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/ POLYPODIUM Thelypteris,
Marjh Polypody.
CR YPTOGA MIA Filices.
G en. Char. FruBifications fcattered, in roundifh
dots, not marginal. lnvolucrum umbilicated,
burfting almoft all round.
Spec. Char. Frond pinnate; leaflets pinnatifid,
fomewhat erenate, feparatebut crofling each other
at the bafe. Dots confluent.
S y n . Polypodium Thelypteris. Linn. Mant. 505.
With. 776. Hull. 239. Abbot. 227. Dickf. H.
Sicc. fafc. 6. 15.
Acroftichum Thelypteris. Linn. Sy. PI. 1528. Bolt.
Fil. 78. t. 4 3 , 4 4 .
Filix minor paluftris repens. Rail Syn. 122,
1 HIS Fern is always found in wet fpongy marfhes and
bogs, but not frequently. Mr. Pitchford difcovered it long
ago on St. Faith’s bogs near Norwich, and Mr. Turner lately
at Lound near Yarmouth. It is alfo mentioned as growing
in Bedfordthire, Yorkthire, and Scotland.
The root is long, flender, and creeps horizontally, producing
feveral upright lanceolate fronds, fcarcely more than a
foot high, often lefs, of a bright green, with a longith, flender,
almoft entirely naked ftalk. Leaflets oppofite, fpreading,
feffile, diftinft, lanceolate, pointed, pinnatifid, generally fmooth,
fometimes clothed with fcattered hairs; the lobes are more or
lefs erenate, bluntifti, the lowermoft of each leaflet lengthened
out or divaricated fo as to crofs thofe of the oppofite one. The
fpots of capfules are numerous, fmall at firft and each covered
by a very thin white lacerated fcale, but in procefs of time they
run together and nearly cover the leaf.—'The flender creeping
root, and the crofling butTeparate leaflets, diftinguifti this fpecies
of Polypody from every other with which it could be confounded.