The Collaborative International Dictionary
osmund royal
Osmund \Os"mund\, n. (Bot.) A fern of the genus Osmunda, or flowering fern. The most remarkable species is the osmund royal, or royal fern ( Osmunda regalis), which grows in wet or boggy places, and has large bipinnate fronds, often with a panicle of capsules at the top. The rootstock contains much starch, and has been used in stiffening linen.