the stipe. Sterile segment of frond pinnately or ternately di-
vided or compound. Fertile segment I — 3 pinnate with double
rows of sessile, naked sporangia. Veins free. Spores copious,
sulphur-yellow. Name from Gr. fiorpvs, a bunch of grapes,
alluding to the clustered sporangia. Contains ten species, o'f
which seven are found in our limits.

§ i . E U BOTR YC H I U M. Bud enclosed in the base of the stalk.

* Vernation wholly straight.

«•»!. B. simplex Hitch. Plant 2' — 7' high, PJ

fleshy ; sterile segment stalked, varying in inser-
tion from near the rootstock to two thirds the
height of the stem, ovate, obovate or oblong,
entire, incised, or pinnately parted into i — 3
pairs of roundish or semi-lunate lobes; fertile
spike long-stalked, simple or i — 2 pinnate; FIG. 31.— Vema-
spores the largest of the genus, closely cov- Hu^ofk. "(Afte?

ered with small points; bud smooth; apex of D*venPort.)
both sterile and fertile segments erect. (Fig. 31.) Specimens
9

130 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

• 2.

with the sterile segment composed of two or three pinnately
incised divisions form the var. composition Lasch. New Eng-
land, New York and northward, the variety in Wyoming Ter-
ritory and California.

** Vernation partly inclined in one or both portions.
t Buds smooth ; sterile segments sessile or short-stalked ; plant
small, fruiting in early summer.

B. lunaria Swz. (MOONWORT.) Plant 5'— 8' high,
fleshy ; sterile segment nearly sessile, borne near
the middle of the stalk, oblong, simply pinnate
with 5 — 15 lunate or fan-shaped lobes which are
crenate, incised, or entire, close and overlapping,
or distant ; fertile segment bi — tripinnate, pan-
icled, about the height of the sterile. Apex
only of sterile segment bent over and outside of
the nearly straight fertile segment in vernation ;
divisions of sterile frond arranged nearly perpen-
dicularly. (Fig. 32.) Connecticut, New York,
Lake Superior, Colorado, and British Columbia.
3. B. boreale Milde. Plant 2^' — 7' high,
smooth, fleshy; sterile segment placed above the
middle, sessile, cordate, ovate or deltoid, pin-
nately parted, acute ; lowest segment spreading
from a narrower base, ovate or cordate-ovate,
acute, all entire, or here and there flabellately
incised with acute lobes, or pinnately parted ; secondary seg-
ments from a narrowed base, ovate, acute, serrate, the upper
spreading, quickly decreasing, finally elliptical, acute; fertile
segment bi — tripinnate, panicled. Apex of sterile segment
bent over inside of the nearly erect fertile one in vernation ;
divisions of the sterile segment arranged on an angle. Una
laska.

-*»4. B. matricariaefolium A. Br. Plant 2' — 12' high, usually
fleshy ; sterile segment placed above the middle, short-stalked
or sessile, ovate or oblong, pinnately parted into ovate-oblong,
obtuse, rounded, entire, incised, pinnatifid, or pinnately parted
segments, the narrow divisions linear; fertile segment I — 3 pin-
nate, panicled, often very much branched; spores thickly cov-
ered with large rounded warts. Apex of both segments turned

FIG. 32.— Verna-
tion of/?, lunaria

enport.)

OPHIOGLOSSA CE^.

down in vernation ; sterile segment clasping the fertile with its
apex overlapping the whole. (Fig. 33.) {B.neglec-
tum Wood.) New England, New York, Ohio, and
Mt. Peddo, Washington Territory (Suksdorf).

ft Buds pilose; sterile segments usually long-
stalked ; plant larger ', fruiting in autumn.
-~5. B. ternatum Swz. Frond fleshy, the
common stalk very short ; sterile segment
broadly pentagonal or triangular, ternate ; the
three primary divisions also stalked, as broad
as long, pinnately decompound ; ultimate divi-
sions varying from round-reniform to triangu-
lar-lanceolate, entire or variously toothed and
incised ; fertile segment long-stalked, bi — quad-
ripinnate. Apex of both segments bent down,
with a slight curve inward in vernation. (Fig.
34.) (B. australe R. Br., B. lunar ioides Swz.,
B. fumarioides Willd., B. decompositum Mart,
and Gale., Osmunda ternata Humb., Botrypus
lunar ioides Michx.) Very variable ; larger
forms (6' — 17' his:h), with more compound fruc- *ion <

caricefolium A. Br.

tification and with divisions of sterile segment ob- (After Davenport.)
yaz,. long or lanceolate and obtuse or oblique at base,

v/5 -.«* are the var. obliquum Milde ; forms with divi-
f- 'v\S*i sions of the sterile segment lacin lately cut into
I \^". ^.narrow teeth are var. dissectiim Milde. New
England and Canada, westward to California,
Washington Territory, British Columbia, and
southward to Florida.
*** Vernation wholly inclined, in the fertile

segment recurved.

•**• 6. B. lanceolatum Angs. Plant 3'— 9'
high, somewhat fleshy ; sterile segment closely
sessile at the top of a long common stalk, in
the smallest forms three-lobed, in larger ones
broadly triangular, twice pinnatifid, the divi-
sions lanceolate, entire or toothed, all set at an
oblique angle ; fertile segment short-stalked,
slightly overtopping the sterile, bi — tripinnate. Bud smooth;

tion of

3.— Verna-

fnatri-

Vtf

FIG. 34. — Vernation
of B. iernatunt Swz.
(After Davenport.)

132 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

the fertile segment recurved its whole length, the shorter sterile
segment reclined upon it. (Fig. 35.) New England to Lake
Superior and Colorado to Alaska.

§ 2. OSMUNDOPTERIS Milde. Bud pilose,
enclosed in a smooth upright cavity at one side
of the lower part of the stalk.
— 7. B. Virginianum Swz. (RATTLESNAKE-
FERN.) Plant from a few inches to two feet
high ; sterile segment sessile above the middle
of the stalk, broadly triangular, thinly herba-
ceous, ternate; the short-stalked primary divi-
sions once to twice pinnate, then once or twice
pinnatifid ; lobes oblong, cut-toothed toward
the apex; fertile segment long-stalked, bi — tri-
pinnate. Bud pilose, enclosed in a smooth
FIG. 35.— Vernation upright cavity at one side of the lower part of
Angf ' (AftS-'Dave?- the stalk ; ferlile segment recurved its whole
port.) length, the longer sterile segment reclined upon

it. Reduced forms are B. gracile Pursh. {Botrypus Virginicus
Michx., Osmunda Virginica L.) New Brunswick to Florida,
and westward to Arizona and the Pacific Coast.

ORDER V. EQUISETACE^E DC.

Plant body rush-like, often branched, with jointed, usually
hollow stems rising from subterranean rootstocks, the sterile
leaves reduced to sheaths at the joints, the fertile forming a
short spike terminating the stem. Prothallium above ground,
green, variously lobed, usually dioecious. Represented at pres-
ent by only one genus.

I. EQUISETUM L. HORSE-TAIL. SCOURING-RUSH.

Perennial plants with extensively creeping rootstocks. Stems
simple or branched, furrowed lengthwise, hollow, and pro-
vided with an outer circle of smaller cavities opposite the fur-
rows as well as a second and smaller series opposite the ridges.
Sporangia adhering to the under side of the shield-shaped
scales of the spike, one-celled, opening down the inner side.
Spores furnished with two slender filaments attached by the

EQ VISE TA CE^. 1 3 3

middle. Name from Lat. equus, horse, and seta, a bristle.
Contains about 25 species, widely distributed.

§ I. EUEQUISETUM. Stems annual, stomata scattered.

* Stems of two kinds, the pale or brownish fertile stems appearing

earlier than the herbaceous sterile ones ; fruiting in spring.

f Fertile stems simple, soon withering.

•» i. E. arvense L. (HORSETAIL.) Sterile stems green, >
rather slender, i° — 2° high, 6 — 19 furrowed ; branches numerous,
long, mostly simple, 4-angled, minutely roughened, lowest joint
commonly longer than- the sheath of the stem; fertile stems
4' — 10' high, light brown, the loose scarious sheath mostly dis-
tant, whitish, ending in about 12 brown acuminate teeth ; spike
rarely over i' long. (E. boreale Bong.) Virginia to California
and northward to Greenland.

^*2. E. telmateia Ehrh. Sterile stems ivory white or greenish,
stout, 2° — 6° high, 20 — <4o furrowed ; branches very numerous,
erect-spreading, simple, 4 — 5 angled, the ridges rough and sul-
cate, the lowest joint shorter than the sheath of the stem ; fer-
tile stems 10' — 15' high, white, many-furrowed, the loose brown-
ish sheaths elongate, deeply 20 — 30 toothed. (E. fluviatile
Sm.f E. eburneum Schreb., E. maximum Auct. not of Lam.)
California, Oregon, and northward,
tt Fertile stems when older producing herbaceous branches, only

the naked apex withering.

•»• 3. E. pratense Ehrh. Sterile and finally the fertile stems
producing straight, simple branches; sheaths of the stem with
about ii short, ovate-lanceolate teeth, those of the branches 3-
toothed. (E. umbrosum Willd., E. triquetrum Bory., E. Drum-
mondii Hook.) Michigan, Wisconsin, and northward.

- 4. E. silvaticum- L. Sterile and fertile stems usually 12- y
furrowed, producing compound branches, the branchlets curved
downward ; sheaths loose, those of the stem with 8— i4bluntish
teeth, those of the branches with 4—5, and of the branchlets
with 3 divergent teeth. Virginia to Michigan, and northward
to Labrador.

** Stems of one kind, herbaceous ; branches simple or none /

fruiting in summer.
t Sheaths somew/iat loose.

134 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

itjbo — 5. E. palustre L. Stems slender, 10' — 18' high, very deep-
ly 5 — 9 grooved, the grooves separated by narrow, wing-like
ridges, roughish ; sheaths with about 8 lance-awl-shaped, whit-
ish margined teeth ; branches few in a whorl, with mostly 5-
toothed sheaths. (E. pratense Reichenb.) Western New York
and Wisconsin to British Columbia and northward.

<l<j6I *— 6. E. litorale Kuhl. Stems slightly roughened, 6 — 19
grooved, the carinae convex ; sheaths sensibly dilated above, the
uppermost bell-shaped ; leaves convex, angled beneath, sepa-
rate at the commisural groove; teeth herbaceous, membranous
at the margin, narrow, lanceolate; branches of two kinds, the
4-angled hollow, the 3-angled solid, first joint a little longer or
shorter than the sheath of the stem ; spores abortive, elaters
usually wanting. Bay of Quinte, Canada (Macou)i)\ Vermont
(Pringle); Oswego River, New York ( Wibbe).

tt Sheaths appressed.

2^6,2* -*»7- E. limosum L. Stems 2° — 3° high, slightly many-fur-
rowed, smooth, usually producing upright branches after fruc-
tification ; sheaths appressed, with about 18 dark-brown, short,
acute, rigid teeth ; air-cavities wanting under the grooves, small
under the ridges. Includes E. fliwiatile L. (E. uliginosiim
Muhl , E. helcocharis Ehrh.) Virginia to Washington Terri-
tory and northward.

§2. HIPPOCH.#:TE. Stems perennial, evergreen; spikes tipped
with a rigid point ; stomata in regular rows ; fruiting in
summer.

* Steins tall and stout, usually many-grooved.
t Branches numerous, regularly lu/iorlcd.

2f£6 8. E. ramosissimum Desf. Stems grooved, more or less
roughened, 6 — 26 furrowed ; sheaths dilated, toothed ; teeth
not grooved, persistent or deciduous, leaving only a triangular,
very rarely a truncated margin ; leaves more or less distinct,
3 — 4 carinate ; branches when present, 4 — 9 angled ; series of
stomata in i — 4 lines; inner bark of ridges higher than the
grooves ; ridges convex, marked with bands, never with two-
rowed tubercles. Cuba ( Wright}, Mexico (Schaffner), British
Columbia (Lyall), and probably will be found in the intervening
territory.

L YCO PODIA CEJE. 1 3 5

ft Branches few and irregular or wholly wanting.

\ Stems rough, tuberculate.

«—9. E. robustum A. Br. Stems 3° — 11° high, and some-
times nearly i' thick, 20 — 48 furrowed ; ridges roughened with
a single series of transversely-oblong, siliceous tubercles ; sheath
short, cylindric, marked with black girdles at the base, and at
the base of the caducous teeth ; ridges of the sheaths tricari-
nate. Ohio to Louisiana, California and northward.
— 10. E. hiemale L. (SCOURING-RUSH.) Stems i°— 4° high,
rough, 8 — 34 furrowed ; ridges with two indistinct lines of tu-
bercles ; sheaths rather long, cylindric, marked with one or two
black girdles ; ridges of the sheath obscurely quadricarinate ;
teeth membranous, soon deciduous. North America gener-
ally.

\\ Stems not tuberculate.

'—MI. E. laevigatum A. Br. Stems i° — 5° high, pale-green,
14 — 30 furrowed ; the ridges almost smooth ; sheaths elongate,
enlarged upward, marked with a black girdle at the base of the
mostly deciduous white margined teeth, and rarely also at the
base of the sheath ; ridges of the sheath with a central carina
and sometimes with faint, short, lateral ones. North Carolina
and Ohio to Louisiana, California and Oregon.

** Stems slender, tufted, 5 — 10 grooved.

•••* 12. E. variegatum Schleich. Stems ascending, 6' — 18'
long, usually simple from a branched base, 5 — 10 furrowed ;
sheaths green, variegated with black above, the teeth 5 — 10,
tipped with a deciduous bristle ; central air-cavity small. Bel-
lows Falls, New Hampshire (Carey), Niagara Falls to Illinois
and northward to Greenland and Alaska.

— » 13. E. scirpoides Michx. Stems filiform, very numerous,
3' — 6' high, flexuous and curving, mostly 6-furrowed, with acute
ridges ; sheaths 3-toothed, the bristle tips more persistent ; cen-
tral air-cavity wanting. New England to Pennsylvania, Illinois
and northward.

ORDER VI. LYCOPODIACEiE Lindl.

Moss-like, terrestrial plants with small, lanceolate or subu-
late, sometimes oblong or roundish, simple leaves, arranged in

136 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

two to many ranks on trailing or sometimes erect, usually
branching stems. Sporangia i — 3 celled, solitary in the axils
or the leaves, or on their upper surface. Spores of one kind,
minute. Prothallia (so far as known) mostly subterranean,
with or without chlorophyll, monoecious. Contains four gen-
era, the following within our limits:

1. Lycopodium L. Leaves well developed, in 4 — many
ranks. Sporangia i-celled.

II. Psilotum R. Br. Leaves minute, abortive. Sporangia
3-celled.

I. LYCOPODIUM L. CI.UK-MOSS.

Perennial, terrestrial plants, with evergreen, one-nerved
leaves arranged in 4—16 ranks. Sporangia coriaceous, flattened,
reniform, one-celled, opening transversely, situated in the axils
of ordinary leaves, or with fruit-bearing leaves modified into
bracts which are arranged in spikes either sessile or peduncled.
Spores copious, minute, sulphur-colored, inflammable. Named
from Gr. AI'K-O?, wolf, and novs, foot, without obvious applica-
tion. Contains nearly one hundred species.

§i. PLANANTHUS Beauv. Sporangia borne in the axils of
leaves which are similar to those of the sterile and fertile stems.

* Sporangia usually wanting in axils of upper leaves ; haves
dark-green, shining, about ^-ranked.

--i. L. selagro L. Stems 3' — 6' high, thick, rigid, erect, 2—
3 times forked, forming a level-topped cluster; leaves elon-
gate-lanceolate, mucronulate, entire or spinulose-denticulate,
nerved above, convex below. (L. recurvum Kit., L. siiberectum
Lowe, Plananthus selago Beauv.) Mountains of North Caro-
lina to New England and Michigan, and northward to Alaska
and Greenland.

2. L. lucidulum Michx. Stems ascending, thick, 2 — 3
times forked, the branches 6' — 12' high; leaves widely spread-
ing or reflexed, flat, one-nerved, acute, minutely toothed. (L.
reflex um S\vz., L. serratum Desv., Plananthus reflexus Beauv.)
North Carolina and northward.

** Sporangia only in axils of upper leaves which form spikes;
leaves many-ranked.
3035" —3. L. inundatum L. Sterile stems creeping, flaccid, fork-

L Y CO PODIA CEsE. 1 3 7

ing; fertile stems erect, simple, i' — 4' high, bearing a short,
thick spike; leaves lanceolate or lance-awl-shaped, acute,
entire, soft, spreading or curved upward on prostrate stems.
(L.palustre Lam., Plananthus inundatus Beauv.) Forms hav-
ing the fertile stems 5' — 7' high, with more pointed, often tooth-
bearing leaves, are the var. Bigelovii Tuckerm. (L. Carolini- X
anum Bigel.) New England to Michigan and southward.

Var. pinnatum Chapm. Stems pinnately branched ; leaves
bristly-fringed below the middle, unequal, the upper and lower
shorter and somewhat appressed, the lateral widely spreading;
fertile stems i° high, very leafy; spike thick, cylindric, 2' — 3'
long. Western Florida.

4. L. alopecuroides L. Stems stout, densely leafy through-
out; sterile branches flaccid, procumbent, creeping; fertile
branches rigid, erect, 6' — 20' high, bearing a single spike ; leaves
narrowly linear-awl-shaped, spinulose-pointed, spreading, con-
spicuously bristle-toothed below the middle, nerved above,
those of the cylindric spike with long, setaceous tips. (L.
longipes H. & G., Plananthus alopecuroides Beauv.) New Jersey
to Florida and Mississippi.

§ 2. EULYCOPODIUM. (LEPIDOTIS Beauv.) Sporangia
borne in the axils of yellowish, scale-like, imbricated, ovate or
cordate leaves which form a distinct spike ; leaves of sterile
branches very unlike those of the spikes.

* Stems leafy to base of spikes, or nearly so.
t Spikes nodding.

5. L. cernuum L. Stems erect, branching, the branches
similar; leaves crowded, awl-shaped, incurved, terete in the
middle, spreading, grooved below; bracts 8-ranked. (L.marz-
anum Willd., L. curvatum Blume., L. Boryamtm Richard, L.
bryifolium Vent.) Florida, Southern Alabama.

tt Spikes erect, closely sessile.

"~ 6. L. annotinum L. Stems much branched, prostrate,
creeping, i° — 4° long; the ascending branches similar, 5' — 8'
high, sparingly forked ; leaves equal, spreading, five-ranked,
rigid, linear-lanceolate, minutely serrulate, nerved below; spike
oblong, cylindric, thick. (L. juniperifolium Lam., L. bryophyl-
lum Presl, Lepidotis annotina Beauv.) Mountain forms with

138 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

— » shorter and more rigid, pointed leaves are var. pungens Desv.
(L. reclinatum Michx.) New England and New Jersey to
Washington Territory, and northward to Alaska and Greenland.
3036 y - 7- L. dendroideum Michx. (GROUND-PINE.) Stems erect,
6' — 9' high, from a subterranean creeping rootstock, densely
branched above, the crowded branches spreading fan-like;
leaves 4 — 6 ranked, lanceolate-linear, acute, entire ; spikes 4 — 10
on each plant; bracts many-rowed. (Lepidotis dendroidea
Beauv.) Forms with the stems appearing flat, from the leaves
of the upper side being shorter and appressed, are the var. ob-
scurum (L. obsciirum L.) Mountains of North Carolina to
Canada, and northwestward to Indiana, Michigan, and Western
North America.

- 8. L. alpinum L. Stems elongate, creeping, with ascend-
ing densely clustered branches ; leaves 4-ranked, erect, imbri-
cated, adnate-decurrent, of two forms; those of the lateral rows
lanceolate, falcate, acute, carinate, concave within; those of the
intermediate rows scarcely one third smaller, lance-awl-shaped,
the upper and lower rows not different. (Possibly a form of
L. complanatum L.) Lake Superior to Rocky Mountains; Mt.
Peddo, Washington Territory (Suksdorf), and Unalaska.

ttt Spikes erect, short-peduncled.

— 9- L. sabinaefolium Willd. (GROUND-FIR.) Stems elon-
gate, creeping, usually underground; branches erect, short, di-
chotomous, clustered ; leaves 4-rowed, small, appressed, lanceo-
late, mucronate, entire, apparently terete ; spikes cylindric, soli-
tary, with cordate acuminate bracts. (L. alpinum Michx., L.
armatum Desv.) New Jersey, New York, New England, and
northwestward. This is sometimes united with L. complanatum.
**Fertile branches with minute leaves, so that the spikes ap-
pear long-peduncled.

t Leaves uniform, many-ranked; stems terete.
io. L. clavatum L. (RUNNING-PINE.) Stems extensive-
ly creeping; branches similar, ascending, short and leafy, the
fertile terminated by a slender peduncle bearing 1—4 linear,
cvlindric spikes ; leaves much-crowded, linear-awl-shaped, tipped
like the bracts with a fine bristle. (L. officinale Neck., L. vul-
gare Vaill., L. inflexum Swz., L. serpens Presl, Lepidotis inflexa

L YCO PODIA CE^. 1 39

Beauv.) North Carolina to Canada and westward to Washing-
ton Territory and Unalaska.

\\ Leaves of two forms, few ranked; stems flattened.
ii. L. Carolinianum L. Sterile stems and their few short
branches entirely creeping ; lateral leaves broadly lanceolate,
acute, and somewhat oblique, one-nerved, widely spreading in
2-ranks ; upper row of leaves shorter, appressed ; peduncle
simple, slender, 2' — 4' high, clothed with small bract-like leaves,
bearing a single cylindric spike. (L. repens Swz., Z,. affine Bory.,
Leptdotis repens Beauv.) New Jersey to Florida, Alabama, and
Louisiana.

—•12. L. complanatum L. Stems extensively creeping,
with erect or ascending fan-like branches several times forked
above; branchlets crowded, flattened; leaves minute, imbri-
cate-appressed, 4-ranked; the lateral rows with somewhat
spreading tips; the intermediate smaller, narrower, and wholly
appressed ; peduncle slender, bearing 2 — 4 cylindric spikes.
(L. thyoides Humb. & Bonpl., L. tristachyon Pursh, L. anceps
Wallr., L.chamcecyparissus A. Br. , Lepidotis complanata Beauv.)
North Carolina to New England, Michigan, and northward.

II. PSILOTUM R. Br.

Perennial plants, terrestrial or growing on trees. Stems di-
chotomously-branched with minute alternate leaves or appar-
ently leafless. Sporangia sessile, 3-celled, opening at the apex
into 2 — 3 valves. Spores farinaceous, oval or elongate-reniform,
Name from Gr. ^'AoS, naked, alluding to the abortive leaves.
Contains four species, mostly tropical.

I. P. triquetrum Swz. Stems erect, 8' — 10' high, triquet-
rous at base, many times forked at apex ; ultimate divisions tri-
quetrous-winged ; leaves remote, awl-shaped, less than i" long;
sporangia in spikes. (P. Floridanum Michx., P. dtchotomum
Link., Bernhardia dichotoma Willd., B. peduncnlata Desv.,
Lycopodium nudum L.) Eastern Florida ; Bluffton, South Caro-
lina (Mellichamfi).

140 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

ORDER VII. SELAGINELLACE^E.

Plant-body leafy, terrestrial, moss-like, with branching stems
and minute scale-like leaves. Sporangia one-celled, solitary,
axillary, some containing microspores, and others macrospores.
Contains a single genus largely tropical.

I. SELAGINELLA Beauv.

Fructification arranged in spikes. Sporangia minute, sub-
globose, opening transversely; some containing usually 4 glo-
bose macrospores, and others smaller, filled with numerous
microspores. Leaves 4 — many ranked. Name a diminutive of
Selago, an ancient name of some species of Lycopodium, which
this genus resembles. Contains about 335 species widely dis-
tributed ; seven are found within our limits.

§ i. EUSELAGINELLA. Stem leaves of one kind, many-
ranked ; bracts uniform.

* Stems prostrate or spreading, somewhat rigid.

1. S. rupestris Spring. Stems densely tufted, prostrate
or ascending, much-branched, 2' — 12' long; leaves appressed-
imbricate, linear or linear-lanceolate, convex and sulcate dor-
sally, rigid, bristle tipped, ciliate; spikes strongly quadrangular,
6" — 12" long; sporangia of both sorts in the same axils ; macro-
sporangia abundant; bracts ovate-lanceolate. (Lycopodium
rupestre L., L. bryopteris Wall.) New England to Florida,
Texas, California, and northward.

Var. tortipila. Leaves sub-entire, gibbous dorsally near
the apex ; terminal bracts tipped with a long, twisted, white
awn ; macrospores loosely reticulate. Caesar's Head, South
Carolina (J. D. Smith); Negro Mountain, North Carolina (Gray).

2. S. selaginoides Link. Sterile stems prostrate or creep-
ing, small and slender ; fertile stems thicker, ascending, simple,
i' — 3' high; leaves lanceolate, acute, spreading, sparsely spinu-
lose-ciliate ; bracts lax, ascending, lanceolate or ovate-lanceo-
late, strongly ciliate. (S. spinosa Beauv., Lycopodium selagi-
noides L., L. ciliatum Lam.) New Hampshire to Colorado and
northward to Greenland.

** Stems pendent, flaccid.

3. S. Oregana D. C. Eaton, Stems i° — 6° long, pinnately

SELAGINELLACE^E. 14!

much branched; leaves loosely imbricate, scarcely i" long,
linear-lanceolate, convex and grooved on the back, acute,
sparsely spinulose-denticulate, not bristle-tipped ; spikes quad-
rangular, very slender ; macrosporangia scarce. Port Orford,
Oregon (Kautz); Tilamook Valley, Oregon (Hwvell}; probably
in Northern California.

§ 2. STACHYGYNANDRUM Baker. Stem leaves of two kinds,
spreading in two planes, those of the upper plane smaller and
more ascending ; bracts uniform.

* Main stems decumbent ; root fibres extending to upper nodes-:
t Stems persistent ; leaves rigid, firm in texture.

4. S. Douglasii Spring. Stems decumbent, 3' — 12' long;
branches 2' — 6' long, bi — tripinnately divided ; leaves of lower
plane i" long, obliquely oval, obtuse, faintly nerved; leaves of
upper plane half as long, oval, incurved, ending in a short
point, both sparingly ciliate at base; spikes 6" — 12" long, quad-
rangular, terminal ; bracts deltoid-cuspidate, strongly imbri-
cate. (Lycopodium Douglasii H. & G., L. ovalifoliurn H. & G.)
Northern California to British Columbia.

ft Stems mostly annual, fugacious ; leaves mostly membranous,
flaccid.

5. S. apus Spring. Stems i' — 4' long, slender, angled on
the face, prostrate, creeping, much-branched, flaccid ; leaves of
the lower plane spreading above, the lower reflexed, ovate, acute,
serrulate, not distinctly ciliate ; leaves of the upper plane ovate,
shortly cuspidate; spikes 3" — 6" long; bracts ovate, acute,
membranous, strongly serrulate, acutely keeled in the upper
half. Canada and New England to Rocky Mountains, and
southward to Florida and Texas.

6. S. Ludoviciana A. Br. Stems slender, copiously pin-
nate, flat both sides, 4' — 6' long, lower branches slightly com-
pound ; leaves of lower plane rather distant except at tips of
branches, spreading, ovate-oblong, sub-acute, firmer in texture
than in preceding, serrulate, not distinctly ciliate ; leaves of
upper plane half as long, obliquely oblong, cuspidate ; spikes
3" — 6" long ; bracts ovate-lanceolate, strongly keeled. (S.
apus, var. denticulata Spring, where it may belong, the differ-
ences possibly due to climatic conditions.) Covington, Louisi-

1 42 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

ana (Drummond); Aspalaga, Florida (Curtiss, No. 3799 in
part).

** Stems densely tufted, rolling into a nest-like ball when dry ;
roots confined to base of stems.

7. S. lepidophylla Spring. Stems 2' — 4' long, densely
tufted, pinnately branched to the base, the pinnae ascending,
sub-flabellately compound ; leaves of the lower plane closely
imbricate, ascending, obliquely ovate, obtuse, thick, rigid, mi-
nutely ciliate, green above, paler below, becoming reddish-brown
in age ; leaves of upper plane nearly as long, obliquely ovate,
obtuse; spikes 3" — 6" long, quadrangula.r ; bracts deltoid,
acutely keeled. Texas to Arizona.

S. PILIFERA A. Br., is reported from Texas by Mr. Baker,
attributing its collection to Wright. An examination of
Wright's specimens in the Harvard Herbarium fails to detect
this species. It may possibly be found in Western Texas, since
it grows in Mexico. It differs from the foregoing by having
the primary branching varying from flabellate to pinnate, and
the leaves cuspidate and serrulate. Collectors in the South-
west should carefully search for this form.

ORDER VIII. ISOETACE^E.

Plant-body consisting of a bilobed or trilobed trunk emitting
dense tufts of roots, and sending up a compact rosette of rush-
like leaves, submerged, amphibious or sometimes growing in
moist soil. Sporangia sessile in the axils of the leaves, some
containing macrospores and others microspores. Contains a
single genus widely distributed.

I. ISOETES L. QUILLWORT.

Stem or trunk a more or less depressed, fleshy corm, rooting
just above its bilobed or trilobed base, covered above with the
dilated and imbricated bases of the awl-shaped or linear leaves.
Sporangia large, orbicular or ovoid, plano-convex, very thin,
sessile in the axils of the leaves and united at the back with
their excavated bases ; those of the outer leaves filled with
spherical macrospores ; those of the inner leaves filled with
minute and powdery, grayish, obliquely oblong and triangular

ISOETACEsE. 143

microspores. Name from Gr. taof, equal, and erot, year. Con-
tains about 50 species, of which sixteen are found within our
limits.

NOTE.— The measurements of the spores are given in millimetres; mm. = .03937
inch.

§ I . Submerged, rarely above water in driest seasons ; leaves
quadrangular without peripheral bast- bundles ; velum incom-
plete.

* Stomata absent.

1. I. lacustris L. Leaves 10 — 25, stout, rather rigid, ob-
tusely quadrangular, acute but scarcely tapering, dark or olive-
green, 2' — 6' long; sporangia orbicular — broadly-elliptic, with a
narrow velum ; ligula triangular, short or somewhat elongate ;
macrospores o. 50 — 0.80 mm. in diameter, marked all over with
distinct or somewhat confluent crests; microspores smooth,
0.035 — 0.046 mm. long. Var. pauper cula Engelm. has fewer,
thinner and shorter leaves and smaller spores, the microspores
somewhat granulate, 0.026 — 0.036 mm. long. (/. macrospora
Durieu.) Catskill Mountains, New York (Schweinitz), Echo
Lake, New Hampshire (Tuckenmui), Fresh Pond, near Cam-
bridge, Massachusetts (W. Boott), Uxbridge, Massachusetts
(Robbins), Brattleborough, Vermont (Frost), Lake Superior
(Porter). The variety from Grand Lake, Middle Park, Colo-
rado (Engelmami) and Castle Lake near Mt. Shasta, California
(Pringle).

2. I. pygmaea Engelm. Leaves 5 — 10, stout, rigid, bright-
green, V — i' long, abruptly tapering to a fine point, with very
short often almost square epidermal cells; sporangia orbicular
with a narrow velum ; macrospores 0.36 — 0.50 mm. thick,
marked with minute, rather regular, distinct or rarely confluent
warts; microspores brown, almost smooth, 0.024 — 0.029 mm«
long. Mono Pass, California (Bolander).

3. 1. Tuckermani A. Br. Leaves 10 — 30, very slender,
tapering, olive-green, 2' — 3' long, the outer recurved ; sporangia
mostly oblong, white or rarely brown-spotted, the upper third
covered by the velum; macrospores 0.44 — 0.56 mm. thick, the
upper segments marked with prominent, somewhat parallel and
branching ridges, the lower half reticulate ; microspores smooth

144 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

or nearly so, 0.026 — 0.032 mm. long. Mystic River, Mystic,
Spy and Horn Ponds, near Boston, Massachusetts.

** Stomata present.

4- I- echinospora Durieu, var. Braunii Engelm. Leaves
13 — 15, erect or spreading, soft, tapering, green or reddish-
green, 3' — 6' long, generally with few stomata toward the tip
only; sporangia orbicular — broadly-elliptic, spotted, \ to f
covered by the broad velum ; macrospores 0.40 — 0.50 mm. thick,
covered with broad, retuse spinules, sometimes somewhat con-
fluent and then dentate and incised at the tip; microspores
0.026—0.030 mm. long, smooth. (/. Braunii Durieu.) Nova
Scotia, New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Ontario, Michigan (Gillnuui), Head of Bear River, Utah (Wat-
son), Greenland (Vahl).

Var. robusta Engelm. Stouter; leaves 25 — 70,5' — 8' long,
with abundant stomata all over their surface ; velum covering
one half of the large, spotted sporangia; macrospores 0.36 — 0.55
mm. thick. Lake Champlain, north end of Isle La Motte (/';/>/-

Var. Boottii Engelm. Leaves 12 — 20, erect, soft, bright-
green, 4' — 5' long, with few stomata mostly near the tip ; spo-
rangia nearly orbicular, pale-spotted, f or more covered by the
broad velum ; macrospores 0.39 — 0.50 mm. thick, with longer,
more slender and delicate, generally simple spinules; micro-
spores 0.026 — 0.030 mm. long. (/. Boottii A. Br.) Round
Pond, Woburn, and in brook in Tofit Swamp, Lexington,
Massachusetts (Bootf).

Var. muricata Engelm. Leaves 15 — 20, flaccid, bright-
green, 6' — 12' long, with very few stomata; sporangia broadly
oval, pale-spotted, about half covered by the velum ; macro-
spores 0.40 — 0.58 mm. thick, with shorter and more confluent,
sometimes almost crest-like spinules; microspores 0.028 — 0.032
mm. long, slightly rough on the edges. (/. muricata Durieu.)
Woburn Creek and Abajona river near Boston, Massachusetts
(Boo ft).

5- !• Bolanderi Engelm. Leaves 5 — 25, erect, soft, bright-
green, tapering to a fine point, 2'— 4^' long, with thin walls and
generally few stomata; sporangia broadly oblong, mostly un-
spotted, with a narrow velum ; ligula triangular ; macrospores

ISOETACE&. 145

0.30—0.45 mm- thick, marked with minute low tubercles, rarely
confluent into wrinkles ; microspores deep-brown, 0.026 — 0.031
mm. long, spinulose, rarely smooth. (/. Calif arnica Engelm.)
Western Colorado (Brandegee), Utah, California, to Washington
Territory.

§ 2. Amphibious, partially emerged ; stomata always present.

* Peripheral bast-bundles absent.

t Velum partial.

6. I. saccharata Engelm. Trunk usually flat, depressed ;
leaves 10 — 20, awl-shaped, spreading, olive-green, 2' — 3' long;
sporangia oblong, spotted, with a narrow velum ; ligula trian-
gular; macrospores 0.40 — 0.47 mm. thick, covered with very
minute, distinct warts, which are sometimes a little confluent ;
microspores papillose, 0.024 — ° °2^ mm. long. Banks of
Wicomico river, below Salisbury, and of Nanticoke river, East-
ern Maryland (Canby).

7. I. riparia Engelm. Leaves 15 — 30, slender, rather rigid,
deep-green, 4' — 8' long, with numerous stomata ; sporangia
mostly oblong, distinctly brown-spotted, i or £ covered by the
velum; macrospores o.45~-o.65 mm. thick, marked with isolated
or anastomosing, jagged crests; microspores more or less tuber-
culate, 0.028 — 0.032 mm. long. Banks of Delaware River from
Burlington to Wilmington, Delaware ; Uxbridge, Massachusetts
(Robbins); Brattleborough, Vermont (Frost) ; Maine (dickering)',
Crow River, Hastings County, Ontario (Macoun).

tt Velum complete.

8. I. melanospora Engelm. Trunk flat, only slightly
bilobed ; leaves 5 — 10, distichous, slender, tapering, light-green,
2' — 2$' long ; sporangia orbicular or almost obcordate, -J-" — i"
long, entirely covered by the velum ; ligula short triangular,
obtuse ; macrospores 0.35 — 0.45 mm. long, roughened with
distinct or rarely somewhat confluent warts, dark-colored ;
microspores smoothish or slightly papillose, 0.028—0.031 mm.
long. In shallow excavations in granite rock, Stone Mountain,
Georgia (Canby).

** Peripheral bast-bundles present.
t Vehim partial or entirely wanting.

9. I. Engelmanni A. Br. Leaves 25 — 100, light-green,
10

146 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

9' — 20' or more long, with abundant stomata ; sporangia ob-
long — linear-oblong, unspotted, with a narrow velum; ligula
elongate from a triangular base; macrospores 0.40 — 0.52 mm.
thick, delicately honeycomb-reticulated; microspores usually
smooth, 0.024 — 0.028 mm. long. Var. Georgtana Engelm. has
fewer leaves and larger (0.48 — 0.56 mm. thick) macrospores.
New England and New York, Missouri and Illinois ; the vari-
ety in Horseleg Creek, Floyd County, Georgia (Candy).

Var. gracilis Engelm. Leaves 8 — 12, often submerged,
9' — 12' long, the bast bundles often quite small or only two
present. New England ; Passaic River, New Jersey (Ennis).

Var. valida Engelm. Leaves 50—200, keeled on the upper
side, 18' — 25' long; sporangia often linear-oblong 4" — 9" long,
i to § covered by the broad velum ; macrospores 0.32 — 0.48 mm.
thick ; microspores spinulose, 0.024 — 0.027 nim. long. Warrior's
Mark and Smithville, Pennsylvania (Porter); Wilmington,
Delaware (Canby).

10. I. Howeliii Engelm. Leaves 10 — 25, bright green,
5' — 8' long, with thick dissepiments; sporangia oval, i£'' — 2^"
long, unspotted, i to | covered by the velum ; ligula awl-shaped,
as long as the sporangium ; macrospores 0.43 — 0.48 mm. thick,
rough with prominent, rounded, single or sometimes confluent
tubercles, Dalles of the Columbia, Oregon

11. I. nuda Engelm. Leaves 10 — 15, bright-green, 6' — 9'
long; sporangia oval, light-brown, attached to the base of the
leaves by the median line only, the velum entirely wanting;
ligula somewhat triangular ; macrospores 0.366 — 0.4 mm. thick,
slightly tuberculate, the tubercles somewhat confluent. Hood
River, Oregon IHowell).

ft Velum complete.

12. I. flaccida Shuttleworth. Leaves 10 — 35, light-green,
15' — 2° long, submerged, floating on the surface or wholly
emerged; sporangia oval, 2" — 3" long, entirely covered by the
velum; macrospores 0.30 — 0.42 mm. thick, covered with many
or rarely few, large flattish tubercles, distinct or confluent into
labyri nth i form wrinkles. Var. rigida Engelm. is smaller, with
more slender, erect, dark-green leaves, 5' — 6' long. Lake Im-
monia, near Tallahassee, Florida (Rugel}; also near Manatee,
Florida (Garber). The variety at Lake Flirt, Florida (Garber).

ISOETACE&. 147

Var. Chaprnani Engelm. Leaves about 30, floating, 18'
long; sporangia orbicular; macrospores 0.44 — 0.55 mm. thick,
almost smooth on the upper side; microspores slightly papil-
lose, 0.027 — 0.030 mm. long. Near Mariana, Florida (Chap-
man) .

§ 3. Terrestrial ; leaves nearly triangular, with abundant
stomata and peripheral bast-bundles, thick dissepiments and
small air-cavities.

* Trunk bilobed.
t Velum partial or almost wanting.

13. I. melanopoda J. Gay. Polygamous; trunk sub-glo-
bose, deeply bilobed; leaves 15 — 60, slender, stiff, erect, bright-
green, usually black at base, 5' — 10' or more long; sporangia
mostly oblong, 2" — 5" long, spotted, with a narrow velum ;
ligula triangular awl-shaped ; macrospores 0.25 — 0.40 mm.
thick, with depressed tubercles often confluent into worm-like
wrinkles, or almost smooth ; microspores spinulose, 0.023 — 0.028
mm. long. Var. pallida Engelm. is larger, with pale leaf-bases
and broader velum. Ringwood and Athens, Illinois (Hall) ;
Clinton, Iowa ( Vasey) ; Limestone Gap, Indian- Territory (But-
ler). The variety at Houston, Texas (Hall).

14. I. maritima Und. Monoecious ; trunk small, only
slightly bilobed; leaves 8— 15, rigid, green, i;— 2' long, £" — f"
wide; sporangia oval, 2" long, ij" wide, brownish white, one-
third to one-half covered by the velum ; ligule small ; macro-
spores 0.42 — 0.48 mm. thick, densely spinulose, the spines blunt,
rarely confluent; microspores smooth, white, 0.32 — 0.35 mm.
thick. In salt marsh, Alberni, Vancouver Island (Macoun).

15. I. Butleri Engelm. Dioecious; trunk sub-globose;
leaves 8 — 12, rigid, bright-green, 3' — 7' long; sporangia usually
oblong, spotted, with a very narrow velum or none ; ligula awl-
shaped from a triangular base; macrospores 0.50 — 0.63 mm.
thick, marked with knobs or warts, distinct or sometimes con-
fluent; microspores papillose, dark-brown, 0.028 — 0.038 mm.
long. Var. immaculata Engelm. is larger, with unspotted
sporangia, and spinulose microspores, the macrospores 0.40 —
0.56 mm. In saline flats, near Limestone Gap, Indian Territory

148 OUR NATIVE FERNS AND THEIR ALLIES.

{Butler). The variety in cedar barrens, near Nashville, Ten-
nessee (Gattinger).

ft Velum complete.

306*0 16. I. Nuttallii A. Br. Trunk almost globose, slightly
grooved ; leaves 20 — 60, slender, bright-green, 3' — 9' long, with
only three peripheral bast-bundles ; sporangia oblong or oval,
entirely covered by the velum ; macrospores variable, 0.25 — 0.50
mm. thick, densely covered with minute but rounded warts, or
rarely almost smooth ; microspores papillose, brown, 0.025 —
0.028 mm. long. (/. opaca Nutt.) Oregon, Washington Terri-
tory ; Western Idaho (Geyer), Vancouver Island (Macoun).

** Trunk trilobed ; velum complete.

17. I. Suksdorfii Baker. Leaves 12 — 20, firm, bright-
green, very slender, arcuate, deeply channelled along the face,
2' — 3' long, less than £" wide; sporangia orbicular, 2" long and
broad ; ligula deltoid ; macrospores grayish-white, faintly granu-
lated. W. Klickitat County, Washington Territory (Suksdorf,
No. 836).

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

Acrogenous (Gr. dxpov, the high-
est part, and yewav, to produce), per-
taining to plants whose ^growth takes
place at the summit. Includes Ferns,
Mosses, etc.

Acrosticheae, 76.

Acrostichum, 89 ; also 5, 6, 12, 76.

Aculeate (Lat. aculeus, diminutive
of acus, a needle), armed with
prickles.

Adder-tongue. Vide Ophio-
glossum.

Adiantum, 89 ; also 5, 13, 71, 77.

Adnate (Lat. ad to, n.tsct, to be
born), growing fast to some other por-
tion of the plant.

Algae, 46.— Literature of, 51.

Allosorus. Vide Crypto-
gramme.

Analogy (Gr. aVa, according to;
Ao'yos, ratio, proportion), similarity in
function; distinguished from hotnolo-
gy, indicating similarity in structure.

Anastomose (Gr. aVaoro/xovj', to
open into), forming a net-work ; said
of veins which unite with each other.

Aneimia, 123; also 18, 79.

Annul us (Lat. a ring), the ring
partly or completely surrounding the
sporangium.

Antheridium (plu. antheridia)
(Lat. anthera, an anther, and Gr.
«i'5os, form), the part containing the
male element. 20.

Antherozold (Lat. anthera, an
anther; Gr. £Joi>, an animal, and ei'Sos,
form), the male element of crypto-
gams. 20.

ArchegOnium (plu. archegonia)
(Gr. a'pxjj, beginning, and •yoi'ij, off-
spring), the part containing the fe-
male element. 20.

Arcuate (Lat. arcus,a bow), curved
like a bow.

Areola (plu. areolte). (Lat. diminu-
tive of area, an open place), a space
enclosed by anastomosing veinlets.

Asexual Reproduction in
Ferns. 27.

Aspidieae, 78.

Aspidium, no; also 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, u,
16, 26, 42, 66, 78.

Asplenieae, 78.

Asplenium, 103; also 2, 3, s, 6, iSt
27, 78.

Auriculate (Lat. auricula,* little
ear), furnished with ear-like append-
ages.

Azolla, 127; also 39.

B

Beech-fern. Vide Phegop-

teris.
Bi (Lat. bis, twice), (as a prefix) two,

twice or doubly.
Bladder-fern. Vide Cystop-

teris.

Blechneae, 77.
Blechnum, 102; also 15, 77.
Botrychium, 129; also 2, 3, 5, 19,

29, 3°-

Brake or Bracken. Vide

Pteris.
Bryophyta (Gr. /SpuW, moss, and

</>vToV, plant), 50.
Buds, borne on ferns, 27.
BulbletS, borne on ferns, 27.

Calamariaceae, 67.
Camptosorus, io8;also3,6, 9,16,

27, 78.
Carboniferous Age, Pterido-

phytes of, 66,

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

Carinate (Lat. carina, a keel),
keeled.

Carpophyta (Gr. Kapwo's, fruit, and
<f)VTOf, plant), 49.

CastaneOUS (Lat. castanea, a
chestnut), chestnut-colored.

Caudate (Lat. cauda, a tail), fur-
nished with a slender appendage re-
sembling a tail.

Caudex (Lat. a stem), the upright
rootstock forming the trunk of a tree-
fern, 8.

Cellulose (Lat. cellula, a little cell),
the substance composing the wall of
cells, containing the elements car-
bon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

Ceraceous (Lat. cera, wax), hav-
ing the nature of wax.

Ceratopterideae, 77.

Ceratopteris, 101 ; also 6, 14, 77.

Characeae, 50.— Literature of, 56.

Chartaceous (Lat. charta, a leaf
of paper), having the texture of paper
or parchment.

Cheilanthes, 91 ; also 3, 6, 8, 13,
26, 43. 77-

Chlorophyll (Gr. \Awpos, green,
and $\>K\ov, leaf), the green grains
forming the coloring matter of plants.

Christmas-fern. F/v/*Aspid-
ium.

Ciliate (Lat. cilium, an eyelash),
having on the margin a fringe of
hairs resembling the fringing eye-
lashes.

Cinnamon-fern. Vide Os-
munda.

Ci rein ate (Lat. circinus, a pair of
compasses), rolled inward from the
apex, 8.

Classification of the Vegetable
Kingdom, 48. — Principle of, 45.

Cliff-brake. Vide Pellaea.

Climbing-fern. Vide Lygo-
dium.

Cloak-fern. Vide Notho-
laena.

Club-moss. Vide Lycopo-
dium.

Confluent (Lat. con, together, and
fluere, to flow), blended together.

Connate (L;it. con, together, and
nasci, to be born), united together
from the first.

Cordate (Lat. cor, the heart), heart-
shaped.

Coriaceous (Lat. corizan, a hide),
leathery.

Cotton-fern. Vide Notho-
laena.

Crenate (Lat. crena, a notch), hav-
ing the margin scalloped with rounded
teeth.

Crenulate (Lat. crenula, a little
notch), scalloped with small rounded
teeth.

Cryptogamia (Gr. xpuwro'?, hid-
den, ya'/Lios, marriage), flovverless
plants ; an obsolete term.

Cryptogramme, 97; also 2, 14,77.

Cultivation, Literature of, 7.

Cuneate (Lat. cuneus, a wedge),
wedge-shaped.

Cystopteris, n8; also 4,5, 6, 16,
27, 78.

Decurrent (Lat. de, down, and
currere, to run), prolonged on the
rachis.

Deer-fern. Vide Lomaria.

Deltoid (Gr. fie'Ara, the letter D, and
eifios, form), triangular, like the Greek
delta.

Dentate (Lat. dens, a tooth),
toothed.

Denticulate (Lat. denticulus, di-
minutive of dens, tooth), finely
toothed.

Desmidiaceae, 49.— Literature of,

53-

Determination of Species,

68.
Devonian Age, Pteridophytes of,

66.
Diatomaceae, 49 —Literature of,

53-
Dichotomous (Gr. Si'xa, asunder,

and reV^eiv, to cut), two-forked.
Dicksonia, 121 ; also 3, 5, 7, 17, 79.
Dicksonieae, 79-
Dimorphism, 3.— Literature, of 7.

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

Dimorphous (Gr. Si's, twice, and
ju.top(|»j, shape, form), of two forms;
said of ferns whose fertile fronds are
unlike the sterile.

Dioecious (Gr. Si's, twice, and OIKOS,
house), bearing the male and female
organs on different plants.

Distichous (Gr. Sis, twice, and
ort'xos, a row), disposed in two rows

Distribution, Geographic, 60.—
Geologic, 65. — Local, 4.

Dorsal (Lat. dor sum, the back), per-
taining to or situated on the back.

EbeneouS (Lat. ebenus, ebony),
black like ebony.

Elater, the spirally coiled append-
ages of the spores of Equisetum.

Endospore (Gr. iv&ov, within, and
o-Tropds, a seed), the inner wall of the
spore.

Epidermis (Gr. CTTI, upon, and
Sep/Lia, the skin), the external covering
of the plant.

Epiphytic (Gr. CTTI, upon, and
fyvrov, a plant), growing upon an-
other plant, but not nourished by it.

Equisetaceae, 132; also 31.— Lit-
erature of, 34.

Equisetum. 132 ; also 31, 33, 67.

Exospore (Gr. efu, outside, and
o-Tropo?, a seed), the external covering
of the spore.

Falcate (Lat. /«/.*•, a sickle), scythe-
shaped ; slightly curved upward.

Farinose (Lat. farina, ground
corn), covered with a white or yellow-
ish powder.

Fern Allies, 28.

Fern Structure, Literatureof, 28

Ferns, Artificial Synopsis of genera
of, 80. — Mode of growth, 2. — Time of
fruiting, 4.— Variation in, 2.

Ferruginous (Lat. ferrum, iron),
resembling iron rust.

Fertilization, 21.

Fibrillose (Lat. fibra, a thread),
formed of small fibres.

Filices, 75-

Filiform (Lat. filum, a thread,
forma, form), thread-like.

Flabellate (Lat. Jlabellum, a fan),
fan-shaped; broad and rounded at
the summit and narrow at the base.

Flaccid (Lat. flaccus, flabby), soft
and weak.

Floating-fern. Vide Cera-
topteris.

Flowering-fern. Vide Os-
munda.

Foliaceous (Lat. folium, a leaf),
having the nature of a leaf.

Fovea (Lat. a small pit), the depres-
sion in the leaf of Isoetes containing
the sporangium.

Frond (Lat. frons, a leafy bough),
that which answers to the leaf in
ferns, 8, 26.

Fructification of Ferns, 10; of
OPHIOGLOSSACE^:, 30; of Equisetum,
33; of Club-mosses, 35; of Isoetes, 38;
of Marsilia, 39; of Pilularia, 39;
of Azolla, 39; of Salvinia, 40.

Fulvous (Lat. fulvus, reddish-yel-
low), tawny.

Fungi, 47.— Literature of, 52.

Gasteromycetes, 50. —Litera-
ture of, 55.

Genera, 44-

Generic Names, 41.

Geographic Distribution, 60.
— Literature of, 67.

Geologic Distribution, 65.

Germination of Ferns, 19; of
OPHIOGLOSSACE.E, 30; of Equisetum,
33; of Club-mosses, 36; of Isoetes, 38;
of Marsilia, 40. — Literature of, 23.

Glabrous (Lat. glaber, smooth)
smooth.

Gland ul if erous (Lat. glandula, a
little kernel, and ferre, to bear), fur-
nished with glands.

Glaucous (Gr. yAavKos, sea-green),
covered with a bloom like a plum.

Globose, spherical in form or nearly
so.

Goethe on species, 43. '

152

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

Gold -fern. Vide Gymno-

gramme.
Grammitidese, 76.
Grape - fern. Vide Botry-

chium.
Ground -pine, Ground -fir,

etc. Vide Lycopodium.
Gymnogramme, 84; also 3, 9, 13,

41, 66, 76.

H

Hartford-fern. Vide Lygo-
dlunrt.

Hart's-tongue. Vide Scolo-
pendrium.

Hastate (Lat. kasta, a spear), fur-
nished with spreading lobes on each
side at the base.

Helvellaceae, 50.— Literature of,

54-

Hepaticae, 47> 50.— Literature of,
57-

Herbaceous (L&t./ter6a, an herb),
having the texture of common herb-
age.

Heterosporous (Gr. erepos, other
and o-TTopds, a seed), producing two
kinds of spores, as in Selaginella,
Marsilia, etc.

Histology (Gr. io-™?, web, tissue,
and Adyo?, a discourse), the study of
the microscopic characters of the tis-
sues of plants and animals.

Holly-fern. r/Vfc Aspidium.

Horsetail. Vide Equisetum.

Hymenomycetes, 50. — Litera-
ture of, 55.

Hymenophyllaceae, u, 26, 79.

Imbricate (Lat. imbrex, a rhollow

tile), breaking joints like slates or

shingles.
Indusium (plu. indusid) (Lat. in-

duere, to clothe), the membranous

covering of the sporangia in many

species of ferns.
Inferior, attached below; said of an

indusium below the sporangia as in

Woodsia.
Intramarginal (Lat. infra, with-

in, and margo, a border), near the
margin.

Involucre (Lat. involvere, to wrap
up), the indusium.

Isoetaceee. 142; also 37.— Litera-
ture of, 38.

Isoetes, 142; also 37, 38, 67.

Isosporous (Gr. io-os, equal, and
o-TTopd?, a seed), producing spores of
one kind.

L

Lace-fern. F/V^Cheilanthes.

Lacinia (plu. lacinice) (Lat. the lap-
pet of a garment), a long narrow lobe.
Lady-fern. Vide Asplenium.

Lanceolate (Lat. lanceola.a. little
spear), lance-shaped.

Lepidodendraceae, 67.

Lichenes, 47, 50.— Literature of, 54.

Ligula (Lat. a strap), a triangular or
somewhat elongate stipule-like or-
gan of the leaf in Isoetes, situated
above the sporangium.

Linear (Lat. linca, a line), long and
narrow.

Linnaeus, definition of species, 43.—
System of, 47.

Lip-fern. Vide Cheilanthes.

Lobule (Lat. lobulus, diminutive of
lobus, a lobe), a small lobe.

Lomaria, 101; also 2, 14, 77.

Lunate (Lat. /«««, the moon), cres-
cent-shaped.

Lunulate (Lat. /«««/«, diminutive
of /««<i, the moon), smaller than
lunate.

Lycopodiaceae, 135; also 34.—
Literature of, 37.

Lycopodium, 135; also 34, 35, 36,
67.

Lygodium, 122; also 4, 17, 66, 79.

M

Macro- (Gr. /neucpos, long), (as a pre-
fix) large or long.

Maidenhair. JVaV Adiantum.

Male-fern, r/rf* Aspidium.

Marattiaceae, 45.

Marsilia, 125; also 39, 46, 67.

Marsiliaceae, 125; also 39.— Litera-
ture of, 40.

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

153

Mesozoic Age, Pteridophytes of,

66.
Micro (Gr. jxi»cp6s, small), (as a prefix)

small.
Midvein, the middle or main vein of

a frond, pinna, pinnule, or segment.
Mimicry, 3.
Monoecious (Gr. /ad™?, single, and

OIKOS, house), bearing the male and

female organs on different parts of

the same plant.
Moonwort. Vide Botrychi-

um.
Mucronate (Lat. macro, a sharp

point), having the midvein prolonged

beyond the pinnule, forming a sharp

point.
Musci (mosses), 47, 50.— Literature

of, 56.
Myxomycetes, 48. — Literature

of, 53-

N

Nephrodium. F/aVAspidium.
Nephrolepis, 117; also 6, 16, 78.
Nomenclature, 4.
Notholaena, 85; also 6, 9, 13, 76.

Oak-fern. Vide Phegopteris.
Oblong, from two to four times as

long as broad.
Obovate (Lat. ob, reversed, and

ovum, an egg), inverted ovate.
Onoclea, 119; also 2, 3, 5, 10, 17, 66,

72. 78.
Oophyta (Gr. u>6V, an egg (spore),

and QVTOV, plant), 49.
Oosphere (Gr. o>6», an egg), *the

female element of Pteridophytes.
Oospore (Gr. wo*', an egg, and

o-rropos, a seed), the fertilized oo-

sphere.
Ophioglossaceae, 128; also 28.—

Literature of, 31.

Ophioglossum, 128; also 6, 29, 30.

Orbicular (Lat. orbiculus, diminu-
tive of orbis, a circle), circular.

Orders, 45-

Osmunda, 174; also 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 18,
19, 80.

Osmundacese, 12, 79.

Ostrich-fern. Vide Onoclea.
Ovate (Lat. ovum, an egg), having

the form of the longitudinal plane of

an egg with the base downward.
Ovoid (Lat. ovum, an egg, and Gr.

eZSos, form), having the form of an

egg.

P

PaleaceOUS (Lat. palea, chaff),
clothed with chaffy hairs.

Palmate (Lat. palma, the hand),
with the divisions spreading from the
end of the stalk like the fingers of the
hand.

Panicle (Lat. panicula, a tuft on
plants), an open cluster, consisting of
more or less branching stems bearing
fruit.

Papillose (Lat. papilla, a nipple),
bearing minute nipple-like projec-
tions.

Papy raceous (Lat. papyrus, paper
reed), having the texture of paper.

Pedicel (Lat. Pediculus, diminutive
of pes, foot), the stalk of a sporan-
gium.

Pellaea, 97; also 2, 3, 6, 14, 77.

Peltate (Lat. pelta, a small shield),
shield-shape; said of an indusium
borne on a stalk attached at its centre.

Pentagonal (Gr. n^re, five, and
yiavia, angle), having five sides.

Perisporiaceae, 50.— Literature
of, 54'

Peronosporeae, 49. — Literature
of, 54-

Petiole (Lat. petiolus, diminutive of
pes, foot), the stalk of a pinna or
pinnule.

Phegopteris, 108; also 5, 9, 16, 27,
78.

Pilose (Lat. pilus, hairy), covered
with soft hairs.

Pilularia, 126; also 39, 67.

Pinna (Lat. a feather), the primary
division of a compound frond.

Pinnate (Lat. pinna, a feather), hav-
ing the divisions of the frond ar-
ranged on the two sides of a common
rachis.

Pinnatifid (Lat. pinna, a feather

154

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

and findere, to cleave), having the
sides of the frond, pinna, or pinnule
cut half-way or more to the midvein.

Pinnule (Lat. pinnula, diminutive
of pinna, a feather), the secondary
division of a frond twice or more
compound.

Polypodiaceae, n, 76.

Polypodieae, 76.

Polypodium, 82; also 6, 7, 10, n.

12, 76.

Pro-embryo, the thread-like pro-
longation between the germinating
spore and the prothallium.

Prothallium (Lat. pro, previous
to, and thallus, a young shoot), the
sexual generation of a fern, ao.

Protophyta (Gr. wpwros, first, sim-
plest, and fyv-Tov, a plant), 48.

Psilotum, 139; also 35.

Pterideae, 76.

Pteridoid (Gr. Tmfpis, fern, and
eifios, form), fern-like in appearance.

Pteridoid Phase, -22.

Pteridophyta (Gr. wrepi?, fern
and tJ»vTOf, a plant), 50, 75.

Pteris, 90; also 5, 13, 66, 77.

Pyrenomycetes, 50.— Literature
of, 54-

Q

Quadri- (Lat. quattuor, four), (as a
prefix) four, fourfold.

Rachls (Gr. fpa*i?, the spine), the
continuation of the stipe through a
compound frond.

Raphe (Gr. Ipa0'J. a seam or suture),
the ridge which connects the sporo-
carp with its stem in Marsilia.

Rattlesnake-fern. Vide Bo-
trychium.

Receptacle (Lat. recifiere, to re-
ceive), the part to which the sporan-
gia are attached, especially in the
HYMENOPHYLLACE/G.

Renif orm (Lat. rents, the kidneys),
kidney-shaped.

Resurrection - plant. Vide
Selaginella.

Re volute (Lat. revolvere, to roll

back), rolled backward; said of the

margin of fronds.

Rhizocarps. ride Marsilia.
Rhomboidal (Gr. >o/n/3o?, a rhomb,

and elfios, form), approaching a rhomb

in shape.
Rock-brake. Vide Crypto-

gramme.
Rock-moss. Vide Selagi-

nella.
Roots, 25.
Rootstock, an underground stem

Salvinia, 127; also 39, 40.

Salviniaceae, 127; 315039.— Litera-
ture of, 40.

Scandent (Lat. scandere, to climb),
climbing.

Schizaea, 123; also n, 18, 79.

Schizaeaceae, 11,79.

Schizomycetes, 48.— Literature
ofi 53-

Scolopendrium, 107; 31503,6,15,

19, 26, 78.
Scouring- rush. Vide Equi-

setum.
Segment, one of the divisions of a

pinnatifid frond.

Selaginella, 140; also 34, 35, 36, 67.
Selaginellaceae, 140; also 34.—

Literature of, 37
Sensitive-fern. Vide Ono-

clea.
Serrate (Lat. serra, a saw), having

the margin cut into teeth pointing

forward.
Sessile (Lat. sedere, to sit), without

a stalk or petiole.
Setiform (Lat. seta, a bristle, and

forma, form), bristle-like.
Shield-fern. f/Vfr Aspldium.
Sigiliariaceae, 67.
Sinuate (Lat. sinus, a bending),

having the margin alternately bend-
ing inward and outward.
Sinus (Lat. a bending), a recess or

bay; the re-entering space between

two lobes.

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

155

SorUS (plu. sori) (Gr. awpds, a heap
or cluster), the clusters of fruit in the

POLYPODIACE^E.

Spat U late (Lat. spatula, a little

spoon), shaped like a spatula.
Species, 43. — How to determine, 68.
Specific Names, 41.
Spermaphyta (Gr. o-n-epjuia, a seed

and fyvvov, a plant), 50.— Literature

of, 59-
SpinulOSe (Lat. spina, a thorn),

thorny.
Spleenwort. Vide Aspleni-

um.

Sporangium (plu. sporangia) (Gr.
(Tropes, a seed, and ayyos, a vessel),
the case or capsule enclosing the
spores, 10.

Spore (Gr. an-opos, a seed), the fruit
of the higher cryptogams, produced
asexual ly, 10, 18.

Sporocarp (Gr. o-Ti-opd?, seed, and
KapTrds, fruit), the fruit-bearing re-
ceptacle in Marsilta, etc.

SquamOUS (Lat. squama, a scale),
with appressed scales.

Stellate (Lat. stella, "a star), star-
shaped.

Stipe (Lat. stipes, a stock), the stem
of a frond, 8, 25.

Stoma (plu. stomata) (Gr. a mouth),
the breathing pores of plants, 26, 33.

Stramineous (Lat. stramen*
straw), straw-colored.

Struthiopteris. Vide Ono-
clea.

Sub- (as a prefix), about, nearly,
somewhat.

Sub-Orders, 44-

Subulate (Lat. subula, a shoe-
maker's awl), awl-shaped.

Superior, higher, applied to indusia
that are attached above the sorus as
in Aspidium.

Synonymy, 43.

Tsenitis, 88; also 6, 13, 76.
Ternate (Lat. terni, three each),
branching into three nearly equal di-

Tertiary Age, Pteridophytes of,

66.
Thallophyte (Gr. 0aAA6s, a young

shoot, and </>UTOV, a plant), a group of

plants including the lichens, fungi,

and algae.
Thalloid (Gr. 0a\\6s, a young shoot,

and elSos, form), having the form of a

thallus, i.e., no leafy axis.
Thalloid Phase, 19.
Tissues, 24.
Tissue Systems, 25.

TomentOSe (Lat. tomentum, a
stuffing of wool), covered with mat-
ted woolly hairs.

Tomentum (Lat. a stuffing of
wool), the dense matted woolly hair
found on some ferns as many species
of Cheilanthes.

Tri- (Lat. iris, three), (as a prefix)
three, thrice.

Tribes, 44.

Trichomanes, 122; also 6, 11,17,

79-
Trichomes (Gr. 0ptf, hair), hairs,

variously modified as scales, indusia,

sporangia, etc., produced from the

epidermal cells, 26.
Triquetrous (Lat. triquetrus),

three-angled.
Truncate (Lat. truncare, to cut

short), cut off abruptly.
Tufted, growing in clusters.

U
Undulate (Lat. undula, a little

wave), wavy-margined.
Uredineae, 50.— Literature of, 55.

Vallecuia (plu. valleculce), the
grooves on the stems of Equisetum.

Variation among species, 2.

Varieties, 44

Vascular (Lat. vasculum, diminu-
tive of vas, a vessel), containing ves-
sels, as ducts, etc.

Velum (Lat. a curtain), the membra-
nous margin of the fovea in Isoetes.

Venation (Lat. vena, a vein), the
veining of the frond, 10.

1 56

GLOSSARY AND INDEX.

Vernation (Lat. ver, spring), the
arrangement of the leaves or fronds
in the bud, 29.

Vittaria, 89; also 6, 13, 76.

Vittarieae, 76.

W

Walking-leaf,
tosorus.

Vide Camp-

Water-fern. Vide Marsilia.
Wood-fern. Vide Aspidium.
Woodsia, 119; also 6, n, 17, 43, 79
Woodwardia, 102; also 2, 5, 10, 15,
66, 77.

Zygophyta (Gr.
^UTOI/, a plant), 48.

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