Ceratopteris
(from keras, a horn, and pteris, a fern). ORD. Filices. A very curious stove aquatic annual monotypic genus. Sori placed on two or three veins, which run down the frond longitudinally, and are nearly parallel with both the edge and midrib. Capsules scattered on the receptacles, sessile, globose, with a ring which is either complete, or more or less partial or obsolete. Involucre formed of the reflexed margin of the frond, those of the two sides meeting against the midrib. When nicely grown in water, this is a very handsome plant, and not inaptly called the Floating Stag's-horn Fern. The spores must be preserved and sown early in spring, in a pot of very moist loam; they germinate rapidly if plunged in water, in February. Young plants may also be obtained from the proliferous buds, by pegging the sterile fronds on to a surface of moist earth. It succeeds best when the pot containing it is plunged to the rim in water.
C. thalictroides (Thalictrum-like).* sti. tufted, thick, inflated. fronds succulent, the barren ones floating, simple or slightly divided when young, bi- or tripinnate, with narrow linear segments, when mature; fertile ones bior tripinnate; ultimate segments pod-like. Tropics, in quiet waters. SYN. Parkeria pteroides.