Acute: sharply pointed.

Apex: the tip.

Antheridia: male sex organ of the gametophyte which corresponds in general function to the stamen of the flowering plant.

Archegonia: female sex organ of the gametophyte which corresponds in general function to the pistil of the flowering plant.

Attenuate: tapering slenderly.

Axillary: located in the axil i.e. at juncture of leaf and stem.

Bi-pinnate: twice pinnately compound.

Compound: having two or more similar united parts.

Crenate: with a slightly wavy margins.

Crenulate: slightly or minutely wavy.

De-compound: compounded several times.

Dentate: toothed with tips of teeth and notches between teeth rounded.

Dichotomous: forked, parted by pairs; branched into two roughly equal branches.

Entire: without teeth (ref. to margins).

Frond: the individual fern leaf.

Gametophyte: the sexual stage in the life cycle of the fern. (see page in introduction).

Glabrous: smooth, not hairy.

Imbricated: overlapping like shingles on a roof.

Indusium: the covering over the sorus.

Lanceolate: lance-shaped; drawn to a sharp tip.

Linear: very narrow and long i.e. a blade of grass.

Megaspore: the larger of two types of spores when a species produces two types.

Megasporangia: receptacle in which the megaspores are contained.

Microspore: the smaller of two types of spores when a species produces two types.

Microsporangia: receptacle in which the microspores are contained.

Node: a joint.

Oblanceolate: lanceolate with the widest portion just above the middle.

Obovate: nearly round with widest part just above the middle.

Ovate-lanceolate: drawn to a fine point from a rather wide portion just above the middle.

Petiole: the leaf stalk.

Pinnae: the main division of a fern leaf or frond.

Pinnate: with leaflets arr. each side of a common stalk.

Pinnately compound: with the pinnae arranged in two rows upon the leaf axis.

Pinnule: a leaflet or segment of a pinna; a secondary division of a frond.

Pubescent: hairy or fuzzy.

Recurved: curved backward.

Rhizome: a horizontal, underground stem.

Serrate: saw-toothed with teeth large and conspicuous.

Serrulate: saw-toothed with teeth small.

Sessile: having no stalk.

Sorus: a group of sporangia; one of the numerous brown "dots" upon the under side of a frond which bears the sporangia which in turn bear the spores. See page

Spore: the non-sexual fern fruit which gives rise to the gametophyte. See pages 4 and 5.

Sporophyte: the customary fern plant; the non-sexual unit in the life cycle of the fern which produces the spores. See pages