Osmunda (osmunda)

[NL. (Tournefort, 1700), ferns, widely distributed throughout north temperate regions, and typical of the order Osmun daceæ. The fronds are tall and upright, growing in large crowns from a thickened rootstock, and are once or twice pinnate. The fertile fronds or the fertile parts of the fronds are destitute of chlorophyl, very much con tracted, and bear on the margins of the narrow rachis-like divisions the naked short pedicel led sporangia, which globular, thin, and reticu lated, and open by a longitu dinal cleft into two halves. The spores are green. Six Part Osmunda regal is. of a frond with upper pinnæ (Much reduced.) species are known, of which changed into a panicle of spo three are found in North America, O. regal is being the royal fern or osmund royal, also called bog - onion , buckhorn - brake , ditch - fern , and king fern. The root of this, when boiled, is very slimy, and is used in stiffening linen. It is also employed as a tonic and styptic. O. cinnamomea is the cinnamon-fern. Osmund aceæ (os-mun-dā'sē-ē), n. pl . [NL. (Martius, 1835), Osmunda + -aceæ .] An order or suborder of ferns, typified by the genus Osmunda. The sporangia are naked, globose, mostly pedicel led, reticulated, without annulus or with only mere traces of it near the apex, opening by a longitudinal slit into two valves. It embraces 2 genera, Osmunda with 6 species, and Todea with 4 species. Also Osmundineæ. osmunda ceo us (os-mun-da's hi us), a . [ munda + -aceous.] In bot ., pertaining to or resembling the genus Osmunda or the order Os mundaceæ.