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THE COMMON ADDER’S TONGUE
OPHIOGLOSSUM VULGATUM.
0 . fronds usuaKy solitary (4-12 in.) ; barren branch ovate
obtuse, eoostate, thick herhaooous ; fertile branch linear stalked, its
stalk of equal width throughout. [Plate CXIII A.]
O p h io g lo s s um v u l g a t u m , Linnaats, Plant. 1618. Bolton, Fil. BrU. 2, t. 3.
Smith, m g . Bot. ii. t. 108 ; Id ., Eng. Fl. 2 ed. iv. 818. Mackay, Fl. Hib.
346 Hooker A Amo tt, Brit. Fl. 1 ed. 593. BaUngton, Man. B n t . Bot.
4 ed. 429. Newman, Hist. Brit. Ferns, 3 ed. 325. Heakin, Florigr. BrU.
iv. 33, fig. 1676. Moore, Handb. BrU.-Ferns, 3 ed. 275 ; Id ., Ferns o f Gt.
BrU 'Nature FrinUd, t. 61 B. SowerUj, Ferns o f Gt. BrU. 81, t. 46.
Bentham, Ila n d i. BrU. Fl. 624. Hooker, Fl. Lond. iv. t. 15-, Id ., Gen.
F il. t. 59 B. Gray, N a t A rr. B r i t PI. ii. 20. Loivc, N a t I lt e t Ferns,
vii. t. 65 A. Swartz, Syn. F il. 169. Sehkuhr, Krypt. Gew. 165, t. 163.
Willdenow, Sp. Plant, t . 58. Sprengel, Syst. Veg. iv. 22. Presl, Supp.
Tent. Pterid. 49. Nyman, Syllog. Fl. Europ. 435. Fl. Danica, t. 147.
Svensk Bot. t. 378, fig. 1. Sturm, Fl. (Farm.) t. 11. Ledebour, Fl. Boss.
iv. 604. Koch, Syn. 2 ed. 673. Gray, Bot. North. United States, 2 ed. 602,
t. 13. Mettenius, Fil. Hort. Bot. Lips. 121.
O p h io g lo s s um o v a tu m , Salisbury, Prod. 401.
O p h io g lo s s um E i e h l i i , Hb. Im p . Pa l. Vicn. ; aecording to Presl.
O p h io g lo s s um u n i f o l iu m , Gilibert, Exerc. Phytol. ii. 654.
Var. microstiolium: fronds much smaller (3-5 in .); barren branch
ovate, fertile linear-ohlong apioulate. [Plate CXIII B.]
O p h io g lo s s um m ic r o s t i c h um , Aoharius, Kong. Vet. Acad. Handl. 1809, 69.
Svensk Bot. t. 378, fig. 2. . „ . ,
O p h io g lo s s um v u l g a t u m , v . m in u s , Moore, Ferns o f Gt. BrU. Nature Printed.
un d er t. 61 B ; Id ., Handb. B rit. Ferns, 3 ed. 277.
O p h io g lo s s um G r a y i , Beck, Bot. North, and Midd. St. 458.
Caudex or Corm-Uke Crown forming a thickened fusiform descending
axis (rhizome, Presl), terminated hy a bud or growing point
enclosed by a few brown membranaceous sheaths. Boots coarse,
brittle, fleshy, spreading horizontaUy, unbranohed, growing in a
somewhat whorled manner from the crown and the perpendicular
axis. Some of these become elongated under-ground in a stolon-
THE COMMON ADDER’S TONGUE. 337
like manner, and produce a new crown at a distance from the
parent, in wHoh manner the plants are multiplied. The rudimentary
plant of the perennial crown instead of heing as in the Moonwort
enclosed within the stem, forms a new growing point by its side.^
Vernation plicate or folded straight, the sterile branch enclosing
the spike of fruotifioation.
Stipes erect, smooth, cylindrical, hoUow, succulent, usually elongated
to about two-thirds the height of the frond, traversed by two
or three vascular bundles, the base enclosed by membranaceous
sheathing scales ; divided above into a separate fertile and barren
branch. _ u- u i
Fronds from three or four inches to a foot in height, thin but
somewhat fleshy in texture. Sterile branch smooth, entire, sessile,
broadly-ovate or ovate-elongate, acutish or obtuse, pale yellowite-
green. Fertile branch erect, consisting of a simple spilie termmating
a more or less elongated footstalk, which appears to spring from the
inner base of the sterile branch ; spike linear, very slightly taponng
upwards. It occasionaUy happens that fronds are met with developing
from two to six fertUe spikes, but it is very seldom that more
than one frond is produced from each crown.
Venation of the barren branch consisting of series of uniform
veins (no costa or midvein) everywhere anastomosing, and forming a
series of narrow elongated hexagonal areoles, those towards the
oiroumferonoe becoming shorter and broader; within these are a
series of lesser veins {venuUs) dividing the areoles into other smaUer
ones of simUar form; and from the sides of these again branch,
more or less abundantly, short divaricate free i n c l u d e d mnfefe, which
are nsuaUy more nnmerous near the margin.
Fructification occupying the margins of the Unear spike, which
terminates the contracted fertile branch. Spore-cases smoote,
spherical, without ring or reticulations, embedded in a single series
along the two opposite edges of the spike, bursting transversely, and
then forming gaping concavities which give a toothed appearance to
the margins. Spores verruculate, roundish, pale-coloured.
Duration. The crowns and roots are perennial. The fronds aro
annual, growing up in May, reaching maturity in June or July, and
then gradually drying up and perishing.
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