Schizaea pusilla Pursh

Schizaea pusilla Pursh, Fl. Am, Sept. 657. 1814
Plants densely fasciculate, the rhizomes minute and short-creeping ; fronds linear, the sterile ones numerous and intricately entangled, 2-7 cm. long, about 0.5 mm. broad, ascending, recurved and tortuous, flattish and slightly concave above, convex below, finely striate ; fertile fronds rigidly erect, 4-15 cm. long, far exceeding the sterile fronds, a little thicker, straight or flexuous ; sporangiophore ovate, conduplicate, the segments (3-8 pairs) oblique, 4-9 mm. long, linear-oblong, obtuse, strongly concave (the apex cucullate), the upper ones greatly reduced, the costa and margins rusty-pilose ; sporangia close, 4-9 pairs; spores minutely areolate.
Type locality : New Jersey.
Distribution : Pine barrens of central and eastern New Jersey, usually in sphagnum ; Nova Scotia ; Newfoundland.