. The fern allies of North America north of Mexico. Pteridophyta; Botany. THE PSILOTACE^. NE of the most curious of all the fern allies, and one of the rarest in our flora, is that relative of the lycopodiums which botanists call Psilotuin triquctruin. This, in fact, is often considered as one of the Lycopodiaceze, and in many books will be found included as one of the four genera supposed to belong to that family ; but the typical Psilotum form is so different from that of Lycopodiuui that in the opinion of modern botanists we are war- ranted in placing the species in a separate family which
. The fern allies of North America north of Mexico. Pteridophyta; Botany. THE PSILOTACE^. NE of the most curious of all the fern allies, and one of the rarest in our flora, is that relative of the lycopodiums which botanists call Psilotuin triquctruin. This, in fact, is often considered as one of the Lycopodiaceze, and in many books will be found included as one of the four genera supposed to belong to that family ; but the typical Psilotum form is so different from that of Lycopodiuui that in the opinion of modern botanists we are war- ranted in placing the species in a separate family which has been named the Psilotacere. In this family, as now recognised, there is the single genus Psilotuin, and in this genus less than half a dozen species. Baker's " Fern Allies" names but two species and several varieties. Others are inclined to give some of the most pronounced of these varieties specific rank, but in any event the genus will always remain with very few species. The family being so small, a description of our single species will sufifice for an account of the whole family. Like many of its relatives among tropical lycopo- diums, our species (PsilotJim triquctruin') is epipl"i3?tic and usually grows on the trunks of trees, though it is occa- sionally found upon the earth, on fallen logs, or the like. The mature plant has no true roots, from which it is con- jectured that it is a saprophyte, like the Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Clute, Willard Nelson, b. 1869. New York, F. A. Stokes
Size: 1581px × 1581px
Photo credit: © The Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbotany, bookyear1905
