b o t r y c h ium l u n a r ia . comm on m o o nw o r t .
BOTRYCHIUM Lunarid; scapo superne unifrondo'so, fronde pinnata, pinnis lunatis crenatis.
BOTRYCHIUM Lunaria. Swartz Syn. Fil. p. 171. Willd. Sp. PI. vol. 5. p. 61. Alton Hort.
Kew. ed. 2. vol. 5. p. 4,96. Decand. Fl. Fr. ed. 3. vol. 2. FI. Gall. Syn. p . 116.
OSMUND A Lunaria. Linn. Sp. PI. p. 1519. Fl. Suee. n. 932. Fl. Lapp. p. 389. Huds. Angl.
p . 449- Lightf. Scot. p . 652. With. Bot. Arr. ed. 4. vol. 3. p. 745. Oed. Fl.
Dan. t. 18. Roth Fl. Germ. vol. S .p. 32. Mohr Isl. p . 223. Smith Fl. Brit,
p . 1107. Engl. Bot. t. 318.
OSMUND A foliis pinnatis flabelliformibus lunatis. Hall. Helv. n. 1686.
LUNARIA minor. Raii Syn. p . 128.
(3. LUNARIA minor ramosa. Raii Syn. p. 129* (Botrychium rutaceum. Willd.)
y. LUNARIA minor foliis dissectis. Raii Syn. p . 129- (.Botrychium matricarioides. Willd.)
Dan. Maanerude. Dut. Maankruid. Fr. Ophioglosse ailee. Langue de Cerf. Germ. Die Mon-
draute. Mondfarm. I t Lunaria minore. Pol. Podeyrzon. Port. Lunaria bastarda. Russ. Bo-
goroditschka rutschka. Span. Lunaria menor. Swed. L&sgrds. Welsh. Lloer-redynen gyf-
fredin.
Class a n d O rd er. CRYPTOGAMIA FILICES.
[Natural Ord e r . FILICES, Juss. Decand. Broxon. D iv . Capsulæ annulo elastico destitute.]
Gen . Char. Capsulce distincte, adnate, in racemum congestæ, uniloculares, transversim déhiscentes. Sw.
Radix e fibris crassiusculis, fuscis, simplicibus, vel sub-
ramosis constans.
Scapus 4—6-uncialis, erectus, subflexuosus, teres, stri-
atus, glaber, basi squama membranacea longius-
cula fusca vaginatus.
Frons simplex, oblonga, 3—5-pollicaris, erecta, ob-
longa, pinnata, pinnis parium trium ad octo vel
decern, cum impari, allernis, approximatis, pla-
nis, cuneato-lunatis, superioribus paulo minori-
bus, subflabelliformibus, omnibus inciso-crenatis,
sub lente radiato-nervosis.
Racemus longe pedunculatus, solitarius, e basi frondis,
erectus, ramosus, ramis distichis, horizontalibus,
inferioribus iterum subdivisis, per totam margi-
nem apicemque capsuliferis.
Capsulæ numerosæ, sessiles, approximate, ad unum
latus spectantes, primum virides, demum aureo-
fuscæ, globosoe, glabræ, transversim déhiscentes,
uniloculares, seminibus replete.
Semina numerosa, minutissima, fusco-flavescentia, subrotunda.
Root composed o f thickish, brown, simple or branched
fibres.
Scape from four to six inches, , erect, somewhat flexuose,
round, striated, glabrous, at the base sheathed
with a rather long brown membranaceous scale.
Frond simple, oblong, from three to five inches long,
erect, pinnate, the pinnas of from three to eio-ht
or ten pairs', with an odd one, alternate, approximate,
plane, cuneato-lunate, the superior ones
rather smaller, somewhat flabelliform, all of them
inciso-crenate, under a microscope nerved in a
radiated manner.
Raceme on a long solitary footstalk, arising from the
base of the frond, erect, branched, with the
branches distichous, horizontal, the lower ones
again somewhat divided, throughout their whole
margin and at the apex capsuliferous.
Capsules numerous, sessile, approximate, looking to
one side, at first green, at length golden-brown,
globose, smooth, opening transversely, one-celled
filled with seeds.
Seeds numerous, very minute, yellowish-brown, round*
ish.
Fig. -1. Portion of the spike with the capsule. Fig. 2. Single capsule. Fig. 3. Capsule burst open, showing the
mass of seeds. Fig. 4. Seeds.—All move or less magnified.
Old pasture-lands, in various parts of the kingdom, produce this singular plant, which, growing amongst grass is
frequently passed by unregarded, and esteemed rarer than it really is. It is found in almost every part of Europe
even in the extreme northern regions, our finest specimens being collected in Iceland, and Wahlenberg mentioning
its occurrence at Lyngen in Norwegian Lapland, and at Massia in Finmark in the 71st degree o f North latitude
For the varieties here noticed being natives of this country, I have to depend on the information of others'
having never seen either of them myself. Swartz considered the /S and y as one distinct species, and has included’
them under the name of Botrychium rutaceum ; whilst Willdenow' divides them again into B. rutaceum and B
matricarioides. The (3. has been found at Buxton, Derbyshire, on the road to Manchester, by the Rev. W. Wood
and y. on the edge o f a lake at Hornsea, Yorkshire, by Mr. Teesdale.
This plant is found in perfection in the summer months.
6a