"^*_ 
 
 a/- 
 


 
 THE
 
 C > ' ' 
 
 THE 
 
 BRITISH FERNS 
 
 POPULARLY DESCRIBED, 
 
 AND 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY ENGRAVINGS OF EVERY SPECIES. 
 
 FORMING 
 
 A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE FAMILY AS REGARDS 
 
 THEIR CHARACTERISTICS, PECULIARITIES, NATURAL PLACES OF 
 
 GROWTH, AND THE MOST SUCCESSFUL METHODS 
 
 OF CULTIVATING THEM. 
 
 BY 
 
 GEORGE W. JOHNSON, ESQ., 
 
 EDITOB OF " THE COTTAOE GARDENER," &C. 
 
 THIRD EDITION. 
 
 LONDON : 
 COTTAGE GARDENER OFFICE, 
 
 20, PATERNOSTER ROW. 
 TO BE HAD OF ALL BOOKSELLERS. 
 1859. >
 
 WINCHESTER: 
 
 PK1NTED BY HUGH BARCLAY, 
 HIGH b T K E E T.
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 No Natural Order of plants attracts more attention than 
 the Ferns, and that attention is attracted by their elegance, 
 the freshness of their verdure, the peculiarity of their 
 structure, and the ease with which most cf them are cul- 
 tivated. To assist the searcher after, and the cultivator of 
 these plants, and to afford him a guide as free as possible 
 froir the jargon of botanical language, were the leading 
 considerations in preparing these pages. 
 
 The engravings, for the most part, will enable any one, 
 without other assistance, to ascertain the name of any 
 species he may possess, or, if he knows its name, the al- 
 phabetical order of the work and the index will enable him 
 to refer readily to full particulars concerning its history, 
 description, and cultivation ; but some readers may wish for 
 a guide to the systematic arrangement of the British Ferns, 
 and for their use we offer the following information. 
 
 The Ferns (Filices) are flowerless plants, with a root-stock 
 spreading underground (rhizoma), from which arise, un- 
 coiling usually in a spiral form (circinnate) the fronds or 
 leafy stems ; the under surface of the fronds is traversed 
 
 2091075
 
 iv INTRODUCTION. 
 
 by veins, producing, in British Ferns, one-celled cases con- 
 taining the seed (spores). 
 
 Mr. Sowerby having objected to our use of the classifica- 
 tion we adopted in the First Edition of this work, and also 
 to some of the magnified portions of the parts of fructifica- 
 tion, we have been led to a closer consideration of these 
 subjects, and we rejoice in being able to say that the resrlt 
 of such consideration is a greater amount of correctness. 
 
 The improved classification is as follows: 
 
 POLYPODIACE^:. 
 
 Fructification placed on the back of the frond, naked, 
 having neither the usual covering nor covered by the margin 
 of the frond. Eing vertical. Vernation coiled. 
 
 CETERACH. Masses of fructification oblong, or nearly 
 linear, straight, covering not apparent; mid-veins parallel 
 or oblique, vein-branches uniting at their points. 
 
 POLYPODTOM:. Masses nearly circular, scattered in spots, 
 without covering. Edge of frond not bent back. 
 
 GYMNOGKAMMA. Capsules seated on the forked veins of 
 the fronds; covering none ; seeds triangular. 
 
 Fructification placed on the back of the frond, and either 
 furnished with a cover or having the margin of the frond 
 turned back over it. Eing vertical. Vernation coiled. 
 
 WOODSIA. Masses nearly circular, scattered \n dots; 
 receptacle membranaceous, flat, somewhat plate-shaped, 
 fringed with incurved hairs. 
 
 PoiYSTiOHUsf. Masses circular, covering circular, fixed
 
 INTRODUCTION. V 
 
 to the frond by its centre on the upper branches of the side- 
 veins. 
 
 LASTBZA. Masses nearly circular on the back of the 
 side-veins ; covering irregularly kidney-shaped, attached to 
 the frond at the indentation in its kidney shape. 
 
 CYSTOPTEBIS. Masses small, nearly circular, seated at 
 the back of the main side-veins; covering hood-like, fixed 
 by its broad base beneath the masses, which it covers when 
 young, the margin where it opens fringed, finally turned 
 back. 
 
 ASPLENIUM. Masses in lines, placed on the lateral veins ; 
 covering membranaceous, fiat, opening towards the mid- 
 vein. 
 
 ATHYBTUM. Masses nearly circular, scattered; covering 
 solitary, circular, peltate, or kidney-shaped, attached to the 
 frond by its centre or side, opening on the side next the 
 mid-vein, and edge of opening fringed, the fringe turning 
 back. 
 
 SCOLOPENDBIOTI. Masses line-like, oblique, double, op- 
 posite, parallel; covering membranaceous, opening in the 
 middle over the masses in opposite pairs. 
 
 PTERIS. Masses on the margin of the leaflet in an unin- 
 terrupted line ; covering opening from the bent-in edge of 
 the frond. 
 
 ALLOSOBUS. Masses circular, placed on the transverse 
 forked veins, finally covering the back of the contracted 
 leant ; covering very narrowed, formed by the rolled-back 
 edge of the leant ; seeds triangular. 
 
 BLECHNUM. Masses in continuous line next each side of 
 the mid-vein ; covering membranaceous, flat, opening next 
 the mid- vein. 
 
 I. Masses line-like, or partly round, on the
 
 VI INTRODUCTION. 
 
 margin of the leant, inserted in the covering; covering, 
 being a continuation of the leafit's outer skin, scale-like, 
 opening on inner side. 
 
 HYMENOPHYLLACE^:. 
 
 Fructification placed on a receptacle at the margin of the 
 frond at the end of a vein. Ring horizontal. Vernation 
 coiled. 
 
 THICHOMANES. Masses on the margin in a somewhat 
 bell-shaped receptacle, with a central bristle-like column, to 
 which the masses are attached. 
 
 HYMENOPHYLLUM. Masses attached to a central, rather 
 club- like column, in an erect two-valved receptacle. 
 
 OSMTJNDACEJB. 
 
 Fructification naked, arranged in a cluster on a stalk at 
 the end of a frond. Vernation coiled. 
 
 OSMIWDA. Masses in cases nearly globular, netted, 
 stalked, opening lengthwise from their base as high as a 
 transparent dorsal projection ; the cases borne in a cluster 
 or panicle. 
 
 OPHIOGLOSSACES:. 
 
 Fructification naked, arranged in a cluster on a stalk 
 attached to a frond. Vernation straight. 
 
 OPHIOGLOSSUM. Masses in a jointed two-rowed spike, in 
 cases joined at the base, one-celled, opening at the side. 
 
 BOTRYCHIUM. Masses in compound one-sided spike, 
 adnate; capsules globular, stalkless, leathery, half two- 
 valved, opening rather on the side.
 
 THE BRITISH FERNS. 
 
 FERNS have long been popular plants; nor is their 
 popularity confined to one class of society, and for this 
 reason, while all Ferns are beautiful, some of them 
 are so cheap as to be within the purchasing power of 
 all, and others are so scarce and costly as to be worthy 
 companions of all that is rich and rare among the gems 
 of the Stove and Conservatory. 
 
 The popularity of Ferns, however, does not rest only 
 upon their beauty and their price, for they have, as an 
 additional cause for their ready access to the good 
 graces of the cultivator, that there is scarcely any place 
 in which Ferns of some genera refuse to grow. Most 
 of them thrive best in the shade ; others prefer the 
 brightest light; a third group will live only on dry walls 
 and chalky rocks ; a fourth succeed nowhere, except in 
 abundant moisture; a fifth revel in the freest air of the 
 mountain top; and a sixth flourish verdantly for months, 
 and even years, within the close confinement of a 
 Wardian case. Thus all purses and all situations if 
 
 B
 
 2 BRITISH FERNS. 
 
 neither the one nor the other are absolutely barren can 
 command a supply of Ferns. 
 
 Notwithstanding their accessibility, and notwith- 
 standing their popularity, it is as extraordinary as true 
 that no popular work upon even the Hardy Ferns, com- 
 bining a description of each species and its culture, has 
 yet been published. We have excellent scientific works 
 upon the Ferns, and we have general directions for their 
 cultivation, but nothing which an amateur can read 
 with pleasure, or consult for specific directions. It is 
 hoped that this volume will supply this deficiency; for 
 our notes will not be a mass of dry technical terras, 
 which only the palate of a mere botanical collector can 
 relish, but will be a mingling of what we think will be 
 interesting to all, whether derived from our own observa 
 tions, or from the observations of others. Moreover, 
 we shall endeavour to use terms which all can under- 
 stand ; for our object, especially, is to benefit and gratify 
 those who love plain truths in plain words. 
 
 Ferns are flowerless plants with stems, yet in this 
 country the leaves are far more strikingly developed 
 than are the stems 
 
 " In our Ferns," says Mr. Henfry, " the stem is 
 indeed occasionally erect, rising a few inches from the 
 ground, and expanding its wide leaves (or fronds, as 
 they are usually called) in a circle; but in a greater 
 number it creeps along beneath the ground, being, in 
 fact, a rhizome similar in the nature of its growth to 
 that of the Sedges, and other flowering plants. This 
 rhizome bears small separate (adventitious) roots on the
 
 BRITISH FERN'S. 3 
 
 under side, while at intervals from the upper spring 
 leaves, which, when young, are very pretty objects, 
 being curled up in a kind of scroll, that gradually 
 unrolls as they rise upward. The bodies which repre- 
 sent the seeds here (called spores) are usually produced 
 in formations growing upon the backs of the leaves, and 
 it is principally upon the mode of arrangement of these 
 formations (called sori) that the classification of Ferns 
 is founded. 
 
 " The common condition of the apparatus in which 
 the spores are produced may be described as follows : 
 On the backs of the leaves, round patches, or streaks, 
 or lines running round the borders of the divisions, 
 appear, which in a perfect state have a brown, powdery 
 aspect. This appearance is concealed in many kinds, 
 in the early stages, by a membranous cover enclosing 
 the brown dust ; when the spores are more advanced, 
 these coverings (called indusia) become either wholly 
 or partly detached, and if examined with a magnifying 
 glass, are found to have peculiar forms in different kinds 
 of Ferns, and to be attached sometimes by little stalks, 
 and sometimes hy their edges, if we place some of the 
 brown dust-like substance under a microscope, we find 
 it to consist of a number of little cases, which, when 
 ripe, burst, and discharge the very minute spores which 
 have been produced within them. The bursting of the 
 cases results from the elasticity of a kind of thickened 
 band (the annulus), which extends around the mem- 
 branous case, or spore-fruit (tlieca). The spores are 
 mostly so small as to be invisible singly to the naked
 
 4 BRITISH FERNS. 
 
 eye, and consist of single vesicles of various shapes, 
 often beautifully ornamented with markings on the 
 exterior. 
 
 " Some Ferns bear their spore-fruits in a somewhat 
 different way. In the Osmunda, or Koyal Fern, the 
 division forming the end of the leaf consists of a spike 
 covered with capsules (spore-fruits), which differ slightly 
 from those above described. In the Adder's-tongue 
 aud Moonwort, the spores are produced in fronds 
 (called fertile fronds), which are quite changed in 
 character for this purpose, and appear like spiked 
 inflorescences. These three last kinds are sometimes 
 wrongly called Flowering Ferns. 
 
 " In germination, the spore, which is a mere vesicle 
 and not a miniature plant, such as we find in a seed, 
 grows and divides into a number of vesicles, which 
 multiply and enlarge until they form a miuute green, 
 leaf-like patch, and from the surface of this the first 
 leaf arises, as it does from the plumule, or terminal bud 
 of tho embryo in the flowering-plants." 
 
 " The root of the tribe of Ferns," observes Mr. Keith, 
 " assumes a great variety of different aspects in different 
 species. In BotryoTiium Lunaria it is fibrous ; in 
 Aspidium dilatatum it is tuberous; and in Polypodium 
 vulgare it is creeping and covered with scales. In Pteris 
 aquilina, or Common Brakes, it is sometimes described 
 as being spindle-shaped : yet this is not strictly the fact. 
 If a frond is taken and pulled up with the hand, the 
 portion of it is indeed spindle-shaped; but the real root, 
 or rather rhizoma, or root-stock, from which you have
 
 BRITISH FERNS. 5 
 
 thus detached the frond, remains still in the soil, 
 elongating in a horizontal direction at the depth of 
 from three to four inches, sometimes simple and some- 
 times branched, but always furnished with lateral 
 fibres. 
 
 " The trunk of Ferns if trunk ' it can be called 
 which trunk is none' is a stipe supporting the frond ; 
 or rather the whole of the herbage is a frond, that is, 
 an incorporation of stipe (or stem), leaf, and fructifica- 
 tion. If the stipe of a Fern is cut open, it will be 
 found to consist of a firm pulp, or pith, interspersed 
 with bundles of longitudinal fibres of a dusty brown 
 colour, assuming an arrangement proper to the species. 
 On a transverse section of the stipe of Pteris aquilina 
 (Common Brake), taken a little above the surface of the 
 soil, the divided extremities of the bundles exhibit a 
 slight resemblance to an oak-tree in full leaf. This has 
 been noticed even by the peasantry of the country, 
 among whom it is known by the name of ' King 
 Charles's Oak.' But if the section is taken in a slanting 
 direction, then the resemblance exhibited is that of the 
 Eagle of the Koman standard; whence we have the 
 specific name, aquilina. 
 
 " It was for a long time believed that Ferns are 
 destitute of seeds, and propagated nobody knows how. 
 Yet no botanist of the present day doubts the reality of 
 Fern-seed, or, at the least, of sporules from which new 
 plants spring. Some have even fancied that they had 
 detected the parts of the antecedent flower. But ad- 
 mitting that such detection is impracticable, the botanist
 
 6 BRITISH FERNS. 
 
 can, at least, direct his attention to the mode of fructi- 
 fication, and to the fruit produced. In Ferns, strictly 
 so called, it is dorsal ; that is, scattered in clusters or 
 patches on the back of the frond. These patches are 
 generally accompanied with an integument called the 
 Indusium, which, at the period of the maturity of the 
 seed, bursts open, sometimes towards the nerves, and 
 sometimes towards the margin; but in plants of a 
 similar habit, uniformly in a similar manner. The 
 merit of this discovery is due exclusively to Sir J. E. 
 Smith, who found it to be a most decisive criterion for 
 the determining of natural genera, and the only sure 
 ground on which the botanist can rely. When this 
 integument bursts, the fruit, now ripe, escapes, which is 
 for the most part a capsule surrounded by an elastic 
 and jointed ring opening transversely, and discharging 
 the enclosed seed or sporule, which is a small and 
 minute globule, discoverable only by the microscope, 
 and capable of giving origin to a new plant. Ferna 
 were raised from the sowing of their seeds in 1789, by 
 Mr. J. Lindsay, of Jamaica, as also by Mr. J. Fox, of 
 Norwich, about the same time." 
 
 From that time Ferns began to obtain more notice 
 from gardeners, and there is now no order of plants of 
 which the propagation and culture are better understood.
 
 ADIA'NTUM CAPI'LLU.S VBNK'HIS.
 
 ADIANTUM. 
 
 ADIANTUM CAPILLUS VENEEIS 
 
 This most elegant Fern was not known by our early 
 botanists to be native of this country. Gerarde says, 
 " The right Maiden-hair groweth upon walls, in stoney, 
 shadowy, and moist places near unto fountains, and 
 where water dropeth. It is a stranger to England; 
 notwithstanding I have heard it reported by some of 
 good credit, that it groweth in divers places of the west 
 country of England." Parkinson had heard it " re- 
 ported that it is found in Gloucestershire." Ray, in 
 1686, says, "it rarely or never occurs in England;" 
 nor was it known for certainty that it is a native of this 
 country until found by Mr. Llhwyd (Lloyd) at Barry 
 Island and Forth Kirig, in Glamorganshire, about the 
 year 1700, and it was first announced in the third 
 edition of Ray's Synopsis Methodica Stirpium Britani- 
 carvm (vol. i. 123), published in 1724. 
 
 Boot black, scaly, and with wiry, fibrous rootlets. 
 Fronds usually six inches high, but under favourable 
 culture twice that height ; evergreen in sheltered situa- 
 tions, but usually dying in winter and reappearing in 
 May. Stipe, or stem, of the frond, slender, and dark 
 purple, the lower half of its length without leaflets. 
 The branches of the stem are very slender, and alter- 
 nately on opposite sides of it, and the leaflets are 
 similarly placed on the branches. Leaflets irregularly 
 fan-shaped ; the fertile leaflets deeply cut on their edges, 
 and the barren leaflets sharply-toothed. They are all of
 
 10 ADIAXT UAI. 
 
 a pale, semi-transparent, bright green colour, and having 
 doubly-branched veins. The fructification forms a kind 
 of margin to the lobes of the fertile leaflets, and when 
 perfect, in July, becomes of a deep brown, as shown on 
 the magnified leaflet in our drawing. 
 
 This Fern is of rare occurrence in this country, being 
 found chiefly in our mildest and moistest districts, 
 Devon, Cornwall, South Wales, and Ireland. It has 
 been found, however, on the Islands of Arran, and on 
 the banks of the Carron, in Scotland. Much more 
 abundantly does it occur in the warmer countries of 
 Europe, Northern Africa, Asia, and North America. 
 
 CULTURE. Although a native of Great Britain, yet it 
 is only found here in moist, sheltered situations ; and, 
 therefore, it is useless to attempt to grow it either upon 
 ordinary rockwork or borders, in the open air. It 
 requires to be cultivated under glass in a moist, moder- 
 ately warm air. It is generally kept as a pot plant in 
 the frame, greenhouse, or moist stove. In the latter it 
 grows and flourishes marvellously. In its wild state, 
 the little plant may be found growing from three to six 
 inches in height, whilst in the moist, shady part of the 
 stove it is to be seen varying from six to twelve inches, 
 forming one of the most beautiful and interesting of 
 evergreens all the year round. 
 
 It is said, by Mr. Houlston and Mr. Moore, that in 
 the warmer climate of the south of Europe, the Channel 
 Islands, and Madeira, this Fern attains the height of 
 eighteen inches, and is then called Adiantum Moritzi- 
 anum; but our native plant, if cultivated in a moist
 
 ADIANTUM. 11 
 
 stove, with a high temperature, will produce fronds of 
 magnitude equal to those from the south of Europe or 
 Madeira, with which they are precisely identical. 
 
 The best way to cultivate it is to keep it as a pot 
 plant ; and the pots should be always placed in pans, 
 and the pans should be nearly always supplied with 
 water, whether in the stove, greenhouse, frame, or 
 window. Whenever the pots or pans become foul, or 
 the smell of stagnant water is perceptible, withhold the 
 water for a day or two, and let the pots containing the 
 plants be nicely washed, and the pans too. This should 
 be attended to particularly at all times. Old, well- 
 established plants, thus attended to, will stand and 
 flourish in the same pots for many years undisturbed. 
 Occasionally remove all decayed fronds from the plant. 
 If one season is better than another, the month of 
 April is the best time for potting or dividing this Fern, 
 as it is readily increased by division. The best soil 
 for it is lime-rubbish, sandy-peat, and pebbles, in equal 
 proportions. The pots should be always thoroughly 
 drained, using broken potsherds for this purpose, with a 
 little moss over, to prevent the earth from getting in 
 among the drainage. The little root fibres seem to 
 delight in finding their way among the broken crocks. 
 
 USES. In the days of the old herbalists the true 
 Maiden-hair Fern was considered not only efficacious 
 in many diseases, but especially potent in promoting 
 length of tresses, and to this attributed power it owes 
 its name, both among the Latins and the moderns. So 
 succulent are the leaves, that under strong pressure
 
 12 ADIANTUM. 
 
 they yield about three-fourths of their weight of juice. 
 This juice gave the name to a well-kuown syrup 
 Capillaire. If this has any medicinal virtue it arises 
 from the Orange-flower water forming one of its ingre- 
 dients. 
 
 To MAKE CAPILLAIRE. Maiden-hair leaves five 
 ounces; Liquorice-root, peeled and sliced, two ounces; 
 boiling water five pints. Let them remain for six 
 hours ; strain, and then add thirteen pounds of the 
 finest loaf sugar, and one pint of Orange-flower water.
 
 ALLOSO'l'.US CRI'SPUS.
 
 AJ,I,OSORUS. 
 
 ALLOSO'RUS CRI'SPUS. 
 
 This has various local names, such as Crisped 01 
 GurUd Fern, Parsley Fern, Stone Brakes, and Mountain 
 Parsley. Names allusive to some one or other of its 
 peculiarities. Crisped and Curled refer to the form of 
 the leaflets; Parsley, to its resemblance to that plant; 
 Stone, to its love of rocky or stony soil; and Mountain, 
 to its frequenting Alpine localities. 
 
 Its generic name is derived from the Greek allos, 
 diverse, and soros, a heap, referring to the varying 
 forms of the patches of its fructification, or sori. The 
 specific name, crispus, or curled, is explained by what 
 we have said already relative to one of its English 
 names. 
 
 A friend used to call this his " pet, pit, pot Fern," 
 and of a truth, it is not only most beautiful of form, 
 but of that diminutive size which seems so needful to 
 entitle anything animate or inanimate to the worthiness 
 for being petted. 
 
 The main body of the root lies horizontally just be- 
 neath the surface of the soil, producing many fibrous 
 rootlets. The fronds arise in May, or early in June; 
 their stalks are from two to six inches long, slender, 
 smooth, waved, and pale green. The leafleted portion 
 is of a further length of from one-and-a-half to three 
 inches. There are two kinds of fronds, one kind being 
 barren, and the other fertile. The leaflets of the barrert 
 fronds are altogether alternate, by which we intend that
 
 16 ALLOSORUS 
 
 they are alternate on the branchlets, and the leafits 
 and their lobes are also alternate. 
 
 By " alternate " is meant, first on one side, and then 
 one on the other side, each leaflet, leafit, and lobe, being 
 opposite to the space between two leaflets, leafits, or 
 lobes, on the contrary side. The leafits of the barren 
 fronds are pale bright green, wedge - shaped, finely- 
 toothed on the edges, and frequently crisped or curled. 
 The fertile fronds are considerably taller than the barren 
 fronds, and their leafits are spear-head-shaped, and 
 smooth-edged. The fructification, or sori, are in lines 
 along the under margin of the leafits, as represented in 
 the magnified leafit of our engraving, but the margin is 
 so rolled back as to conceal the sori, as on one side of 
 the leafit in that engraving. After the spores or seeds 
 have ripened and been discharged which in their 
 native state occurs in September the sori so spread 
 out, that they cover the whole of the back of the leafit, 
 except its midrib. 
 
 In our engraving, which is of the natural size, the 
 fertile frond is in the centre 
 
 Allosoms crispus is a 1'eru rather rare in this country, 
 being confined to its northern parts and mountains. It 
 affects rocks, heathy places, and old walls. It has been 
 found in Rutlandshire ; at Tenterfell, near Kendal, in 
 Westmoreland ; on Cader Idris, in Merionethshire ; 
 and on Snowdon, in Carnarvonshire; at Borrowdale,.in 
 Cumberland ; and in the Highlands of Scotland. 
 
 It was unknown to old Gerarde and to bis editor 
 Johnson ; nor do we find any mention of it as a native
 
 ALLOSORUS. 17 
 
 plant until 1696, when Ray, in the second edition of 
 his Synopsis Methodica Stirpium Britannicarum, de- 
 scribes it as found in Westmoreland, and other places, 
 by Mr. James Sutherland, the first curator of the Edin- 
 burgh Botanical Garden. Ray calls it, as it was called 
 by its first describer, Schwenkfeld, Adiantum album 
 crispum alpinum (Cui'led Alpine White Maiden-hair). 
 Linnaeus, who knew less about Ferns than about any 
 other of the great divisions of the vegetable kingdom, 
 named it at one time Osmunda, and at another time 
 Pteris crispa, whilst some botanists have called it 
 Cryptogramma, and others Phorolobus, but the best 
 authorities now agree that J. J. Bernhardi, at the com 
 menceinent of the present century, was correct when 
 he separated it from all other Ferns, and named it 
 Allosorus. 
 
 USES. We have seen that Ray and other early herb- 
 alists considered this Fern an Adiantum, or Maiden-hair. 
 In those days plants were chiefly examined for their 
 medicinal qualities, and all herbalists then agreed with 
 our earliest writer on Plants, Dr. William Turner, that 
 of the Adiantums, " the juyce stayeth the heare that 
 falleth off, and if they be fallen off, it restoreth them 
 agayne." But it is quite certain that his remedy is as 
 defective as his spelling and grammar. 
 
 Though deficient in medicinal qualities, this Fern, 
 as we have already noted, is well worthy of culture for 
 its elegance. 
 
 CULTURE. When cultivated, it should be grown upon 
 well-drained rockwork, moderately shaded, kept moist, 
 
 c
 
 18 ALLOSOIIUS. 
 
 and planted in a mixture of loam and peat, and all the 
 better if a portion of bricks, broken up into small 
 pieces, be mixed with it. But with all the care bestowed 
 upon such plants, they will disappear at times, there- 
 fore, the cultivators of such heautiful and interesting 
 plants should always keep duplicates in well-drained 
 pots, and the pot-kept plants should always have winter 
 protection, but during the summer months such pots 
 can always be placed out-of-doors in some suitable 
 place. The plants should always be well-established 
 in pots before being turned out in the border or rockery. 
 This Fern is readily increased by division in the 
 spring months. It grows luxuriantly in the green- 
 house or vinery, under the shade of the Vines. A little 
 protection can be given to any of these choice little 
 Ferns, even when they are planted out upon the rockery, 
 or in the border, by placing a hand-glass over them.
 
 ASPI.E'KIUM ADIA-'NTUM-NI'GHUM.
 
 ASPLENIUM. 21 
 
 XASPLE'NIUM ADIA'NTUM-NI'GRUM. 
 
 THIS, the Black Maiden-liair-like Spleenwort, is popu- 
 larly known as the Black Maiden-hair, and Oak Fern. 
 Its main root is black, scaly, and furnished with many 
 wiry, dark-coloured rootlets. The fronds rise from the 
 crown of the root, and vary in height from three inches 
 to nearly two feet. The specimen fronds from which 
 our drawiug was taken, and which is about one-third 
 the natural size, were about fifteen inches high. These 
 greater heights are attained by the Fern when growing 
 in a shady situation and rich soil, as was our specimen 
 at Sherfield, in Hampshire. The stem of the frond is 
 dark chesnut-coloured, and glossy; the part joining the 
 root scaly; about half of its length bare, and the other 
 half leafy. The leafy portion has a lengthened - tri- 
 angular form, the lower pair of the leaflets being 
 longest, each pair above them being gradually shorter 
 and shorter, until they pass insensibly into the single 
 terminating leaflet. The leaflets are also lengthened, 
 triangular in form, and are more or less alternate, and 
 so are the leafits composing each leaflet. The leafits 
 are spear- head-shaped, and so finely toothed at their 
 edge as almost to appear fringed. The pair of leafits 
 nearest the main stalk of the frond are so deeply cut as 
 to be divided into still smaller, or sub-leafits. They all 
 are bright light green on the upper surface, but the 
 under surface is much paler. 
 The fructification (sori) appears at first in oblique
 
 -'U ASPLENIUM. 
 
 whitish lines, varying in number from three to seven, 
 on the under surface of the leafits. The whiteness 
 arises from a thin covering (called the indusium), which 
 bursts with a smooth edge on the side next the mid-vein 
 of the leant. The covering finally peels off, and then 
 the sori, which are brown, spread until they cover the 
 entire back of the leafit, all but the edge. This spread- 
 ing, or running together, of the fructification is called 
 confluent by botanists. The seed, or spores, are in 
 various states of growth from April to October. 
 
 There are two varieties, acutum (very pointed), and 
 obtusum (blunt). The only differences between these 
 and the species we have described are that the fronds, 
 the leaflets, and leafits of acutum extend to a longer 
 and sharper point, whilst those of obtusum are more 
 rounded. The intermediate forms are so various, that 
 we really consider the above not entitled even to the 
 subordinate distinction of a variety. 
 
 Variegatum is a more certain variation, for it is very 
 distinctly variegated with cream-colour. It was found 
 on the church of Shottisbrook, in Berkshire, during 
 1847, by Mr. Silver. 
 
 The generic name, Asplenium, is derived from a, 
 not, and splen, the spleen, alluding to the supposed 
 medicinal power of some of the species to lower the 
 activity of the spleen. The specific name, Adiantum 
 iiigrum, is literally translated in the popular title, Black 
 Maiden-hair. 
 
 This is one of the common Ferns of the British 
 Islands, being found very generally on old walls and
 
 ASPLENIUM. 23 
 
 among stones in shady places. It is spread over all 
 Europe, and was known as a native plant to our earliest 
 herbalists. Gerarde says it grows " upon trees in 
 shadowie woods, and now and then in sbadowie banks, 
 and under hedges." We never found it upon trees, nor 
 have we spoken of it to any one who has. Ray is 
 more correct in stating that it is found " in shadowy 
 places at the roots of trees and shrubs ; in shaded 
 fields, and on old walls generally." The same author 
 is the first of our native botanists who gave an accurate 
 description of this Fern ; a description which he pub- 
 lished in the first volume of his " Historia Plantarum." 
 
 This Fern is one of the best among our native Ferns 
 to examine as an illustration of the peculiar packing, 
 or rolling up of the fronds previously to their expansion 
 to the light and air. The point of the frond is turned 
 inwards, so that as the frond unrolls the upper surface 
 is always outwards, and the lower, or seed-bearing 
 surface is always within and protected 
 
 In Bay's time, the latter half of the 17th century, 
 this Fern was believed to be a beneficial medicine in 
 coughs, asthma, and some other diseases, and even 
 Hoffmann recommended its use as an anti-scorbutic, but 
 it is no longer employed even by herbalists. 
 
 It is a Fern very useful to the cultivator of this 
 Natural Order of plants, for it is evergreen, and will 
 thrive in pots under glass even better than upon rock- 
 work in the open air. Hence it is a good tenant for a 
 Wardian case. It will endure continued exposure to 
 bright sunshine, and is then of a dwarf stature, but
 
 24 ASPLENIUM. 
 
 under shade, and in a favourable soil, it attains a 
 medium size. The soil best suited to it is a mixture, in 
 equal parts, of sandy loam, leaf-mould, limy rubbish, 
 and pebbles. 
 
 It is easily propagated by dividing the crowns" in 
 early sprint. April is as good a month as any for this 
 purpose.
 
 ASPLE'NIUM FONTA'NUM.
 
 ASPLENIUM FONTANUM. 27 
 
 ASPLE'NIUM FONTA'NUM. 
 
 THIS bears the English names of the Rock Polypody, 
 Slender-stemmed Polypody, and Smooth Rock Spleenwort. 
 Why the specific name fontanum was ever applied to it 
 we cannot discover, and such specific name is sin- 
 gularly inappropriate, since so far from delighting in 
 fountains, it is found only on dry rocks and old walls. 
 The root is dark-coloured, short, and thick, furnished 
 with many rootlets, and terminating in a scaly tuft, 
 from among which arise the fronds. These fronds vary 
 in height from three to eight inches, but rarely exceed 
 four inches. They grow in an erect tuft, as represented 
 jn our drawing. A very small portion of the stem, or 
 stipe, is without leaflets, and the scales of the root are 
 continued up a part of that unleafleted portion. All the 
 leafleted part of the stem has a narrow wing of a leafy 
 texture running up opposite sides, between the stalks 
 of the leaflets. The leaflets are pale green, alternate, 
 and lengthened egg-shaped, some being divided into 
 leafits similarly shaped, but others near the top of the 
 stem are only deeply notched. The fructification, or 
 sori, is very accurately described by Mr. Moore as 
 being produced two or three (sometimes five, as in our 
 magnified specimen) on a leaflet, on the side veins, and 
 near where they join the mid-vein. The sori, he adds, 
 are short, oblong, sometimes distinct, but often running 
 together (confluent), and, occasionally, occupying nearly 
 the whole under surface of every leaflet. " They are
 
 28 ASPLENIUM PONTANUM. 
 
 covered by an opaque, white, oblong skin (indusium), 
 more rounded on the loose edge, which is turned 
 towards the mid-vein, than on that edge by which it is 
 attached to the leaflet; the loose edge being, also, 
 waved and rather toothed." (Moore's Handbook of 
 British Ferns. 150.) 
 
 Many botanists have doubted the claim of this Fern 
 to be considered a British species, but we think its 
 claim as fully established. That it has been found but 
 seldom, and in few places, is no counter-evidence. It 
 is often passed by, probably, without examination, being 
 mistaken for Asplenium trichomanes, and other common 
 species. 
 
 The first to announce this as a British Fern was Mr. 
 Hudson, in the first edition of his Flora Anglica, pub- 
 lished during the year 1762. He states that it grew 
 upon " rocky places near Wybourn, in Westmoreland." 
 Mr. Bolton, in his Filices Britannic, or History of 
 British Proper Ferns, published in 1786, states that 
 this Fern was found on the walls of Agmondesham 
 (Amersham) Church, in Buckinghamshire. In 1838, 
 Mr. Readhead found it on rocks in Wharncliffe Woods, 
 Yorkshire. Mr. Charles Johnson discovered it, in 1845, 
 on an old wall on Tooting Common, Surrey. More 
 recently it has been found by the Eev. W. Hawker, on 
 a wall at Ashford, near Petersfield, in Hampshire. Mr. 
 Shepherd, of Liverpool, sent specimens to Mr. Moore, 
 which bad been collected at Matlock, in Derbyshire. 
 Mr. Hutcheson, formerly gardener at Boxley Abbey, 
 Kent, and a Fern cultivator, gathered it in 1842, on
 
 ASPLENIUM FONTANUM. 29 
 
 rocks near Stonehaven, in Kincardineshire. Thus, it 
 has been found by competent judges in various parts 
 of England, in Ireland, and in Scotland, and it would 
 be worse than irrational to maintain that in all these 
 places it had been accidentally introduced by spores 
 brought from continental Europe. 
 
 The rarity of this Fern is in a considerable degree 
 accounted for by the fact of its being unable to sustain 
 our climate, except in sheltered, and thoroughly suitable 
 situations. 
 
 To grow it in perfection, and to preserve it ever- 
 green, it must be cultivated as a pot plant, and have 
 glass protection the whole year, with shading from the 
 scorching sun's rays during the summer months. It 
 may stand in a pan to receive water, when required, 
 but, in general, it should be sparingly watered, compared 
 with the generality of Ferns, and yet never allowed to 
 go dry. 
 
 Like most of the family, it is readily increased by 
 careful division of large or old plants, in open weather 
 during the spring months, and being planted in a 
 mixture of sandy peat and broken bricks, or old mortar, 
 or both. A little of this mixed with the soil is found 
 beneficial to the plants, and particular attention is re- 
 required to have good drainage. This drainage is best 
 formed of fresh broken bricks. The roots of all Ferns 
 seem to delight in finding their roots among this ma- 
 terial. The pots should, in all cases, for this particular 
 kind, be better than one-third filled with drainage, then 
 a little moss over the drainage to prevent the earth
 
 30 ASPLENIUM FONTANUM. 
 
 going down among the broken bricks. When the 
 drainage is thus all right, the plants may be watered 
 more freely and safely. When shifting these plants into 
 larger pots the drainage should be as before directed, 
 and the crowns of the plants should be kept consider- 
 ably higher than the rim of the pots. This is an 
 essential. 
 
 One of the greatest points in the culture and keeping 
 these scarce and choice Ferns, is carefully to give them 
 water, and to shade them when needed, and not to 
 disturb them so long as they are doing well. The out- 
 side of the pots the specimens stand in should be 
 washed occasionally, as well as the pans which the pots 
 stand in. 
 
 Ferns, like other plants, sometimes become infested 
 with Aphides, to destroy which they should be fumigated 
 with tobacco-smoke. 
 
 When specimens are seeming to tire of their soil, or 
 are become too large, then is the best time for division, 
 or to make a number of plants out of one scarce one, 
 for not till then would we divide a fine specimen of a 
 Fern.
 
 ASPLE'NIUJI G
 
 ASPLENIUM GERMANICUM. 33 
 
 ASPLE'NIUM GERMA'NICUM. 
 
 THIS, among many other names, has also been called 
 Asplenium alternifolium, because the leaflets are more 
 distinctly alternate than in most other Ferns, but a? all 
 the species are, for the most part, alternate-leaved, this 
 is an objectionable name ; and so, indeed, is germanicum, 
 for this species is native of other countries besides 
 Germany. However, it is better to put up with an in- 
 appropriate name, rather than to encumber the student 
 with synonymes. 
 
 Our drawing is of the life-size ; for this Fern varies 
 but little in height between three and five inches. Its 
 main root is black, furnished with many rootlets of 
 the same colour, and crowned with a tuft from amid 
 which arise the fronds. The stem of these is so deep 
 a purple at the bottom as to appear black ; the lower 
 half is unleafleted, and the upper half is green, and 
 furnished with but a few widely separated leaflets, very 
 distinctly alternating. The leaflets are pale green, 
 narrow-wedge-shaped, tapering into slender stalks, and 
 the top of each leaflet is deeply notched, and one notch 
 in the lower leaflets is so deep as to form a lobe. There 
 is no mid or main vein to the leaflets, but small parallel 
 veins, some of which have the fructification along their 
 inner edge. The fructification (sori) are covered by a 
 narrow membrane, the opening edge of which is whole, 
 or at most indented, but never jagged. The spores, 
 or seed, are ripe in August, at which time the fructifica- 
 
 B
 
 34 ASPLENIUM GEBMANICUM. 
 
 tion on each leaflet has united together, or become 
 confluent. 
 
 Linnaeus considered this a mere variety of the 
 Asplenium ruta-muraria, or Wall Hue ; and it is decidedly 
 much resembling that, as it does also Asplenium septen- 
 trionale, or Forked Spleenwort, yet it is very distinct 
 from each. 
 
 It is found, but not abundantly, in Germany, Switzer- 
 land, Italy, France, Hungary, and Sweden ; but was 
 not known to be a native of Great Britain until dis- 
 covered at the close of the last century, somewhere 
 about 1792, by Mr. Dickson. He found it on some rocks 
 in the south of Scotland, and published his discovery in 
 the second volume of the Linnajan Society's Transactions. 
 In that country it has been found on rocks in the Tweed, 
 near Kelso, in Roxburghshire ; on the Stenton Rocks, 
 near Dunkeld, in Perthshire; and near Dunfermline, iu 
 Fifeshire. In England it has been found at Borrow- 
 dale and Scaw-fell, in Cumberland; on Hyloe Crags, in 
 Northumberland; and in Wales near Llanrwst, and in 
 the pass of Llanberis. These are the only localities at 
 present known as its dwellings, and even there it is not 
 abundant, so that it is one of the rarest of our Ferns. It 
 seems entirely to have been passed unnoticed by Gerarde 
 and others of our earliest botanists. 
 
 In its wild state its fronds die during the winter ; but 
 cultivated in a cold greenhouse, from which frost is ex- 
 cluded, it remains evergreen. 
 
 It requires a very light, poor soil, and we have found 
 it thrive most and permanently in a mixture of equal
 
 ASPLEN'IUM GERMAMCUM. 35 
 
 proportions of sharp river sand, sandy peat, and limy 
 rubbish. One-third of the pot in which it is planted 
 should be filled with drainage of broken potsherds 
 Nothing destroys this Fern so soon ns an excess o' 
 water either about its roots or its foliage. 
 
 The soil in the pot should rise to a conical point, ana 
 in that point the Fern should be planted with the tufted 
 head of its root well above the surface, so that watei 
 cannot settle in it. If grown under a bell-glass, this 
 should be taken off daily, and be raised at the sides 
 almost continually to avoid a close, damp atmosphere, 
 for such an atmosphere is injurious and even fatal tc 
 the plant if long continued. We prefer growing it in 
 a greenhouse where a bell-glass is not needed. It must 
 be shaded from the sun; and in watering, no watej 
 must be poured over the crown of the root. 
 
 Unless all these precautions are taken this Fern wi! 
 not live under cultivation. Its dislike of a close at 
 mosphere precludes it from the Wardian case, for which 
 its diminutive size renders it peculiarly suitable
 
 S3 ASPLENIUM LANCEOLATUM. 
 
 ASPLE'NIUM LANCEOLA'TUM. 
 
 IN English this has been called Spear-shaped Spleen- 
 wort, Lanceolate Spleemvort, and White Oak Fern. 
 
 The main body of the root is black, tufted, and 
 covered with bistle-like scales; the rootlets are also 
 black and numerous. The stem, or stipe, of each 
 frond, up to where the leaflets commence, is purplish- 
 black, and throughout its entire length is more or less 
 sprinkled with fine, bristly scales. The length of the 
 fronds varies as much as from three to fifteen inches. 
 Mr. Moore says they are sometimes eighteen inches. 
 They attain the greatest height when favourably cul- 
 tivated under shade in a warm greenhouse. The speci- 
 men from which our drawing was taken is six inches 
 high. The outline of the entire leafy portion of each 
 frond is spear-head shaped, or lanceolate, to which the 
 specific name alludes. The upper half of each stem 
 and the leaflets are very bright, pale green. The spear- 
 head shape of the frond is caused by the lowest leaflets 
 being shorter than those immediately above them, and 
 then the upper leaflets again gradually diminish in 
 size. The leaflets have a triangular, or arrow - head 
 outline, and though sometimes in opposite pairs, yet 
 they are generally alternate ; they for the mobt part 
 stand at a right angle with the stalk, but sometimes 
 droop slightly. The leafits are reversed - egg - shaped, 
 Olunt at the upper end, but deeply, and sharply-toothed, 
 the teeth being as fine as bristles ; the leafits at their
 
 ASPLE'KIUM LANCEOIA'TUM.
 
 ASPLEXIUM LANCEOLATUM. 39 
 
 lower end taper off gradually into a fine foot-stalk ; 
 they have a slightly twisted mid-vein, from which 
 proceed forked side-veins, one to each division between 
 the teeth. The fructification, or son, is in irregular- 
 placed masses, several on each leafit, at first longish 
 oval in form, but gradually running together, and 
 spreading over nearly the whole leafit, and becoming of 
 a rusty brown ; the cover or membrane (indusium) is 
 oblong, whitish, with a jagged margin, always sepa- 
 rating at the side towards the mid-vein. The spores, 
 or seeds, are ripe in August and early in September. 
 
 This species is found in the crevices of rocks and on 
 old walls in the south of England. Upon rocks on 
 the north side of the Isle of Jersey, and other parts of 
 the Channel Islands ; about St. Ives and other places 
 in Cornwall ; at Tonbridge Wells and its vicinity ; and 
 in a few places in Oxfordshire, Devon, Gloucestershire, 
 Sussex, Somerset, Carnarvonshire, Denbighshire, Gla- 
 morganshire, Merionethshire, and Pembrokeshire. Mr. 
 Bolton states that he found it on a wall in a village 
 near the river Wharf in Yorkshire, and Link says it 
 occurs near Gilphead, in west Scotland, and in Ireland, 
 but these localities require confirmation. Mr. Sweet, ia 
 his " Bristol Flora," says it occurs there in " Old bury 
 Court Woods, and in lanes about Stapleton. The area 
 of this plant is not more than half-a-mile, occurring on 
 the Old Red-Sandstone." 
 
 Sometimes the outline of the frond becomes almost 
 triangular, the lowest leaflets being the longest, and it 
 is then very much resembling Asplenium adiantum-
 
 40 ASPLENIUM LANCEOLATUM. 
 
 nigrum, so much so, that Mr. Bolton thought it only a 
 variety, but from this species it is always to be distin- 
 guished by the form aud position of the fructification. 
 The first author we find mentioning the Asplenium 
 lanceolatum, is Lyte, in his translation of Dodoen's 
 Herbal, published in 1578, if it is what he there calls 
 Dryopteris Candida, or White Oak Fern ; and if so, 
 Lyte adds " Mathiolus and Ruellius, both men of 
 great knowledge, do call it in Latin, Osmunda. Where- 
 . fore we, considering the property of this herb in tak- 
 ing away hair, do think good to name this herb in our 
 language, Osmund Baldpate, or Pilled Osmund" to 
 pill being an old word for to rob. We are not certain 
 that either Lyte, or Johnson (the editor of Gerarde), or 
 Parkinson, really alluded to this species of Asplenium 
 under the title of Dryopteris Candida, but we bow to 
 the judgment of the late Sir J. E. Smith, who so states 
 in his "English Flora," iv. 298. 
 
 It was not until the second edition of Ray's " Syn x>sis 
 Stirpium Britannicarum " appeared, in 1696, that U is 
 Fern was announced as a native of the British do- 
 minions, for it is there stated that Dr. Sherard had 
 found it " on the rocks on the north side of the Isle of 
 Jersey." In 1724, in the third edition of the same 
 work, its discovery in England was first noticed. " Mr. 
 Bobart having found it in the north porch of the 
 church at Adderbury, in Oxfordshire. Dr. Woodward 
 found it also in England." 
 
 Although an English Fern, it is of a delicate habit, 
 and only grows wild in peculiarly - sheltered, well-
 
 ASPLENIUM LAXCEOLATUM. 41 
 
 drained, yet moist situations. It grows well in a warm 
 greenhouse, shaded from the sun, and kept moderately 
 moist. Its stature is then much increased, and the 
 brightness of its evergreen verdure is intense. The 
 test soil for it is a mixture of peat, limy rubbish, bricks 
 broken as small as filberts, and leaf-mould, in equal 
 proportions; the pot it grows in being filled one-fourth 
 with broken crocks for drainage. It may be propagated 
 by division in April, but every piece separated must 
 have a crown. It will not bear the close, damp air of 
 a Wardian case.
 
 42 ASPLEKIUM MARIXUM. 
 
 ASPLE'NIUM MAEI'NUM. 
 
 IN English this is known now as the Sea Spleenwort, 
 Sea Maidenhair, and Dwarf Sea Fern, but Gerarde, and 
 others of our early herbalists, called it the Female Dwarf 
 Stone Fern. 
 
 Its main root is black, scaly, and tufted, furnished 
 with many intricately interwoven rootlets. From the 
 tuft arise the fronds, which vary in height from three 
 to nine inches. About one-third of the lower part of 
 each stalk is naked, and brownish-purple, crooked at the 
 bottom, and from where the leaflets commence, up to 
 the summit of the stalk, there is a narrow, thick wing, 
 or border, on each side, joining the base of the leaflets 
 to each other. The leaflets are dark green above, but 
 paler underneath, leathery, more or less alternate, very 
 short-stalked, very irregular in form, but where most 
 regular somewhat of an egg-shape, and almost always 
 less than an inch in length, and mostly about half that 
 length ; often lobed on the upper edge at the broadest 
 end, and the margin more or less toothed or cut 
 throughout. They are nearly all of equal length, 
 so that the outline of the frond is strap-like but 
 pointed. T'le mid-vein of each leaflet is prominent, and 
 the side-veins are variously forked. Attaehed to the 
 upper edge of these side veias is the fructification, which, 
 following their direction, slants sideways but upwards. 
 The fructification is on almost every side vein, and 
 spreads, but is never conflueut, nor even crowded. The
 
 ASPI.C'MCM MABI'SUM.
 
 ASPLENIUM MARINUM. 45 
 
 membrane, or cover of the fructification is uninter- 
 rupted, even, of a pale brown, and opens towards the 
 mid-rib of each leaflet. The surface of each capsule of 
 the fructification is curiously netted, and of a chesnut- 
 colour. 
 
 This has been known as one of our native Ferns aa 
 long since as the time of Gerarde, 1597; at least so we 
 conclude, from his saying that it " groweth under 
 shadowy rocks, and craggy mountains in most places." 
 This, however, is giving it too wide a range, and his 
 editor, Johnson, in 1633, confines himself to saying, 
 " It grows in the chinks of the rocks by the sea-side in 
 Cornwall." Ray found it " on the rocks about Prest- 
 holm Island, near Beaumaris, and at Llandwyn, in the 
 Isle of Anglesea ; about the Castle of Hastings, in 
 Sussex, and elsewhere on the rocks of the southern 
 coast." It has also been found on Marsden Bocks, 
 Durham; Isle of Man; Black Rocks on the Cheshire 
 side of the Mersey; near the Dingle, Liverpool; Hulme 
 Stone Quarry, near Warrington ; west coast of Cornwall ; 
 Ormeshead, near Bangor ; Nigg, in Ross-shire ; near 
 Port Patrick, Wigtonshire; Moray; Isle of Staffa ; 
 Fifeshire, Aberdeenshire, and Berwickshire. In Ireland 
 it has been found on the Sutton side of Houth Moun 
 tain, Underwood Killiney Hill, and other places near 
 Derrinane, in Kerry; and frequently on the western, 
 and southern coasts. It has been gathered on the rocks 
 under the Powder House, Shirehampton, near Bristol, 
 where the water is brackish, but Mr. Swete observes 
 that " this can hardly be considered a natural station
 
 46 ASPLENIUM MARINUM. 
 
 of this Fern, it' being seldom found higher up the 
 Bristol Channel than Clevedon." 
 
 Ray, who, like many clergymen of his time, combined 
 the study of Medicine with that of Divinity, is rather 
 strong in the narration of the medicinal qualities of 
 this Fern. He says " It is given in obstructions of 
 the viscera, but especially of the spleen. Its gurnmy 
 extract applied outwardly to burns has afforded relief 
 when all other applications have failed." (Synopsis 
 Methodica Stirpium Britannicarum. 119.) 
 
 We know of no one who has succeeded in cultivating 
 this Fern in the open air. Its roots cling so firmly to 
 the sides of the chinks of the rocks where it grows 
 naturally, that they are scarcely capable of being 
 separated from the rocks undestroyed, and seemingly 
 afford a warning that the soil and situation they prefer 
 must be sedulously provided for them. 
 
 It should be planted in a well-drained pot, in a 
 mixture of equal parts sand, small fragments of 
 brick, and peat, and kept in the most shady part 
 of a greenhouse, where the temperature never fulls 
 below 35. The water employed should have half- 
 an-ounce of common salt dissolved in a gallon ; 
 and this Fern should not be watered over the 
 leaves, though it delights in a moist atmosphere, 
 and, therefore, flourishes under a glass shade. When 
 grown " in a hothouse it will attain a large size, 
 and when the air is kept moist, does not require 
 a glass. In such circumstances, I have seen the 
 fronds eighteen or twenty inches long ; certainly it
 
 ASPLEXIUM MARIKUM. 47 
 
 luxuriates in warmth."* (Sowerby's* Ferns, by Mr. 
 Charles Johnson.) 
 
 Two sligbt varieties of this Fern have been noticed. 
 One has the leaflets much narrower, and more pointed, 
 so as to have a spear-head form, and has been named 
 Asp^nium marinum var. acutum. The other variety 
 was mistaken by Mr. Hudson for the Adiantum tra- 
 peziforme, of Linnaeus, and was called by him Asple- 
 nium trapeziforme, but it is only A. marinum with 
 leaflets more deeply toothed and jagged, than ordinary. 
 It was sent from Scotland by Dr. Alston to Mr. P. 
 Collinson, and was subsequently found in that country 
 in coves of the sea-shore near Wemys, by Mr. Lightfoot. 
 
 * An evidence of its liking warmth is afforded by its being found a 
 native not only of the south of France and Spain, and in northern 
 Africa, the Canaries, and Madeira, but in no other part of Europe.
 
 48 ASPLENIUM KUTA-MURARIA. 
 
 ASPLE'NIUM EU'TA-MUEA'KIA. 
 
 THIS is called ruta-muraria, or Watt Rue, because its 
 young leaves somewhat resemble those of the common 
 Rue, and because, when away from its native mountains 
 it is rarely found growing anywhere but in the mortar 
 on old walls. It is also called White Maidenhair, be- 
 cause its full-grown leaves slightly resemble those of 
 the true Maidenhair Fern, and because they have upon 
 their surface a mealy, or glaucous secretion. It is 
 sometimes called the Rue - leaved Spleenwort, White 
 Spleenwort, and Tentwort. 
 
 The main, cone-shaped tap root is dark brown, scaly, 
 furnished with black wiry rootlets, and tufted. From 
 the tuft arise the fronds, which vary in height from 
 one to four inches. Our cut represents them in both 
 their dwarf and more luxuriant growth. They are 
 most dwarf when growing upon walls, and tallest when 
 found upon the mountains. Leafstalk green, except 
 quite at its base, and there it is dark brown. About 
 one-half of the stalk naked, and the other half clothed 
 with leafits mostly in threes, and two threes together, 
 the middle branch only being alternately leafleted, and 
 that not always. The leafits are stout, deep green, 
 wedge-shaped, or partly rhomboid, stalked, spreading 
 horizontally, or slightly drooping, their end blunt, or 
 rounded, and deeply, irregularly notched. The barren 
 leafits are broader and shorter than those which are 
 fruitful. All have equal-sized veins spreading in a fan
 
 RU'TA-MDRA.'BIA.
 
 A8PLENIUM RUTA-MURARIA. 51 
 
 form, and extending to the notches or teeth. The fruc- 
 tification is in lines on the inner side of the veins, and 
 when ripe is dark brown, but at first covered with a 
 white membrane (indusium), which is soon lost as the 
 fructification spreads, runs together, and finally covers 
 the whole underside of the leafit. The indusium bursts 
 with a jagged edge on the inside; but, as Mr. Charles 
 Johnson observes, this is of small importance in specific 
 distinction unless far more decided than in this instance. 
 
 This Fern sends up its new fronds in May and June, 
 and they retain their verdure all the winter. The fruc- 
 tification is ripe in August. 
 
 It is found in moist, shady clefts of limestone rocks 
 and in the crevices of old walls, abundantly in the 
 midland and southern counties, but more rarely in those 
 of the north and east of England. It is a native, also, 
 of most parts of Europe, and from New York to Carolina, 
 in America. 
 
 It was known to our earliest herbalists as a native of 
 this country. Thus, Gerarde says, " Stone Rue groweth 
 upon old walls near unto waters, wells, and fountains. 
 I found it upon the wall of Dartford Church, in Kent, 
 hard by the river side, where the people ride through ; 
 and also upon the walls of the churchyard of Sitting- 
 bourne, in the same county, in the middle of the town, 
 hard by a great lake of water ; and also upon the 
 church walls of Rayleigh, in Essex; and in divers other 
 places." Matthiolus was the first to call it Ruta muraria, 
 or rather Ruta muralit, and Gerarde names it after him, 
 " Wall Rue, or Rue Maiden-hair," as well as Stone Rue
 
 52 ASPLENIUM BUTA-MURARIA. 
 
 < Jtliers, says Gerarde, call it " Salvia vita (Preserver of 
 Life), but wherefore I know not, neither themselves, if 
 they were living." 
 
 The best mode of raising this Fern, if desired for 
 cultivation, is to collect the spores, or seeds, when ripe 
 in August, and to sow them in a mixture of limey 
 rubbish and leaf-mould, in a pot under a bell-glass, 
 until the seedlings appear. Keeping it moist, and in a 
 shaded part of the greenhouse. The glass must be 
 removed when the seedlings are up. If attempted to be 
 transplanted from a wall, it can very rarely be done 
 successfully, unless the two bricks between which it is 
 growing can be previously removed, so that the roots 
 may be but slightly injured. The best time for thus 
 moving it is just when it begins to grow in April. 
 Plant it in a soil composed of three parts of rubbly 
 limey-rubbish, one part sand, and one part leaf-mould. 
 The pot must be well-drained, be kept constantly 
 slightly moist, and in the shade. It requires a free ex. 
 posure to air, which is the cause of its languishing under 
 a Wardian Case. 
 
 It is not improbable that the way in which the cone 
 like main-root of this Fern tents or probes between the 
 rocks or bricks where it grows, may have given rise to 
 its old name of Tent-wort, which in that case is synony- 
 mous with Probe-wort. Shakspere makes use of this 
 now almost obsolete word in more than one passage. 
 Thus, when Hamlet proposes to have " something like the 
 murder of his father" performed before the king, he says : 
 
 " I'll observe his looks 
 I'll tent him to the quick '
 
 
 \\ 
 
 ASPLE'NIUM SEPTE-'NTBIONA'LE.
 
 ASPLENIUM SEPTENTRIONALE. 55 
 
 ASPLE'NIUM SEPTE'NTRIONA'LE. 
 
 THIS is known to English herbalists by the name of the 
 Forked Spleenwort, a name given to it on account of the 
 form of its fronds. Its specific name, Septentrionale, 
 alludes to its frequenting the northern districts of Great 
 Britain. 
 
 Its root is woody, branched, tufted, and furnished 
 with a mass of crooked, fibrous rootlets. From the 
 tufts arise very numerous fronds, forming dense patches. 
 They vary in height from two to four inches. The 
 stalk, which is naked for about half its length, is wiry, 
 and dark green, except at the base, where it is dark 
 purple. The upper part spreads into one, two, or three 
 forked leaflets, which are narrow, strap-shaped, upright, 
 smooth, and in colour a dull dark green. Each section of 
 the fork has one or more teeth, and the sections are 
 alternate. The upper surface of each leaflet is furrowed, 
 but beneath, at first, they are covered with long white 
 membranes (indusium), originating from the inner edge 
 of the veins, and meeting over the middle. There is no 
 mid-vein, but the veins arise from the base of the leaflet, 
 and run parallel, and divide into as many branches as 
 there are teeth at the end of each section of the leaflet. 
 The fructification is dark brown, and as it increases in 
 size, and runs together, it gradually throws off the mem- 
 brane, and curiously twists the leaflet. The spores are 
 ripe in August. 
 
 It can scarcely be called a rare Fern, for although it
 
 3 ASPLENIUM SEPTENTRIONALE. 
 
 has been found only in the extreme northern and western 
 districts of England, partially in Scotland, and not at all 
 in Ireland, yet wherever it does occur, there it is pretty 
 abundant. 
 
 It occurs in clefts of rocks, on mountains, and on old 
 walls, and has been found at Craig Dhu, and Carnedd 
 Llewelyn, and Snowdon, in Wales; on Ingleborough, in 
 Yorkshire ; at Patterdale and Keswick, and above Am- 
 bleside, in Westmoreland ; on rocks in Edinburgh Park; 
 on Stenton Rock, near Dunkeld ; and on rocks on the 
 southern side of Blackford Hill, near Edinburgh. 
 
 It is not uncommon throughout Europe, but is espe- 
 cially frequent in Germany and Switzerland. 
 
 Gerarde is the earliest of our botanists who notices 
 this Fern, and he mistook it for a Moss, calling it "Muscut 
 corniculatus, Horned or Kuagged Moss." The drawing 
 he published of it, however, shews that it is the same as 
 our Forked Spleenwort. Parkinson recognises it as a 
 Fern, and describes it as the Naked Stone Fern (Fdix 
 saxatilis Tragi). Ray writes of it under the same Latin 
 name, but also calls it Horned or Forked Maidenhair. 
 
 It may be cultivated as we have directed for the 
 Asplenium ruta-muraria ; but Mr. Charles Johnson is 
 quite right in stating that "it is less adapted for expo- 
 sure in the open Fernery, at least in the eastern parts of 
 England, the evergreen fronds being liable to suffer 
 from frost, and especially during the dry, piercing winds 
 of Spring. It will, however, live and flourish when 
 planted in a sheltered cavity better than under confine- 
 ment If potted, a cold, close frame, where it may be
 
 ASPLENIUM SEPTENTRTOJTALE. 57 
 
 kept with Asplenium marinum, A. fontanum, and such 
 others, sheltered alike from the sun and cold, will 
 answer for its culture better than the greenhouse, bearing 
 in mind that the absence of all superfluous moisture 
 must be strictly secured, and that the fronds of larger 
 Ferns must not be allowed to spread over it." The 
 tufted crown of the root should be raised well above 
 the surface of the soil, which soil may be the same as 
 for A. ruta-muraria.
 
 58 ASPLEMTJM TRICHOMANES. 
 
 , ASPLE'NIUM TRICHO'MANES. 
 
 THIS is the Common Maidenhair Spleenwort, Common 
 Wall Spleenwort, English Maidenhair, and English 
 Slack Maidenhair of our native herbalists. 
 
 The main body of the root is short, thick, dark pur- 
 plish-chesnut, tufted, and furnished with many wiry 
 rootlets of the same colour. From the tuft of the root 
 arise many evergreen fronds, usually erect, but often 
 spreading. They vary in length from two to twelve 
 inches, and are simply a stalk clothed from the very 
 bottom to the top with leafits. The stalk is smooth, 
 very stiff, purplish-brown, and channelled in front. 
 The leafits are very dark green, numerous, nearly stalk 
 less, more or less alternate, about a quarter-of-an-inch 
 long, gradually diminishing in size towards the top and 
 bottom of the frond, oval but blunt at the upper end, 
 and partially and irregularly scolloped at the upper 
 edge. Fructification in six or eight masses, oblong, 
 parallel to each other, but attached to the lateral veins 
 passing obliquely from the mid-vein. The lateral veins 
 divide into two, and sometimes three branches ; the 
 upper branch bearing the fructification. The membrane, 
 or indusium, which covers the fructification, is whitish, 
 and it separates with a wavy edge from the oblique 
 vein to which it was attached, and then exposes the 
 capsules of sori, which are dark buff, or brown, and 
 soon run together, or, as it i technically termed, 
 become confluent.
 
 TRICHO'MANES.
 
 ASPLBNIUM TRICHOMANES. 61 
 
 There are three varied forms of this Ferri. One, 
 called incisum (cut), has the edges of each leafit deeply 
 and irregularly cut, so as to resemble the leaf of some 
 of the Cratseguses. Another form has the leafits so 
 crowded together, that they overlap each other like the 
 tiles of a house-roof ; and in the third form, sometimes 
 called monstrosum (deformed), the end of the frond is 
 branched, or forked. This last variety was found by 
 Mr. D. Dick, at St. Mary's Isle, Kircudbright, and by 
 Mr. J. R. Kinahan, at Quin Abbey, Clare 
 
 This Fern is found in all parts of the British Islands, 
 on the shady sides of rocks, old walls, and hedge-banks. 
 In the situation last named it attains the greatest 
 height. It is not confined, however, to our country, nor 
 even to Europe, for it is found in various parts of Asia, 
 Jamaica, and North America. 
 
 It was known as one of our native plants to the 
 earliest of our herbalists, for in " The seconde parte of 
 William Turner's herball," published in 1568, he calls 
 it " English Mayderis heare," and the woodcut leaves no 
 doubt that it was our Asplenium trichomanes. He says 
 "the juice stayeth the heare that falleth of, and if 
 they be fallen off, it restoreth them agayne." Many 
 other of our old medical writers speak of this Fern as 
 that from which Capittaire is made, and there is little 
 doubt but that it would impart as much virtue to that 
 compound as does the Adiantum capillus veneris, or True 
 Maidenhair, of which it ought to be made. It has, 
 however, still some local reputation, the Highland 
 dames of Scotland often forming from it a tea which
 
 62 ASPLENIUM TRICHOMANES. 
 
 they administer to those who are afflicted with coughs 
 or colds. 
 
 Gerarde is the first writer who mentions any place in 
 England where it was native. He says " I round it 
 growing in a shadowy, sandy lane in Betsome, in the 
 parish of Southfleet, in Kent. It groweth, likewise 
 upon stone-walls at Her Majesty's (Queen Elizabeth's,) 
 Palace of Richmond, and on most stone-walls of tne 
 west and north parts of England." 
 
 It will grow freely on the shady side of rockwork in 
 the open air, but the soil must be composed only of 
 sandy peat, old mortar, and fragments of brick in equal 
 proportions. It can be grown in a Wardian Case, and 
 in a greenhouse, but requires the same soil, perfect 
 drainage, and a frequent change of air. 
 
 The best time for transplanting this Fern is in April. 
 Those growing on a hedge-bank should be preferred for 
 transplanting, because, unless the bricks can be taken 
 with, them, those growing on walls can scarcely be 
 moved without a fatal injury to the roots. Those 
 growing in the fissures of rocks are moved with quite as 
 much difficulty and uncertainty of success as those on 
 walls. Young plants should be preferred before old ones 
 for removal. They should have a bell-glass turned over 
 them for a few days after their transplanting. Plants 
 already in cultivation may be propagated by division 
 also in April. In dividing the tuft, a crown must be 
 preserved to each division. 
 
 We have never raised it from seed, but we have no 
 doubt that spores collected when ripe in August, and
 
 ASPLENIUM TBICHOMANES. 63 
 
 sown upon the surface of the soil, such as we have 
 directed for the growth of the plants, covered with a 
 bell-glass, and placed in a shady part of a greenhouse, 
 or of a cold frame, would give birth to seedlings.
 
 64 ASPLKXIUM VIR1DB. 
 
 - ASPLE'NIUM VI'RIDE. ;'.;.- 
 
 THIS is called, in English, the Green Spleenwort, Green- 
 ribbed Spleenwort, and Green Maidenhair Spleenwort, 
 and, indeed, it is its greenness, lighter and brighter in 
 the leafits, and entirely so in the stalk, which chiefly 
 distinguishes it from Asplenium trichomanes. 
 
 The main root is dark chesnut-coloured, and some 
 what more carrot-shaped than that of A. trichomanes , 
 the fibrous roots are also less numerous than in that 
 species. The top of the root is tufted, and from the 
 tuft arise the fronds. Of these the stalks are rather 
 more upright, and more free from leafits at the bottom 
 than in A. trichomanes; this bottom part is dark 
 chesnut-coloured, but the whole of the upper part is 
 green, and this is the chief permanent character dis- 
 tinguishing it from A. trichomanes, The stalk is smooth, 
 the lower third without leafits, and the whole varying 
 between about three and ten inches in height. The 
 greater stature being found in specimens growing in 
 moist, sheltered situations. The end of the frond is 
 sometimes divided into two or three branches. The 
 leafits vary much in form, being mostly rbomboidal, but 
 sometimes egg-shaped, and at others spear-head shaped, 
 usually tapering towards their sta'k, which is very short 
 and slender, not always alternate, and not so close 
 together, nor blunt-ended, as in A. trichomanes, but 
 their upper edges are much more scolloped than in that 
 species. The mid-vein produces side-veins, usually
 
 ASPLE'NIUH
 
 ASPLENIUM VIRIDE. 67 
 
 alternate, which are mostly, but not always, forked, and 
 their ends rarely extend to the edge of the leafit. The 
 fructification is from two to six masses on each leant, 
 more yellowish-brown than in A. trichomanes, and more 
 in the middle of the leafit than in that species, and 
 though they finally usually run together and cover the 
 back of the leafit, yet they never reach its edge, but leave 
 a regular border of the leant round the ripe fructifica- 
 tion. At first the fructification- is covered with a narrow 
 membrane ; but this is thrown off as the seeds (spores) 
 ripen, which occurs about the end of August. 
 
 The frond branching at the end is not permanent 
 even in the same plant, yet some botanists have 
 distinguished it as a variety. It is the Asplenium 
 trichomanes ramosum of Linnsaus, and the Trichomanes 
 ramosus of Bauhin and some others. 
 
 It will be seen from the above description that the 
 species very closely resembles A. triehomanes, though, 
 as observed by Mr. Francis, it is immediately dis- 
 tinguished from it by the lighter colour of all its parts, 
 and especially the greenness of the stalk, its less- 
 spreading fructification, differently shaped and more 
 alternate leafits, which leafits on the lower part of the 
 frond are generally wide apart, whilst the leafits near 
 its top are more crowded, and the whole plant is much 
 more delicate and graceful. T- (Analysis of British 
 Ferns. 52.) 
 
 It is found on moist rocks and old walls in some of 
 our mountain districts. In England, not further south 
 than Derbyshire ; but it has been gathered in Northum-
 
 68 ASPLENIUM VIRIDE. 
 
 berland; between Widdy Bank and Caldron Snout in 
 Durham ; on Mazebeck Scars in Westmorland ; at 
 Gordale, Ais-la-beck, Eicbmond, Settle, near Halifax, and 
 at Black Bank, near Leeds, in Yorkshire. In Wales, 
 on Cader Idris, Crib y Ddeseil, Clogivyn, and Snowdon. 
 In Scotland, in Boss- shire, in Cawdor Woods, near 
 Nairn, at the foot of Benmore, Sutherlandshire, and all 
 over the Highlands. In Ireland, on Turk Mountain, 
 Killarney; Ben Bulben, Sligo; and near Lough Eske on 
 the Donegal Mountains. The branched sub-variety was 
 found, by Mr. Plukenet, on a stone wall in Mr. Owen's 
 garden, at Maidstone, in Kent, but we think this must 
 have been introduced there. 
 
 Another sub-variety has been found with its leafits 
 deeply lobed and cut. 
 
 It scarcely can be doubted that the old botanists and 
 herbalists confounded this species with A. triehomanes, 
 and we should not have been aware that they had 
 noticed it at all, if Gerard, Bauhin, Bay, and others, 
 had not mentioned the branched-fronded sub-variety, 
 which Gerard called Triehomanes fcemina, whilst Eay 
 and others described it as T. ramosum, The first 
 botanist recognising it as a distinct species was Cordus, 
 who, in 1561, published it in his " Historia Stirpium," 
 under the title of Adiantum album, though he gives 
 the same woodcut of it as he does for Triehomanes. 
 The first to name it Asplenium viride, we believe, 
 was Hudson, in his " Flora Anglica," published during 
 1762. 
 
 It is usually removed with much difficulty from its
 
 ASPLENIUM VIRIDE. 69 
 
 native places, but we have succeeded in cultivating it 
 by adopting the same precautions as we have directed 
 for A. trichomanes. It requires, even more than does 
 that species, attention to avoid stagnant air and stagnant 
 water.
 
 ATHYRIUM F1LIX FCEMINA. 
 
 ^ATHY'EIUM FI'LIX FCE'MINA. 
 
 THIS most graceful of all the British Ferns, on that 
 account, well deserves its popular name of TJie Lady 
 Fern. It is also known as the Female Shield Fern, 
 Female Polypody, and Drooping Lady Fern. 
 
 Its root is large, brown, and tufted, often becoming, 
 in old plants, very large and stem-like, but even then 
 lying upon the surface of the soil. The fronds are re- 
 markably lightly formed, plume-like, and graceful, rising 
 in considerable numbers from the tuft, and forming a 
 strikingly beautiful group. They vary in height from 
 nine to eighteen inches; but whatever the height 
 (which is greatest in moist, shady, sheltered situations), 
 about one-third of the lowest part of the stem is without 
 leaflets, but swollen at the base, which is also usually 
 covered with long scales. The general outline of the 
 frond is narrow spear-head-shaped. The leaflets vary 
 much in their arrangement, being usually alternate, but, 
 sometimes, opposite, and, sometimes, far apart, but in 
 other instances very close together. They vary in num 
 ber from twenty to forty pairs, are narrow spear- head" 
 shaped, very gradually tapering to a single leant, lower 
 ones and upper ones often bending back, or drooping. 
 The leafits very numerous, linear-oblong, or broad spear- 
 head-shaped, sharp-pointed, lobed, and deeply-toothed, 
 the lower lobes the largest. The veining very distinct, 
 mid-rib, or vein, waved. Fructification on the upper 
 edge of side veins in segment-of-circle, or kidney-shaped
 
 ATHY'BICM FI'I.IX FCE'MINA.
 
 ATHYBIUM FILIX FCEMINA. 73 
 
 masses, becoming, finally, nearly routd, but never 
 running together; cover, or indusium, white, at first 
 oblong with a broad base, afterwards kidney-shaped, 
 but not swollen ; it opens towards the mid-rib, the edge 
 of its opening side being finely jagged. The seeds (sori) 
 are numerous and brown. 
 
 No Fern native of the British Isles is so variable in 
 its forms as this, and Mr. Charles Johnson justly 
 remarks: 
 
 " Such differences have afforded a wide scope for specula- 
 tive botanists to indulge their fancies in the multiplication of 
 species and varieties, and were the wishes and advice of all 
 my kind correspondents to be attended to in regard to the 
 latter, I might exhaust the Greek alphabet from alpha to 
 omega in prefixes. The claim advanced on behalf of a few 
 of the varieties to rank as species, should be very cautiously 
 examined before its admission; those who recommend or 
 incline to their adoption would do well to bear in mind the 
 plasticity of vegetable nature, and the very uncertain tenure 
 of specific distinction in the aggregate, not in this class only, 
 bat in groups far higher in grade, and in which features of 
 more determinate character can be arraigned in evidence of 
 supposed dissimilarity. The three principal forms, includ- 
 ing the normal one, that are considered best entitled to the 
 rank in question, are thus characterized : 
 
 " 1. incisum. Fronds more or less drooping, broadly lan- 
 ceolate : pinna (leaflets) distant: pinnules (leafits) lan- 
 ceolate, distinct, flat, pinnatifid with toothed lobes. Sori 
 distinct. A. Filix-fcemina, Roth. 
 
 " 2. molle. Fronds nearly erect, lax, lanceolate : pinnae ap- 
 proximate : pinnules oblong, connected by the wing of the 
 midrib, flat, toothed. Sori distinct. A. molle, Roth. 
 
 " 3. convexum. Fronds nearly erect, rigid, narrow-Ian ceo-
 
 74 ATHYRIUM FILIX FCEMINA. 
 
 late : pinnae distant, convex : pinnules distant, linear, toothed 
 or pinnatifid, convex, with deflexed margins. Son short, 
 numerous, eventually confluent. A. rhaticum, Roth. Mnore, 
 Hanb. 186. Aspidium irriguum ? Smith. E. B. 2199. 
 This is, unquestionably, the most decided charactered of all 
 the forms, and less positively associated with them by inter- 
 mediates. 
 
 " Besides the numerous slight variations in habit, and in 
 the outline and division of the frond, several remarkable 
 monstrosities are met with in cultivation ; of these the 
 variety crispum is the most common, and its dwarf, clustered, 
 and much-divided fronds resemble a tuft of curled parsley 
 a figure of one of the fronds is given by Mr. Moore, Handb. 
 142. It was originally found by Mr. A. Smith, on Orah 
 Hill, Antrim, Ireland, and since by Sir W. C. Trevelyan, in 
 Braemar, Scotland. Another Irish variety, still more pecu- 
 liar, is given by Mr. Newman, Hist. Brit. Ferns, 21 8." 
 
 It is not at all uncommon in the southern and mid- 
 land counties of England, and is still more abundant 
 in Ireland ; indeed, so abundant upon its bogs as to be 
 used as the common Brake Fern is in England, for 
 packing fruit and fish. Except in particular localities, 
 it is more rare in the northern parts of Wales, England, 
 and Scotland. 
 
 Sir Walter Scott correctly described the situation it 
 most delights in when he said 
 
 Where the copse wood is the greenest, 
 Where the fountain glistens sheenest, 
 Where the morning dew liest longest, 
 There The Lady Fern grows strongest, 
 
 It is found in many other parts of Europe and 
 North America.
 
 ATHYRIOM PILIX FCEMINA. 75 
 
 The Lady Fern is first mentioned as a British plant 
 by Johnson, in his edition of Gerard's " Herbal," and 
 we have the very rare pleasure of knowing not only the 
 year but the day of its discovery. " Never," says 
 Johnson, " have I seen any figure resembling this 
 plant. It groweth abundantly on the shadowy, moist 
 rocks by Mapledurham, near Petersfield, in Hampshire 
 John Goodyer. July 4, 1633." It was known, however, 
 both to Gerard and Bauhin, as a species of Filix mas, 
 and the editor of Ray's " Synopsis " of British Plants, 
 as late as 1724, describes it as " The Male Fern with 
 thin-set, deeply indented leaves." 
 
 Modern botanists have not been unanimous about this 
 Fern's characteristics, hence we find it m their volumes, 
 not only as an Athyrium, but as an Aspidium, Polypo- 
 dium, and Asplenium 
 
 April is the best season for propagating, either by 
 transplanting, or by division of established plants. It 
 is one of the easiest cultivated of all the British Ferns. 
 
 "When placed about rock work, it should occupy a low 
 boggy situation at the base of the rock, being planted 
 amongst turfy soil, kept thoroughly moistened, either 
 naturally or artificially. It is far less beautiful if planted in 
 dry exposed situations. Few hardy plants which can be 
 introduced among rock work are so thoroughly lovely as a 
 vigorous Lady Fern, placed just within the mouth of a 
 cavernous recess, large enough to admit of its development, 
 and just open enough that the light of day may gleam 
 across the dark back-ground sufficient to reveal the droop- 
 ing feathery fronds ; and, what is more, it will delight to 
 grow in such a situation, if freely supplied with moisture to
 
 76 ATIIYRIUM FILIX FffiMINA. 
 
 its roots. In woodland walks, or on the shady margin of 
 ornamental water, no fern can be more appropriately intro- 
 duced. When grown in a pot, it requires one of rather a 
 large size, and should be planted in turfy soil, intermixed 
 with fragments of charcoal, sandstone, or potsherds. To 
 attain anything like a fair degree of its lady-like graceful- 
 ness, this fern must under all circumstances be well sup- 
 plied with water." Moore's British Ferns.

 
 BLECHNUM BOREALE. 79 
 
 /'' BLE'CHNUM BOREA'LE. 
 
 THE English names by which this Fern is known are 
 Rough Spleenwort, Northern Hard Fern, Rough Milt- 
 waste, and Great or Wild Spleenwort. Its main root is 
 black, scaly, tufted, and furnished with numerous stout 
 rootlets. The fronds have a smooth and polished stalk 
 but the leafless portion at the bottom is purple, shaggy 
 and scaly. They are numerous, narrow-spear-head- 
 shaped, tapering to a point at each end. The barren 
 fronds, from eight to twelve inches high, are outermost 
 evergreen, and become prostrate. They have nume- 
 rous, close, parallel, spear-head-shaped, entire, single- 
 ribbed leaflets, rather blunt, but with a minute point. 
 The fertile fronds, always erect, and from twelve to 
 twenty-four inches high, are surrounded by the barren 
 fronds, and are not so numerous, but are taller, and 
 their leaflets are much narrower, more pointed, more 
 spread out at their base, and more distant from each other 
 than those on the barren fronds. Their edges are re- 
 curved. The stalk mostly purple. The fructification is 
 in a narrow line on each side of the mid-rib of each 
 leaflet, and between two side veins which run slantingly 
 upwards about half way to the edge of the leaflet, turn 
 abruptly, and then run parallel with the mid-rib. The 
 cover (indusium) is a whitish membrane, separating at 
 the side next the rib, and exposing the very numerous 
 crowded brown spores, each bound with a jointed ring. 
 These are ripe about the end of August. All the
 
 80 BLECHNUM BOREALE. 
 
 fronds are dark green. Sometimes a frond is partly 
 fertile and partly barren. 
 
 Varieties of this Fern occasionally occur. In one, the 
 leafllets are shortened, and assume the form of scollops 
 with an irregularly toothed edge. In another variety 
 the end of the frond is forked. 
 
 It is easily cultivated if moved from its native place 
 early in April, with abundance of soil about the roots, 
 so that these are disturbed but little, and if it is 
 planted in some well-drained place, as rockwork, where 
 it is shaded from much sun, and supplied regularly and 
 abundantly with moisture. The soil for it is best com- 
 posed of one part peat, one part leaf-mould, and two 
 parts stiffish loam well mixed together. We have not 
 found it thrive either in a Wardian case or in a green- 
 house; but a writer in THE COTTAGJE GARDENER, 
 vol. xv., p. 261 , says, " Having grown it to a great 
 extent, I can say, confidently, that it will grow, and 
 that, too, most luxuriantly, in a greenhouse. I have 
 had plants of it in twenty-four sized pots, throw out 
 eight-and-thirty fronds, fourteen of which were fertile; 
 and it was that, and a fine plant of Scolopendrium, 
 undulatum, that attracted the notice of most visitors, 
 for they were really noble plants. I have also grown 
 each of these very successfully in a stove temperature, 
 and also many other hardy Ferns." 
 
 It is found wild in various soils and places in open 
 healthy grounds, as well as in moist shady hedges. ' 
 
 It has been found in St. Faith's Newton woods near 
 Norwich; at Hainsford in Norfolk; in lanes about
 
 BLECHNUM BORE ALE. 81 
 
 Actcm Park, near Birmingham ; at the bottom of the 
 thicket in the vale of Dudecombe, near Paiuswick ; 
 abundantly on Hampstead Heath ; in lanes about 
 Bromsgrove Lickey, Worcestershire ; at Trossacks, 
 Loch Katrine ; iii Anglesea ; in various parts of Hert- 
 fordshire, and of the northern counties. Mr. Francis 
 says that it is spread throughout England and Scot- 
 land, and in Ireland, especially ia the counties of 
 Wicklow and Clare. It ascends to 700 feet above the 
 sea's level in Cumberland, to 800 in Forfarshire, and 
 much higher in the Cairngorum Mountains in Aber- 
 deenshire, where it probably attains to elevations of 
 1,200 or 1,300 feet. 
 
 It ia of common occurrence in Denmark, Sweden, 
 Norway, North-west America, and even in the Canary 
 Islands, and at the Cape of Good Hope. 
 
 The first author who mentions this as a native of 
 Great Britain is Gerarde, who says it " groweth in most 
 parts of England, but especially on a heath by London, 
 called Hampstead Heath, where it groweth in great 
 abundance." In his " Herbal " as well as in Parkin- 
 son's, there is a very good wood-cut of this Fern. The 
 last-named author says, " this is called Fox Fern in 
 many places of this land." Dodoens, and all the other 
 herbalists we have named, state that it "is very good 
 against the hardness, stoppings, and swellings of the 
 Spleen or Melt" and it is to this opinion that the Spleen- 
 worts, or Meltwastes, owe their generic name. 
 
 By more modern botanists it has been wildly named 
 Osmunda spicant, Bleclmum spicant, Lomaria spicant.
 
 82 BLECHNUM BOKEALE. 
 
 Asplenium spicant, and Acrostichum spioant. Spicant is 
 its name in the German language, in which it was first 
 named in modern times. It is curious that Linnaeus, in 
 total neglect of his own characteristics of the two genera 
 Osmunda and Blechnum, placed this Fern in the genus 
 first-named. This mistake was first pointed out by 
 Haller, but it was not until 1793, in the " Memoirs of 
 the Turin Royal Academy of Sciences," that this Fern 
 was correctly placed among the Blechnuma.
 
 BOTRY'CHIUM LUNA'RIA.
 
 
 rfOTRYCHIUM LUNARIA. 85 
 
 BOTKY'CHIUM LUNA'RIA. J V 
 
 THIS is known as Common Moonwort, Stnatt Lunary 
 and Moonwort. 
 
 Its root is composed of a slender tap-root, from which 
 issue numerous simple, cylindrical, yellowish fibres, like 
 those of a Hyacinth, and proceeding in a whorl, or 
 circle, from the tap-root, but spreading horizontally in 
 the soil. Stem simple, cylindrical, pale green, erect, 
 nine inches high, with a few large, brown, sheathing 
 scales at the bottom. It has only one leaf springing 
 from about the middle of the stem, which leaf has five 
 or six pairs of fan-shaped, pale milky-green, short- 
 stalked leaflets, and a terminal leaflet of the same form. 
 Each lea/let is scolloped, or toothed, on the edge, and. 
 usually, more or less lobed. The stem ends in a doubly- 
 compound spike of small, round, light brown capsules. 
 These are nearly stalkless, and are arranged somewhat 
 over-lapping each other on one flat side of the stalk, or 
 receptacle. Spores oval, smooth, and, usually, jointeo 
 together in pairs. 
 
 There are three varieties, viz : 1. with several stalks 
 and leaves ; 2. with leaves much more cut and jagged 
 than usual ; and 3. with the leaflets divided into 
 leafits. 
 
 Its usual birth-places are mountain meadows and 
 pastures. It is not common, though found in various 
 parts of England, Ireland, and Scotland. It has been 
 collected in Westmorland ; at Mear Bank, by Sykes
 
 86 BOTRYCHIUM LUNARIA. 
 
 Wood, Ingleton, and at Settle, in Yorkshire; Scadbury 
 Park, and Chisselhurst Common, Kent ; on the north 
 side of Bredon Hill, in Worcestershire ; at Shirehamptou, 
 and on Kiugs-Weston-Hill, near Bristol ; near Bury, 
 in Suffolk ; on Stratton Heath, in Norfolk ; on coal-pit 
 banks, near Stourbridge ; at Bootle, near Liverpool ; 
 on the sea-coast between South Shields and Sunderland; 
 on Oversley Hill, near Alcester ; and near Alaw and 
 Aberffraw rivers, in Anglesea. In Scotland, on Ard- 
 garth Hill, to the north of Linlithgow ; near Dun- 
 donalds, two miles from Little Loch Broom, on the west 
 coast of Koss-shire, and in the Isle of Skye. In 
 Ireland, on the rising ground of a meadow, about two 
 hundred yards north or tne second lock of Lagan 
 Canal. 
 
 The first English botanist who mentions this Fern 
 is Turner, who, in the third part of his "Herbal," 
 published in 1568, gives a very good woodcut of the 
 plant, and, after its description, adds, " it may be called 
 wel in Englishe Cluster Lunarye, or Cluster Moonwort." 
 Gerard, writing a few years subsequently, mentions 
 many places where it had been found ill England, and 
 after describing its appearance, and stating its various 
 appellations, proceeds to observe, that " Small Moon- 
 wort is singular to heal green and fresh wounds. It 
 hath been used among the alchymists and witches to do 
 wonders withall, who say that it will loose locks, and 
 make them to fall from the ieet of horses that graze 
 where it doth grow, and hath been called of them 
 Martagon, whereas, in truth, they are all but drowsy
 
 BOTRYCHIDM LUNABIA. 87 
 
 dreams and illusions ; but it is singular for wounds, as 
 aforesaid." 
 
 Bauhiu, in his Historia Plantarum, gives a copious 
 account of this Fern, with three very good delineations 
 of it and it varieties. He says the alchymists employed 
 its juice for fixing Mercury. 
 
 Coles, in his Adam in Eden, p. 561, tells us; " It is 
 said, yea, and believed by many, that moontcort will 
 open the locks wherewith dwelling-houses are made fast, 
 if it be put in the key-hole ; as also that it will loosen 
 the locks, fetters, and shoes from those horses' feet that 
 goe on the places where it groweth ; and of this opinion 
 was Master Gulpeper, who, though be railed against 
 superstition in others, yet had enough of it himselfe, as 
 may appear by his story of the Earl of Essex his horses, 
 which being drawn up in a body, many of them lost 
 their shoes upon White Dowue ,in Devonshire, near 
 Tiverton, because moonwort grows upon heaths." Turner, 
 in his British Physician, 8vo. Lond. 1687, p. 209, is 
 confident that though moonwort " be the moon's herb, 
 yet it is neither smith, farrier, nor picklock." Withers, 
 in allusion to the supposed virtues of the moonwort, in 
 the introduction to his Abuses Stript and Whipt, 1622, 
 says: 
 
 " There is an herb, some say, whose vertue's such 
 It in the pasture, only with a touch,' 
 Unshooes the new-shod steed." 
 
 To induce it to grow in a Fern garden it should be 
 moved with a square foot of the turf in which it is 
 growing, and as much of depth of the soil undisturbed,
 
 88 BOTRTCHIUM LTJNARIA. 
 
 and planted upon an open, unshaded, well-drained 
 situation. It requires a soil light, and mixed with a 
 little peat. It likes to have its roots covered with turf, 
 but even the grass must not overshadow it. We never 
 succeeded well in its culture.
 
 CE'TERACH OFFICINA'BUM.
 
 CETERACH OFFIC1NAKUM. 91 
 
 /" CETERACH OFFICINA'RUM. 
 
 THIS bears the various English names of Scaly Spleen- 
 wort, Rough Spleenwort, Scale Fern, Scaly Hart's 
 Tongue, and Miltwaste. 
 
 The root is fibrous, black, tufted, and scaly at the 
 crown, penetrating deeply into the old mortar of the 
 walls, and into the clefts of the limestone rocks, on 
 which it delights to grow. The fronds are evergreen, 
 numerous, tufted, and spreading; varying in height 
 from three to eight inches ; oblong, bluntish , deeply 
 and bluntly indented at the edges, the indentations 
 being alternate ; the margin of the leaf smooth. When 
 growing in sheltered, shady situations, the indentations 
 often are so deep as almost to render the fronds leafleted. 
 Their upper surface is smooth ; in colour deep green, 
 but slightly milky, or glaucous ; the upper surface of 
 the mid-rib is scaly. The under side of the fronds is 
 entirely covered thickly with pointed, saw-edged, brown 
 scales, lapping over one another. Before the fronds are 
 expanded these scales are white and silvery. The stalk 
 of each frond is about one-fifth of its length, dark- 
 coloured, and covered with pointed, brown scales. If 
 the scales are removed from the under surface of the 
 fronds, the fronds will be found to have alternate 
 lateral veins uniting at their points near the edge of 
 the frond. The seed, or sori, are in oblong narrow 
 masses attached, except the lowest mass, to the upper 
 side of the principal branches of the veins. The covers
 
 92 CETERACH OFFICINARUM. 
 
 (indusium) of the sori are one on each side of each 
 mass, membranous, continuous, quite distinct from the 
 scales. 
 
 In England it has been found near Lancaster ; 
 abundantly about Settle, in Yorkshire ; on limestone 
 rocks, in Lath-hill-dale, and in Dovedale, Derbyshire; 
 on walls about the quarries at Ludlow, Shropshire ; on 
 an old wall near Cowley, in Oxfordshire ; on a wall at 
 Tocknells, near Painswick, in Gloucestershire ; at 
 Martock, in Somerset ; at Stapleton Quarries, near 
 Bristol ; at Cheddar, Malvern Abbey, and Bath ; on the 
 tower of Old Alresford Church, Hants; on walls on the 
 east and north-east side of Winchester; at Topsham, 
 and other places, in Devon ; at Bury, in Suffolk ; 
 Heydon, in Norfolk ; and Asheridge, in Hertfordshire. 
 In Wales, in Denbighshire ; on the walls of a ruin at 
 Treborth, near Bangor. In Ireland, on the ruins of 
 Saggard Church ; on walls near Cork, and Kilkenny ; 
 on Cave-hill ; and at Headford, in Galway. In Scot- 
 land, it has been found near Drumlanrig, in Dumiries- 
 shire; on the ruins of Tona; at Drumlanrig Castle; 
 and at Kinoul Hill, near Perth. (Cottage Gardener, 
 xv. 398.) 
 
 We have never attempted to cultivate this Fern, and 
 must borrow from Mr. Charles Johnson the following 
 remarks upon the subject : 
 
 " It is not at all easy to cultivate this fern Successfully : 
 it is too impatient of confinement to live long in a green- 
 house ; and the cold frame, so useful for the protection of 
 other half-hardy species, is almost certain death to this
 
 CETEBACH OFFICINARUM. 93 
 
 The metropolitan cultivator is told that London air disagrees 
 with it, and yet the only plant of it I possessed in my early 
 career, lived in a nook of an old wall, in a back area in 
 Hatton Garden, for several years, and may be there still, 
 unless eradicated by repair; sun never reached it, and 
 ancient mortar, which, constantly moist, had somewhat the 
 consistence of paste, probably agreed with its constitution ; 
 a very necessary point to be studied in planting, as when 
 left to its own selection, or in the wild state, it seems 
 universally to prefer a calcareous habitat. "Whether planted 
 in the open fernery, or grown in pots, great care must be 
 exercised as to drainage, and in the latter case especially to 
 avoid wetting the fronds in watering." 
 
 The first writer who describes it as an English plant 
 is Turner. In the first part of his " Herbal," published 
 in 1551, he says, " it groweth muche in Germanye, in 
 old moiste walles, and in rockes; it groweth also in 
 England about Bristowe (Bristol)." He adds, " I have 
 heard no English name of this herbe, but it maye well 
 be called in English Ceteracke, or Miltwaste, cr Finger 
 Ferae, because it is no longer than a manue's finger, 
 or Scale Ferae, because it is all full of scales on the 
 innersyde. It hath leaves lyke in figure unto Scolo- 
 pendra, the beste, which also called Centipes, is not 
 unlike a great and rough palmer's worme." 
 
 There is no doubt that it is the Asplenium mentioned 
 by Dioscorides and others of the old Greek writers, who 
 attributed to it a marvellous influence over the spleen ; 
 so marvellous that Vitruvius tells us it destroyed that 
 organ in the Cretan swine which fed upon it. This 
 opinion of the " Miltwasting " power of this Fern lasted
 
 94 CETERACH OFFICINARUM. 
 
 until the time of Elizabeth ; for Gerarde, then writing, 
 says, " There be Empericks or blinde practitioners of 
 this age, who teach, that with this herbe not only the 
 hardnesse and swelling of the Spleene, but all infirmities 
 of the liver also may be effectually, and in very short 
 time removed, insomuch that the sodden liver of a beast 
 is restored to his former constitution agaiue, that is, 
 made like unto a raf Jirer, if it bee boyled ngatue with 
 .his herbe. 
 
 " But this is to be reckoned among the old wives fables, 
 and that also which Dioscorides telleth of, touching 
 the gathering of Spleenewoort in the night, and other 
 most vaine things, which are found here and there 
 scattered in old books : from which most of the later 
 writers do not abstaine, who many times fill up their 
 pages with lies and frivolous toies, and by so doing do 
 not a little deceive young students." 
 
 Although neglected as a medicinal herb, it is still of 
 some commercial value, being used as a bait for rock- 
 cod fishing on the coast of Wales. The Rev. Hugh 
 Davies says, it was becoming very scarce about Holy- 
 head owing to its consumption for that purpose. 
 
 This and some other Ferns are extremely retentive of 
 life, of which we have this testimony from Dr. Daubeny, 
 Professor of Agriculture, at Oxford. 
 
 " I have a specimen of Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense 
 which has been preserved in a bottle, corked and 
 sealed over, for more than three years, and which, even 
 now, judging from its appearance, would seem to be 
 living. For tht- first two years it looked as fresh as
 
 CETERACH OFFICINARUM. 95 
 
 when first introduced; and although some of the 
 fronds have now become black and shrunk, many are 
 still fresh and expanded. 
 
 " On communicating this circumstance to a corres- 
 pondent, I received the following statement, which may 
 be worth recording as an example of tenacity of life 
 among Ferns, in common with their allies the mosses; 
 A lady in Ireland found among her dried specimens one 
 of the Grammitis Ceterach, which had been above two 
 years in a port-folio in a very dry, warm room, and after 
 planting it in a pot and covering it close, she had the 
 satisfaction to see it come again to life. Afterwards a 
 fresh young frond came up, which continued to flourish 
 at the time this information was given, and all the old 
 ones have now withered away." 
 
 Dr. Daubeny, it will be seen, calls the Ceterach 
 officinarum by another name, Grammitis Ceterach. It 
 is so called by some botanists, whilst by others it is 
 known as Scolopendrium Ceterach, Asplenium Ceterach, 
 Notolepeum Ceterach, and Gymnopteris Ceterach.
 
 96 CYSTOPTERIS ALPINA. 
 
 '/ CYSTOTTEPJS ALPI'NA. 
 
 THIS very pretty Fern has been variously named. 
 Linnaeus and others called it Polypodium regium; some 
 entitled it Aspidium regium ; and by a third group of 
 Botanists it is described under the title of Cyathea regia. 
 In English it is called Alpine Bladder-Fern, Laciniated 
 Bladder-Fern, and Three-cleft Polypody. The name of 
 Bladder-Fern was bestowed upon the genus because the 
 indusium or cover of each mass of spores is inflated like 
 a bladder. 
 
 The main body of the root is short, tufted, and scaly, 
 producing numerous scattered dark-coloured fibrous 
 rootlets. The fronds issuing from the tufted top of the 
 root are numerous, varying in height from three to even 
 twelve inches ; they are bright green, their general out- 
 line spear-head-shaped, the leaflets so deeply lobed as to 
 almost form leafits; and these lobes are mostly three on 
 each side-stalk of the leaflet. Each lobe is egg-shaped, 
 blunt, and very finely cut, or laciuiated at the edges. 
 The segments into which the lobes are cut are long-oval- 
 shaped and partly notched, but not long and narrow, 
 nor wavy-edged like those of Cystopteris angustata, 
 nor are their ribs zig-zagged as in that species. The 
 leaflets are almost opposite to each other, yet are just 
 sufficiently otherwise to justify their being described 
 as alternate. 
 
 The unleafed part of the stem (stipe) of each frond is
 
 -^ ^ v i a n * *iVA i, 
 
 W*2^r ^fe- 
 
 ^vf^ 
 
 ^^ife 7 -.-- 
 
 ^ ^\s,r^- 
 
 CTSTO'PTERIS ALPl'NA.
 
 CYSTOPTERIS ALPINA. 99 
 
 about one-third of its whole length ; and is smooth 
 except at the base, where a few brown pointed scales 
 occur. 
 
 The fructification is near the edge of the lobe, and 
 consists of very copious masses of little bladders, small, 
 scattered, not crowded at any time, and pale brownish 
 coloured. Whilst in a young state each mass is wrapped 
 in a white, membranous, concave cover, ending in a 
 tape ring jagged point; thus nearly resembling Cystopterii 
 fragilis, but the fructification is in smaller masses than 
 those of that species, nor are the spores ever black as in 
 that species, but are pale brown. 
 
 This is a Fern very rarely found in Great Britain ; so 
 rarely, indeed, that many Botanists have doubted, we 
 think on insufficient grounds, its title to a place among 
 our native plants. 
 
 Mr. Lhwyd first discovered it on Snowdon, as an 
 xiounced in the second edition of Ray's Synopsis, in 
 1896 ; Mr. Griffiths found it on Cwm Idwell in Wales; 
 Mr. W. Christy found it on rocks at the dropping well 
 of Knaresborough ; Hooker states, on the authority of 
 Mr. Maughan, that it was found on Ben Lawers in 
 Scotland; Mr. Shepherd, of Liverpool, sent specimens 
 to Mr. Moore, which specimens, he stated, were "gathered 
 in Derbyshire and Yorkshire, but without assigning 
 more particular habitats." Mr. Foster found it at Low 
 Layton in Essex, and announced his discovery in 
 Symon's Synopsis, some time in the year 1793. It has 
 been found at the same place by Mr. W. Famplin in 
 1835, and by Mr. E. H. Bolton in 1840.
 
 100 CYSTOPTERIS ALPIXA. 
 
 Sir J. E. Smith thus speaks of its discovery and 
 history : 
 
 " The !owland station of this Fern, close to a much-fre- 
 quented road at Low Layton, where I have, in company with 
 the late Mr. Forster, seen it covering great part of a brick 
 wall, may be supposed analogous to its places of growth in 
 France ; but we seek in vain for any information on this 
 head either in Vaillant or Lamarck, nor is it evident that 
 the latter ever found the plant. The wall at Layton has 
 been repaired, and the Fern almost destroyed. On Snowdon 
 it is said to be very scarce, though Mr. Wilson, with his 
 usual bounty, has sent me an ample supply of specimens of 
 various sizes. He describes it as " varying greatly in size 
 and appearance, but always distinct from ihe/rugUis." The 
 cover, as that gentleman remarks, " is in both species, con- 
 nected with the frond by its base only, at the lower side of 
 the mass of capsules, that is, on the side next the base of the 
 segment of the leaflet;" which agrees with my observations. 
 This Fern is well compared by Bobart, in Morison, to the 
 Cicutaria of old authors, our Charophyllum sylvestre, 
 so common on banks in the spring. It is unquestionably 
 distinct from every other British Fern, though the proper 
 name and synonyms were not discovered till after its ap- 
 pearance in Engl. Bot., where I fell into the same error with 
 some foreign botanists. Linnasus once thought it a Swedish 
 plant, but erroneously, nor had he an original or authentic 
 specimen. 
 
 " The remarks of Dr. Kichardson, inserted between 
 brackets, by Diilenius, in the third edition of Ray's Synopsis, 
 126. n. 8. Ed. 3., certainly do not answer to the present 
 species ; as my late friend the Rev. Hugh Davies, an ex- 
 cellent observer, first pointed out to me. 
 
 " John Bauhin's synonym, which Ray quoted with doubt, 
 appeai-s, by the really excellent figure, to be unquestionably
 
 CYSTOPTERIS ALPINA. 101 
 
 onr plant. It must be either this, or Aspldinm alpinwm, 
 Willd. ii. 139., which is likewise a Cystea, figured in Jac. Ic. 
 Ear. t. 642, and in Segu. Veron. Suppl. t. I./. 3. But neither 
 the plant itself, not either of these representations, suits 
 the wooden cut of Bauhin, which agrees far better with 
 (7. regia, particularly in the shape of the leaflets. Haller, 
 very unsuitably I think, refers it to Pteris crispa; which 
 circumstance, and the singular jumble of synonyms under 
 his n. 1707, Cystea frayilis, induces a suspicion that he had 
 not accurately observed these alpine ferns, and especially 
 that he had never seen Vaillant's Filicula regiu at all." 
 
 On the culture of this, and other species of the genus, 
 we have been obliged with the following notes from Mr. 
 W. Btjevb, who has very successfully cultivated Ferns :-- 
 
 " I have had several species of Cystopteris in my 
 possession, but have not had all the species, but such 
 as I have tried, I have always found to prefer and 
 thrive best in well-drained situations. The only in- 
 stance that I have of their cultivation, out-of-doors, was 
 upon some rockwork which I formed at the north end 
 of our conservatory, where there was a piece of brick- 
 work (which did not look very sightly) about two-aud-a- 
 half or three feet high, and I formed this rockwork to 
 hide it, but you may imagine that the more elevated 
 part of it must have been very much drained, when I 
 had only about eighteen inches for the base. It was 
 upon this piece of work that I placed (among other 
 small, young Ferns) a plant of each of the Cystopteris 
 that I had in my possession. They were three in 
 number, Fragilis, Dickieana, and Alpina. 
 
 " For cultivation in pots, I used, for compost, two parts
 
 102 CYSTOPTEIIIS ALPINA. 
 
 sandy loam, one of leaf-mould, and one of very finely- 
 broken sandstone ; or, in default of this, old mortar 
 broken fine, with a little silver-sand added, and good 
 drainage. Great points in potting these small species 
 of Fern are the state of the compost, and the way it is 
 mixed and used. It should be of a nice dampness. 
 In mixing, it should not be rubbed too intimately to- 
 gether, but should be handled carelessly, as it were, 
 and the plants potted firmly, in most cases, and if used 
 in this state, and the plants are placed in a rather con- 
 fined temperature, very little water must be given until 
 they begin to emit new roots, which will not be long 
 first, if the plant is in a healthy state ; and even if it is 
 not in sound health, the withholding of the water-pot 
 from it will do it more good than the application of it. 
 The moisture in the compost will be sufficient for the 
 roots until fresh ones are formed, and the moist atmo- 
 sphere will help to supply the fronds. When planted 
 in the rockwork a similar compost may be used. 
 
 "Each of the species would make a nice plant for a 
 Wardian case, I should think. I have grown DicJeieana 
 under a bell-glass for a considerable time, and I have a 
 specimen of Fragilis by me that I grew in a close tem- 
 perature, but Dickieana and Alpina objected to heat 
 more than Fragilis."
 
 CYSTO'PTEKIS ANGUSTA'fA.
 
 CYSTOPTERIS ANGUSTATA. 105 
 
 CYSTOTTEKIS ANGUSTA'TA. 
 
 THIS has various English names, and among botanists, 
 with still more varied want of certainty, has been placed 
 in various genera, or been reduced even to a mere 
 variety. 
 
 It is known as the Deep-cut Mountain Bladder Fern, 
 as the Stone Polypody, as the Red-stemmed Polypody, 
 and in botanical works it is Polypodium rhaticum, Poly- 
 podium ilvense, Aspidium fragile, Aspidium rhaticum, 
 Cyathea fragilis, var. ft. and Cystopteris fragilis, var. 
 angustata. 
 
 We think that it has sufficiently distinctive cha- 
 racteristics to retain it as a species. Moot tufted, some- 
 what creeping, black, with rusty scales, and rootlets long. 
 Fronds from six to fifteen inches high, rather numerous, 
 erect ; stalk dark-red becoming black, nearly half its 
 length naked, without any border, slender, and smooth. 
 Leaflets bright green, nearly opposite, the lowermost 
 rather shorter, and the pairs at greater distances from 
 each other than those about the middle of the frond, all 
 leafited with scarcely a border down the side of the 
 midrib. Leafits alternate, spear-head shaped, rather 
 bluntly pointed, sometimes, however, tapering at the 
 end, all deeply cut, with oblong wavy, pointed segments; 
 and the ribs of all somewhat wavy. The segments are 
 always long and narrow, never broad, rounded, or egg- 
 shaped, but sometimes, though rarely, cloven at the end. 
 The leafits on the upper side of each leaflet are larger
 
 106 CYSTOPTEEIS ANGUSTATA. 
 
 than those on the lower side ; the cuts are all along the 
 sides of the leafits. These characteristics distinctly dis- 
 tinguish this Fern from Cystopteris fragilis, and C. 
 centata. The fructification is round, and smaller, and 
 less prominent than in those two species; always 
 continuing distinct, standing either in solitary masses 
 or in pairs, towards the bottom of each cut dividing two 
 lobes from each other; at first pale, but finally becoming 
 brown. The cover (indusium) white, very thin, concave, 
 irregularly torn, soon pushed off, or aside, by the com- 
 paratively large, though not numerous, shining brown 
 capsules. 
 
 It is found, but not commonly, in wooded places ou 
 mountain!; and on shaded rocks ; as near Llanberis, in 
 North Wales ; at Gordale, in Craven, Yorkshire ; on 
 shaded rocks in many parts of Scotland ; on the moun- 
 tains of Westmorland ; on the top of G-lyder Mountains, 
 on the side overhanging Llyn Ogwen Lake, and near 
 Ffynnon felon, and on the Leek Road, about a mile 
 from Buxton. 
 
 This Fern was first discovered in Hhaetia, whence its 
 earliest name of RhcEticum, but it is first mentioned as 
 a British Fern by Gerard, if his Filicula petrcea mas is 
 really his name for the present species. There is, how- 
 ever, much uncertainty about the early history of this 
 Fern, and this uncertainty has been thus well-pointed 
 out by the late Sir J. E. Smith. 
 
 " Great confusion has always existed amongst our Biitish 
 botanists concerning Polypodium (Cystopleris) rhteticum. 
 Hooker has it not. Ligntfoot appears, by what he says in his FL
 
 CYSTOPTERIS ANGUSTATA. 107 
 
 Scot. 678, to have been acquainted, like Mr. Dickson, with our 
 Cystva ( Cystopteris) angustata under that name ; and he quotes 
 Gerarde rightly, justly objecting to Plukenet's t. 179. f. 5. 
 Lightfoot's description is excellent, though he submits, as I 
 have formerly done, to Haller, Weis, and others, who con- 
 sider it as a variety of our O. fragilis. The late Mr. Davall 
 took it for Haller's n. 1705 ; but that plant, with many 
 errors in the synonyms, is certainly Aspidium dilatalum. Our 
 Cystea (Cystopteris) angustata may be w. 1708 of Haller, but 
 his references are confused. Mr. Hudson, on seeing Mr. 
 Davall's specimens of the Fern in question, declared it very 
 different from his own Polypodium rhteticum, which indeed 
 is Aspidlum dumetorum. I have little scruple in referring 
 the obscure and long-disputed figure of Clusius, reprinted 
 in Gerarde, as above quoted, to this Cystea (Cystopteris) 
 angustata, though the draughtsman has omitted the ultimate 
 divisions of the leaflets, well enough expressed by Hoff- 
 mann and Villars. I have never received this Fern from 
 Wales, but if it be not Ray's Polypodium ilvense, it is wanting 
 in the Synopsis. The wooden cut of Dalechamp, copied in 
 J. Bauhin, and quoted doubtingly by Ray, should rather 
 seem to be the totally different Acrostic/turn Marantte, as 
 Bauhin himself suspected." 
 
 The cultivation required by this Feru is the same as 
 for Cystopteris alpina, stated at page 102. It requires, 
 however, more shade, and does well under the shadow 
 of other plants in a cool greenhouse.
 
 108 CYSTOPTERIS DENTATA. 
 
 </CYSTOTTEPJS DENTA'TA. 
 
 THIS is the Toothed Bladder Fern, or Toothed Poly- 
 pody, and has heen variously described as Polypodium 
 dentatum, Aspidium dentatum, Cyathea dentata, and 
 Cystea dentata, while some consider it merely a variety 
 of Cystopteris fmgilis. Like C. angustata, we consider 
 it sufficiently distinct to be retained as a species. 
 
 Root tufted, small ; rootlets scattered, rather woolly 
 and black. Frond, pale green, generally correctly 
 doubly-leafleted (bipinnate), some of the lower leaflets 
 only, and these in luxuriant specimens, being simply 
 leaflted, or cut so as to be nearly leafited (pinnate or 
 pinnatifid). The leaflets more or less spread horizon- 
 tally ; nearly alternate. Leafits egg-shaped, or rounded 
 (our drawing scarcely shows them sufficiently so), 
 blunt, abundantly but bluntly toothed ; their ribs wavy, 
 their bases not decurrent, though on a winged mid-rib. 
 Fructification at the end of the veins, and when nu- 
 merous, running together, or confluent, so as to seem 
 like a border round the leafit. Stem about one half its 
 length without leaflets, very slender, smooth, shining, 
 in colour brownish-purple, and rather scaly at the base. 
 From six to nine inches high, and not so brittle as in 
 C.fragilis. 
 
 This species does not appear to have been noticed by 
 the older botanists, and to have been first discovered by 
 Mr. Dickson, about the year 1784, in clefts of rocks in 
 the highlands of Scotland. In Wales it has been found
 
 CTSTOPTERIS DENTATA. Ill 
 
 at the foot of the walls of Castle Dinas Bran ; in Flint- 
 shire, at Llangollen; in Denbighshire, on rocks north of 
 the mansion of Trejorwerth. in Anglesea, and on 
 Snowdon. In England it has been found between 
 Widdy Bank, and Caldron Snout, in Durham. 
 
 It may be cultivated, probably, the same as directed 
 for C. alpina.
 
 112 CYSTOPTERIS DICK1EAXA. 
 
 4-CYSTOTTEEIS DICKIEA'NA. 
 
 THIS Fern was discovered in a cave upon the sea-shore 
 near Aberdeen, and it has been named after its 
 discoverer, Dr. Dickie. He found it during the year 
 1846, and we are not aware that it has been found 
 elsewhere than in that cavern. Mr. Francis thinks 
 that it is only a variety of Cystopteris fragilis ; whilst 
 Mr. Moore and Mr. Babington make C. dentata a 
 species, and consider that Dickieana is a variety of this. 
 With such authorities against us, we hesitate to express 
 our conviction that it is a species. However, as we 
 feel that conviction, we are bound to record it. Even 
 those who describe it as a variety acknowledge that it 
 retains its characteristics under cultivation, and we 
 have been told that it is reproduced from its spores. If 
 this be so, there can be small doubt of its title to be 
 ranked as a species, and we shall be much obliged by 
 the communication of any information on this subject. 
 Root tufted, pale brown. Frond dark green, pointed 
 egg-shaped in its general outline ; leaflets inclining to a 
 horizontal position, and so close together that the leafits 
 overlap those on the leant next below. The leaflets are 
 spear-head-shaped, and the leafits, if leafits they are, 
 but they are so joined at their base as to be for the most 
 part lobes, are crowded and overlapping, broad-egg- 
 shaped, and finely-scollojed on their edges. The 
 fructification is in very distinct masses, never running 
 together, situated at the ends of the veins so as to form
 
 CYSTO'PTERIS DICKIEA'SA.
 
 CYSTOPTEBIS DICKIEANA. 115 
 
 a beading round each leafit, or lobe. The entire height 
 of the frond varies from four to six inches; about one- 
 fourth of its stem, which is stouter than in any other 
 species of the genus, is without leaflets, and this un- 
 leafleted part is at the base covered with brown scales. 
 
 Since the above was written, we are confirmed in a 
 satisfactory degree, by finding that Mr. Newman looks 
 upon " Dickieana as a possible, but by no means 
 established, species." " It is a perfectly healthy plant, 
 not monstrous, nor distorted, and produced freely from 
 seed, becoming a perfect weed." If this be so, no doubt 
 is left upon our mind that C. Dickieana is a distinct 
 species ; and that it does reproduce itself from spores 
 we have the additional testimony of Mr. Moore, who 
 says, " It is now common in cultivation, having been 
 distributed liberally by Dr. Dickie, and is found to 
 retain all its peculiarities, and to reproduce itself from 
 spores." 
 
 For its cultivation see page 102.
 
 116 CYSTOPTERIS FRAGIT.ns, 
 
 f CYSTOTTERIS FRA'GILIS 
 
 THIS Fern has been also called by modern botanists 
 Polypodium fragile, Polypodium album, Oyatheafragilis, 
 and Aspidium fragile. Fragileness or brittleness is a 
 striking characteristic of its stems, and as in its Latin 
 names this is uniformly alluded to, so is it in its English 
 title of Brittle Bladder Fern, and Brittle Polypody. 
 
 Boot tufted, scaly, black, and having numerous fibrous 
 rootlets ; it extends slowly, throwing out fresh crowns 
 around the old one. Fronds many together, usually about 
 six inches high, though in favourable situations, warm, 
 moist, and shaded, they attain to nearly twelve inches. 
 Their general outline is spear-headed but sharp-pointed, 
 and their colour a bright green. The leaflets have the 
 same spear-head form as the fronds, but are not so 
 sharply pointed; they are not quite opposite, but so 
 nearly so as scarcely to be described as alternate ; they 
 clothe rather more than half the stem, and are not re- 
 gularly arranged. The leafits are usually alternate, 
 pointed-egg-shaped, but in barrep fronds blunt, tapering 
 at the base and decurrent, their eSge deeply, numerously, 
 and sharply toothed ; the lower leafits are so deeply cut 
 sometimes as to be nearly formed into smaller leafits, 
 and such form may be described as doubly-leafited. 
 Stem reddish-brown, becoming almost black, very slender, 
 brittle, juicy, smooth, but with a few scales at the very 
 bottom. The fructification on almost all the side-veins, 
 and near their end. It is in round masses, numerous,
 
 CYSTO'PTEBIS FRA/OILIS.
 
 CYSTOPTERIS FRAGILIS. 119 
 
 crowded, and finally running together ; at first pale, but 
 becoming black, and covering the whole back of each 
 leafit. The cover (indusium) of the masses of spores is 
 white, loose, membranous, sinking inward, irregularly 
 jagged, sometimes lengthened to a point, but soon 
 turned back, and forced off by the spores, which are 
 black when young, but become browner with age. 
 
 This species is extremely liable to alter its form ac- 
 cording to the temperature of the season, and the moist- 
 ness or dryuess of the situation ; but such alterations 
 are not in any way permanent. 
 
 It is not an uncommon Fern in mountain districts, 
 especially on old walls, and chalky, damp, shaded rocks. 
 In England it has been found at Richmond, and 
 Settle, in Yorkshire; Peveril Castle, Peak's Hole, 
 Castleton, Lovers Leap, near Buxton, and Matlock, in 
 Derbyshire ; near Hyde, in Gloucestershire ; Cheddar, 
 in Somersetshire; in Nottinghamshire; near Bristol; 
 on the ground from Bourn Heath to Wormsash, near 
 Bromsgrove ; and at Exwick, near Exeter. 
 
 In Wales, in a cave at Clogwyn Coch, Suowdon, rocks 
 
 above Cwnn Idwel, near Twll Der, and near Wrexham. 
 
 In Scotland, in Aberdeenshire, Moray, Ross-shire, 
 
 near Haens, in Berwickshire; Sutherland and the Kin- 
 
 cardinshire coast ; and near Killin. 
 
 In Ireland, in Kerry, at Lough Inn, and Lough 
 Derryclare, Connamarn. 
 
 The first time this Fern is mentioned as a native of 
 Britain, we think, was in 1696, by Ray, in the second 
 edition of his " Synopsis Methodica Sterpium Britan-
 
 120 CYSTOPTERIS FBAGILIS. 
 
 nicutn." He calls it " Filix saxatilis caule tenui fragile i 
 Fine-cut Stone Fern, with slender and brittle stalks. 
 On old stone walls and rocks in the mountains of the 
 Peak, in Derbyshire, and in the West-riding of York- 
 shire, and in Westmoreland plentifully. Dr. Tancred 
 Robinson found this Fern on the dropping rock at 
 Knaresborough, from which the petrifying water 
 distils." 
 
 The cultivation of this species is the same as that of 
 Cystopteris alpina previously stated, and in addition 
 we quote the following from Mr. Moore's " British 
 Ferns " : 
 
 " From the delicate texture of this Fern, and its adap- 
 tability to various situations, it is well suited for cultivation ; 
 and grows vigorously planted either on. rockwork or in pots, 
 and placed either within a frame or without one in a shel- 
 tered and shady position ; it however becomes most oeau- 
 tiful when developed in the damp close atmosphere of a 
 frame or glazed case. The small size of the plant renders 
 it more convenient for pot culture than many other kinds. 
 The other species of Cystopteris are similar in habit, and 
 may be cultivated in the same manner. The dormant 
 crowns should not be kept too damp during the winter. 
 They all propagate readily by separating the crowns when- 
 ever more than one is formed, and most of them form new 
 crowns rapidly."
 
 CYSTO'PTEBIS MONTA'HA.
 
 CTSTOPTERIS MONTANA. 123 
 
 CYSTOTTEKIS MONTA'NA. 
 
 THIS has long been known as a Fern of the highest 
 alpine districts of Europe, North America, and 
 Kamtschatka ; but it was not until 1836 that it was 
 ascertained to be a British species. In that year it 
 was discovered by Mr. W. Wilson on Ben Lawers, 
 one of the Bredalbane Mountains. 
 
 It has been called by botanists Polypodium montanum 
 and myrrhidifolium, Aspidium montanum, Cystopteris 
 montana and myrrhidifolia. and Cyathea montana. In 
 English it is known as the Mountain Bladder Fern, and 
 Wilson's Bladder Fern. 
 
 The root is thread-like, scaly, black, and far-creeping, 
 f he fronds strikingly triangular in their outline. Their 
 stalk long, stout, green, and smooth, except near the 
 bottom, where there are some scattered brown scales. 
 The leaflets are alternate, and occupy only the upper 
 third of the stalk. The lowest pair of leaflets are very 
 much larger than the others, and doubly-leafited ; but 
 the leafits of the upper pairs of leaflets are only deeply 
 lobed. The lateral veins of the leafits are alternate, 
 and the fructification is at the ends of these lateral 
 veins. The masses are circular, numerous, and become 
 very prominent as they ripen. The membrane (indusium) 
 is nearly round, forming a hood over the spores, and 
 having its edge jagged. 
 
 Mr. Moore observes that 
 
 " Thb head-quarters in Britain of this very rare and local
 
 124 CTSTOPTERIS MONTANA. 
 
 Fern are the Highlands of Scotland, where it was found, 
 first on Ben Lawers, one of the Bredalbane mountains, by 
 Mr. Wilson, in company with Professors Hooker and Gra- 
 ham, in 1886 ; and subsequently by Messrs. Gourlie. Adam- 
 son, Borrer, and Little, and Dr. Walker Arnott in 1841, 
 1850, and 1851, in a ravine called Corrach Dh' Oufillach, 
 or Corrach Uachdar, between Glen Dochart and Glen 
 Lochay, in the Mhiel Oufillach mountains in Perthshire. 
 It is reported to have been found in North Wales by 
 Plukenet, and we are informed that the existence of the 
 species in Wales has been recently confirmed, though the 
 information is incomplete; it is not, however, improbable, 
 as the species is met with in the Alps of Europe, occurring 
 most frequently in the north, and generally on rough stony 
 ground. It is also a native of the Rocky Mountains of 
 North America. . 
 
 " This is strictly an Alpine plant, and requires treatment 
 similar to that recommended for the other species, with per- 
 fect rest in winter."
 
 GYMNOGRA'MMA LEPTOPHY'LLA.
 
 GYMNOGRAMMA LEPTOPHYLLA. 127 
 
 GYMNOGRA'MMA LEPTOPHY'LLA. 
 
 THIS is the Polypodium leptophyllum of Linnaeus, but 
 he doubted whether it belonged to that genus, and in- 
 clined to think it the link uniting Polypodium with 
 Acrostichum and Osmunda. Decandolle considered it 
 really a species of Acrostichum, and other botanists 
 included it in Anogramma, Grammitis, Asplenium, and 
 Osmunda. It was united with other species taken from 
 Acrostichum and Hemionitis, to form the genus Gymno- 
 gramma, by Desvaux, in 1808. This name, derived 
 from gymnos, naked, and gramma, writing, alludes to 
 the naked fructification in some species being arranged 
 somewhat like writing in straight lines. 
 
 It is an annual, or at most a biennial. Its root is a 
 tuft of short, slender, black fibres. Its fronds are 
 usually about the height represented in our drawing; 
 but in warm, favourable situations it will sometimes be 
 twice as high. The barren fronds, as shown in our 
 drawing, are only half as tall as the fertile fronds ; they 
 have from one to three fan-shaped leaflets, variously 
 lobed, and at first resting upon the ground. The fertile 
 fronds have a stout, pale brown, glossy stem, the leaflets 
 occupy half its length, they are alternate, twice and 
 sometimes thrice leafited, the leafits being also alternate, 
 divided into three lobes, each lobe being two-toothed, so 
 as to be somewhat reversed heart-shaped. A vein 
 passes into each lobe and forks so as to extend a branch 
 into each tooth of the lobe. On these forks, and along
 
 128 GYMNOGRAMMA LEPTOPHYLLA. 
 
 their whole length is the fructification. Finally, the 
 spores run together, and usually cover the whole under 
 surface of the leafit. 
 
 This has long been known as a native of the southern 
 continent of Europe, its adjacent islands, and Madeira, 
 but it was not until 1852 that it was found to be a 
 native of the British Isles. In that year it was discovered 
 by N. B. Ward, Esq., and others, in the Island of 
 Jersey. It was growing on moist banks having a southern 
 aspect, where Marchantia flourishes. Mr. Ward found 
 it in various localities, besides near St. Aubyn's and St. 
 Lawrence. It is not unlikely to be discovered at the 
 back of the Isle of Wight. 
 
 Mr. J. Reeve informs us that the Gymnogramma 
 leptophylla is well worth cultivating ; and although 
 considered quite hardy, will thrive best either in the 
 greenhouse (which seems to suit it as well as any placej, 
 stove, or Wardian case. If cultivated in the open air, 
 a sheltered situation should be chosen sheltered from 
 C'jld, cutting winds, as well as from the burning rays of 
 the sun, both of which will prove very injurious, if not 
 fatal, to its slender fronds. A warm, shady nook, in a 
 rockery, will, therefore, be the best situation for it In 
 this situation, a free, open compost, of equal parts leaf- 
 mould and peat, with an addition of sand, will grow it 
 well. It must have a moderate supply of water over- 
 head during the season of growth; but such watering 
 must be withheld as the autumn approaches. During 
 the winter months it will require no water, but must 
 have a slight protection if it remains in the rockery out-
 
 GYMNOGRAMMA LEPTOPHYLLA. 129 
 
 of-doors. It may be taken up and potted in the autumn, 
 and placed in the greenhouse for the winter. If gown 
 as a pot-plant for the greenhouse, an addition to the 
 before-mentioned compost of one-fourth loam, with a 
 small quantity of sphagnum, will be preferred, with a 
 good drainage. Frequent syringing, or sprinkling with 
 water, will be required, and still more so if grown in a 
 stove. If grown in a Wardian case, the same compost 
 as for pot culture will be suitable for it, and to be placed 
 near the bottom of the case. 
 
 This is one amongst many other Ferns that is suitable 
 for growing under a glass shade or bell-glass by itself, 
 looking very neat, and can be kept in a small room, not 
 capable of accommodating a large case. 
 
 It may be increased by division, or by filling a pot 
 with small lumps of peat and freestone, and sprinkling 
 the surface with the fructification of the Fern when just 
 ripe. Keep the pot in a moist and warm place until 
 the seedlings are up and large enough to finger, when 
 they may be potted into small pots in little lumps, with 
 the growing plants upon them. They must still be 
 placed iu a close, shady situation until large enough to 
 plant out finally.
 
 130 HYMENOPHYLLUM TUNBRIDGENSE. 
 
 HYMENOPHY'LLUM TUNBKIDGE'NSE. 
 
 THIS is popularly called " The Tunbridge Fern" but 
 by English herbalists " The Filmy-leaved Fern." It 
 was separated from Trichomanes by the late Sir J. 
 E. Smith, who erected it into a genus, the striking 
 characteristic of which is pointed out by the name 
 derived from hymen, a membrane, and phyllon, a leaf. 
 
 The root is wiry, long, slender, smooth, and black, 
 creeping extensively upon, rather than within the soil, 
 and producing such numerous fibres as to form upon it 
 a kind of turf. Fronds solitary, but numerous, rising at 
 intervals along the main roots, erect, from one to three 
 inches high, smooth, deep green, filmy, semi-transparent, 
 curling up as they become dry ; leafleted two-thirds of 
 their length ; leaflets alternate, pointing upwards, 
 variously lobed ; the lobes narrow and blunt, chiefly 
 on the upper side of the leaflet, and their edges toothed. 
 The fructification is cup-form, nearly stalkless, at the end 
 of a vein, and occupying the place of the lobe nearest 
 the main stalk on the edge of a leaflet ; the cover is 
 formed by two slightly convex round leafits, equally 
 toothed, and folding over each other. 
 
 This Fern is not uncommon in rocky and moun- 
 tainous parts of Great Britain, and is there found 
 among moss in moist, shady places. It is very plentiful 
 on various rocks near Tunbridge Wells ; in Devonshire, 
 on rocks at Wistman's Wood, Beckley Fall, Dunsford 
 Bridge, and other places ; in Yorkshire, rarely at Green-
 
 HYMENOPHY'LLUM TUNBRIDQE'NSE.
 
 HYMENOPHYLLUM TUNBRIDGENSE. 133 
 
 field, near Saddleworth, and near Halifax. In Wales, 
 near Cader Idris and Dolgelly. In Ireland, abundantly 
 near the Upper Lake at Killarney, and in the county 
 of Wicklow, at Powerscourt Waterfall, Glencree, &c. 
 Mr. Lightfoot says it occurs frequently in Scotland. 
 
 We have given an instance of the life-retentive power 
 of this Fern, when mentioning the similar power 
 possessed by the Celerach officinarum. 
 
 This Fern was discovered by Mr. Dare, a botanist of 
 the seventeenth century, and was first mentioned by 
 Petiver in his Musei Petiverani centuria prima, pub- 
 lished in 1695. Mr. Petiver there calls it Darea Tun- 
 bridgensis minor, thus commemorating the finder and 
 the place where it was found. In the second edition of 
 Ray's Synopsis methodica stirpium Britannicarum, pub- 
 lished in 1696, it is stated that " this Fern was first 
 shown to Mr. Bay by Mr. Newton, who, in company 
 with Mr. Lawson, found it on Buzzard rough Cragg, 
 near Wrenose, Westmoreland, among the moss. Dr. 
 Richardson met with it upon moist rocks in Wales, and 
 near Settle, in Yorkshire. It grows on the left hand 
 as soon as you enter the mountains to go to the old 
 castle, near Lhanberis. It was found also plentifully 
 by Mr. Rand, in company with Mr. Sherard, among 
 the pebbles at Cockbush, six or seven miles from Chi- 
 chester, on the coast of Sussex." 
 
 The Hymenopliyllum Tunbridgense is one of the smallest 
 and most interesting of all the British Ferns, and al- 
 though we meet with it in its native state, spreading 
 over and flowering interestingly upon the exposed sur-
 
 134 HYMENOPHYLLUM TUNBEIDGENSE. 
 
 face of rocks and stone open to the action of all kinds 
 of weather, still, when we attempt to cultivate it, we 
 cannot succeed, unless means are taken to confine a 
 close, moist atmosphere about its little delicate fronds. 
 It prefers being kept continually damp and warm, which 
 renders it a most valuable acquisition to the Wardian 
 case, where it may be grown separately, as also under a 
 plain bell-glass, or may be mixed with others, which 
 likewise prefer a similar situation ; but whichever may 
 be chosen for its cultivation, rather more care will be 
 necessary in arranging it than will be required for most 
 other Ferns. The situation it generally chooses for its 
 habitat will be found to be nearly or quite free from all 
 vegetable moulds, and which may be quite dispensed 
 with in pot or artificial culture. Although we have 
 seen it grown very well in equal parts peat and silver- 
 sand, yet we have always found it thrive best under the 
 following treatment. 
 
 If to be grown as a pot plant, procure as many 
 shallow pots or deep pans as may be required (from 
 eight to twelve inches wide will be as convenient a size 
 as any, and will grow a nice mass), fill the pot or pan to 
 within an inch-and-a-half to two inches of the rim with 
 small crocks, upon this place half-an-inch of white moss 
 (sphagnum), which press down tight ; the pot is then to 
 be filled quite full with powdered sandstone, which is 
 also to be pressed down very firm ; upon this a little 
 silver sand is to be sprinkled, then, turn the Fern root 
 upwards, damp the roots, and sprinkle a little sand upon 
 or between them ; after that turn the whole over upon
 
 HYMENOPHYLLUM TUNBRIDGENSE. 135 
 
 the surface prepared for its reception, sprinkle a little 
 more dry sand over the surface, press it all down to- 
 gether, give it a good watering, and leave it to settle. 
 This is when the Fern is procured in cakes (which may 
 be found several yards square), just like a sheet of wad- 
 ding. If only a few small pieces can be got, then they must 
 be very carefully spread over the same prepared surface, 
 and imbedded in the sand, pressed down and watered as 
 before. When this is done, a bell-glass must be placed 
 over the whole, so as to fit just within the rim of the 
 pot, and the pot to stand in another pan of water, so 
 that two-thirds of the depth of crocks at the bottom of 
 the pot may be immersed in water; but the level of the 
 water must he below the bottom of the moss.
 
 136 HYilEXOPHYLLUM WILSOXI. 
 
 HYMENOPHY'LLUM WILSO'NI. 
 
 THIS owes its specific name to being first distinguished 
 from Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense by Mr. W. Wilson. 
 It is called H. unilaterdle by some botanists, in allusion 
 to the lobes of the leaflets being on one side. We 
 believe it to be the variety of H. Tunbridgense described 
 by Bolton as having its " fructification on naked fruit- 
 stalks," and which he found on rocks under Dolbadern 
 Castle, near the lake of Llanberris, and on the rock 
 called Foal-foot, on Ingleborough, in Yorkshire. 
 
 Root thread-like, brown, slightly scaly, creeping, and 
 producing a few fibrous rootlets. Fronds from one to 
 three inches high ; stalk stiff, smooth, round, winged at 
 the top. Leaflets clothe two-thirds of the stalk, dark 
 green, alternate, bent-back, lobes curved downwards, 
 and spreading horizontally rather than vertically as 
 they do in H. Tunbridgense; lobes oblong-oval, sharply 
 toothed, and on the upper side of the leaflet only. 
 Fructification is placed as in H. Tunbridgense, but 
 unlike that is stalked ; its outer case (involucre) is 
 egg-shaped, with swollen convex valves meeting at 
 their edges. The fructification curves forward in a 
 direction opposite to that in which the lobes of the leaf- 
 lets are curved. 
 
 In England it has been found near the waterfall 
 above Ambleside ; at Black Bocks of Great End, in the 
 Scawfell Range, and at Scale Force near Buttermere ; 
 and at Greenfield near Saddleworth, and near Silverdale.
 
 HYMENOPHY'LLUM WILSO'NI.
 
 HYMENOPHYLLUM WILSONI. 139 
 
 In Wales on Snowdou, near Llanberris Pass, and on 
 the adjacent mountains, especially near Twll Du, and 
 on high rocks about Nant Pbrancon, and on rocks near 
 the Rhydol at a plank over a gulf of the river Pont 
 Bren. In Scotland at Finlarig Burn, near Killin, 
 Perthshire, and in Argyleshire. In Ireland at Killaruey, 
 Shannafolia Mountains, Kerry Mountains, and Con- 
 naraara. (Francis's British Ferns.) 
 
 Mr. Reeve, writing to us of its culture, says, " The 
 Hymenorhyllum Wilsoni is very much like the Tun 
 hridgense, but of larger growth and stronger habit. 
 Each of the species thrives remarkably well under the 
 treatment directed for the latter ; but H. Wilsoni is not 
 adapted for artificial rockwork, as a glass of any kind 
 continually kept upon such a structure looks very 
 unnatural : and as it could not be cultivated thereon 
 with any certain success without a glass covering of 
 some kind, it had better be withheld from rockwork 
 altogether. Each of the species thrives remarkably well 
 in the stove or greenhouse, pit or close frame ; but 
 whichever situation may be chosen, the plants must be 
 protected from sunshine. They are readily increased 
 by division, by carefully arranging the small pieces on 
 the surface of the compost directed for H. Tunbridgenss. 
 By keeping the whole close, moist, and warm for a short 
 time, the plants will very soon establish themselves."
 
 140 L.A.STRJEA CEISTATA. 
 
 4/LASTILE'A CETSTA'TA. 
 
 Tins Fern has been called by botanists Polypodium 
 cristatum and calypteris, Polystichum cristatum, Lo- 
 phodium callipteris, and Aspidium cristatum. In English 
 it is called the Crested Fern, Crested Polypody, and 
 Crested Shield Fern 
 
 Boot tufted, stout, and far-branching, producing 
 fronds from the ends of each root-branch. Fronds 
 yellowish-gi'een, several, and in favourable situations 
 more than two feet high ; very erect, and the general 
 outline of the frond line-like, the leaflets very gradually 
 decreasing in length. The leaflets clothe rather more 
 than one half of the stem, the lower half of the stem 
 having upon it many scattered, brown, blunt scales, green 
 in front, and channelled, but purple below. The lower 
 leaflets are usually opposite, but the upper leaflets are 
 alternate. They are very deeply and regularly lobed, 
 rather than leafited ; the lobes are broad, blunt, sugar- 
 loaf shaped, and sharply-toothed round their edge, the 
 teeth ending in short bristles. The side veins in each 
 lobe are much branched, and from the base of each 
 main branch rises the vein, at the end of which is the 
 fructification ; and its masses, somewhat kidney-shaped, 
 are in two rows, one on each side the mid veiu, 
 at a distance equal from that and the edge of the 
 lobe. The cover (indusium) of each mass is swollen, 
 permanent, and pale lead-coloured. The masses 
 usually run together by the time the spores are ripe.
 
 IASTBJE'A. CBISTA'T*.
 
 LASTED A CKISTATA. 143 
 
 The spores are at first black, but they become rusty 
 as they ripen. 
 
 In very luxuriant specimens, and in specimens grow- 
 ing in very shaded situations, this Fern attains a height 
 of even three feet, and the leaflets are wider apart. 
 
 This is one of our rarest Ferns. It has been found on 
 boggy heaths, among coarse grass, at the Lows, on Holt 
 Heath ; at Fritton, near Yarmouth, in Suffolk, and Sur- 
 lingham Road, near Norwich, in Norfolk ; among Alder 
 bushes, at Westleton, and at Bexley, near Ipswich, in 
 Suffolk ; on Oxton Bogs, in Nottinghamshire ; in 
 Huntingdonshire ; near Madeley, in Staffordshire ; and 
 o Wybunbury Bog, in Cheshire. In Ireland it has 
 been discovered on the estate of Lord Gough, at Rathro- 
 nan, near Clonmel. 
 
 We believe this to be Dr. Johnson's Filix mas ramosa 
 pinnulis dentatis. He says, it then (1633) grew " plen- 
 tifully in the boggy, shadowy moors near Durnford 
 Abbey, in Sussex, and also on the moist, shadowy 
 rocks by Maple-durham, near Petersfield, in Hampshire ; 
 and I have found it often on the dead, putrefied bodies 
 and stems of old, rotten Oaks, in the moors. Near the 
 old plants I have observed very many small, young 
 plants growing, which came by the falling of the seed 
 from their dusty scales ; for I believe all herbs have 
 seeds in themselves to produce their kinds. Gen. i. 11 
 and 12." (Gerarde's Herbal, ed. by Johnson, 1129.) Ray, 
 in his Historia Plantarum, also says, that Mr. Goodyer 
 had found it not only in Sussex, but in many other 
 places in England.
 
 144 LASTED A CRISTATA. 
 
 Mr. W. Reeve gives us the following directions lor its 
 cultivation : 
 
 "The Lastraa cristata is a very useful plant for 
 adorning the moist, shady parts of the rockery and 
 shrubbery, as well as for growing in pots for a collection 
 of hardy Ferns ; but it is not so beautiful as some other 
 species. When once established, it very shortly becomes 
 free in its growth and low in appearance. Those who 
 wish to grow it as a pot -plant must drain well the 
 pot, and give the plants a compost of loam and peat 
 (fibry), equal parts, with a free admixture of silver sand ; 
 and plenty of room will be required as the plant in- 
 creases in size. It prefers being grown in a damp, 
 shady situation, and a cool rather than a hot situa- 
 tion. When grown in a ligh temperature, the un- 
 folding fronds become long and weak, and it loses its 
 beauty, and oftentimes damps quite off, or dwindles 
 away. 
 
 " It is well adapted for damp, shady places, the shaded 
 part of a rockery included, where it will grow very wel' 
 in a compost of loam and peat, with a little grit (fine 
 stones or small crocks) mixed with it ; and both in this, 
 and also under pot-culture, it will require a moderate 
 supply of water and frequent syringing. 
 
 " It may be increased by sowing the ripe fructification 
 (which will be in that state by the latter end of summer) 
 in shallow pans filled with charcoal, lumps of peat, 
 sandstone, and loam, and placed in a damp pit,, and 
 shaded closely from sunshine, and the seedlings to be 
 pricked off in the same manner as directed for former
 
 LASTBJEA CRISTATA. 145 
 
 genera always keeping the young plants damp and 
 well shaded, and protected in winter and during the 
 summer months. All the plants in pots should he 
 plunged, or other means taken to keep the roots con- 
 stantly cool and moist."
 
 LASTKJ3A DILATATA. 
 
 LASTED 'A MLATA'TA. J4/ 
 
 THERE has been much "learned dust" raised relative 
 to this Fern, its alleged varieties, and its want of dis- 
 tinct specific characters when compared with Lastrtea 
 spinulosa. The doubts and " dust" are occasioned, we 
 think, by the admitted fact that L. dilatata varies very 
 much in form and stature in accordance with the situa 
 tion where it grows. It has been called by botanists 
 Aspidium dilatatum and A. spinulosum ; Lastrcea multi- 
 flora; Lophodium multiflorum ; P oly podium aristatum. 
 P. cristatum, and P. dilatatum ; and Polystiehum multi- 
 florum. In English it is known as Broad Sharp-too Hied 
 Shield Fern; Broad Prickly-toothed Buckler Fern, 
 Broad Prickly Fern; Great Shield Fern; and Dilated 
 Shield Fern. 
 
 Root black, tufted, not at all creeping, but large, erect, 
 and almost entitled to be described as tuberous. Fronds 
 varying in size fro n a few inches to two feet, an^in 
 very favourable situations twice that heighth ; they 
 rise from the root-stock in a circular cluster, and beai 
 some resemblance to the capital of a Corinthian column 
 They are erect, broad, spreading, light green, and spear- 
 head shaped in their general outline ; their leaflets have 
 a similar form, and are so deep cut, or pinnatifid, into 
 long, olunt, parallel, deeply-toothed, sharp-pointed 
 segments, that they seem doubly leafited ; indeed, the 
 lower pair are so. The stem is slender, slightly scaly 
 throughout its length, but mostly so where there are no
 
 LASTU.S'A DILATA'TA.
 
 LASTR/EA DILATATA. 145) 
 
 leaflets; the stalks of the leaflets, also, are slightly 
 scaly. The leaflets are rather alternate than opposite, 
 and the leafits are, for the most part, also alternate. 
 Fructification numerous, and nearer the midrib than 
 the edge of each leaflet ; at first swollen and kidney- 
 shaped, hut the cover (indusium), when burst, becomes 
 circular, with a deep cut in its lower side. 
 
 We have observed how much this Fern varies in 
 form, and the best particulars relative to this character- 
 istic are the following by Mr. Francis: 
 
 " If it grow in a situation which is wet in the spring and 
 dried up in the summer, as on the margin of a pond, it will 
 become var. /3, very dark, large, and quite drooping. Con- 
 tinued wet will elongate the leaf and separate the pinnae and 
 pinnules as in var. 7. A young plant is only twice pinnate 
 and flat. A dry and rocky, or a confined situation will 
 render the leaf small and less divided, the pinnules blunt, 
 deflexed, and drooping : thus starved it becomes the Aspidium 
 dumetorum of Smith (var. 5). I know not the nature of the 
 habitats in which the recurved var. (e) of Bree grows. [It 
 is said to grow both in dry and wet shady places, preferring 
 moisture. But all the recorded localities are in damp 
 climates. ED.] The varieties recurvum and dumetorum are, 
 I believe, not altered by cultivation, and Sir J. E. Smith 
 implies, in his description of the latter, that its spores 
 produce the same variety. 
 
 a (dilatatum). Frond sub-tripinnate, triangular, ovate. 
 Pinnules petioled. 
 
 j8 ( ). Frond tripinnate, deflexed, triangular. 
 
 Pinnules convex. 
 
 7 ( ). Frond tripinnate, triangular, elongated. 
 
 Pinnules somewhat decurrent, and dis- 
 tant from each other.
 
 150 LASTB^IA DILATATA. 
 
 S (dumetorum). Frond small, triangular, drooping. Pin- 
 nules blunt. 
 
 t (recurvum, Bree). Frond small. Pinnules concave, and 
 dark green, Newm. p. 61. Lastrsea 
 Fcenisecii, Sab. Lophodium Foanisecii 
 Newm. 1854." 
 
 We only differ from Mr. Francis in considering that 
 L. Fcenisecii is a distinct species, and not merely a 
 varied form of L. dilatata. 
 
 It is found in shaded, watery, sandy soils, or in moist, 
 rocky woods, and is so common that no locality need be 
 specified. 
 
 Mr. W. Reeve observes to us that this, also, is one of 
 those Ferns which are valuable for the adorning of 
 the rockery or shrubbery, and will be found to thrive 
 where the Lastreea cristata will not, being not so 
 impatient of sunshine; not but that it will attain a 
 greater size and more beauty, when grown in the shade, 
 than when grown in a full exposure to light. It is, 
 therefore, well adapted to the shaded side or base of the 
 rockery; and as it will, when once established in a 
 favourable situation, attain a heighth of three or four 
 feet, forethought will be required in planting, so that it 
 may not smother the smaller species. It prefers a moist 
 situation for its abode, but will grow remarkably well 
 upon an elevated position that is well shaded. If grown 
 as a pot-plant, it must be allowed a moderate space for 
 its roots; and with a compost of loam, peat, and leaf- 
 mould, with a free admixture of silver sand and good 
 drainage, not being potted too firmly, and afterwards, a
 
 LASTR,EA DILATATA. 151 
 
 moderate degree of shade and H good supply of water 
 being given both at the root and over-head, it will be 
 found to have had its wishes met. If grown upon the 
 rockery or in the shrubbery, it will prefer more loam 
 and less leaf-mould; and if placed in an exposed situa- 
 tion, it must be shaded until established, when it may 
 be gradually exposed to meet all weathers. It will not 
 require any protection in winter, unless grown in pots, 
 or upon very exposed parts of the rockery, where a 
 slight protection will be preferable. It is not suitable 
 at all for the Wardian Case, nor for in door culture, as 
 the confinement makes it weak. The propagation may 
 be pursued in a similar way to that mentioned for 
 Las trail crittata.
 
 152 LAVi'R/EA FILIX.-MA8. 
 
 "LASTILE'A FI'LIX-MAS. 
 
 THIS has been called by various botanists a Polypodium, 
 an Aspidium, a Polystichum, and a Dryopteris; but in 
 every instance they adopted the specific name, filix-mas, 
 because it is the acknowledged " Male Fern " of our 
 most ancient herbalists. Male Fern is its most generally 
 admitted English name; but it has also been called 
 Male Polypody, Male Shield Fern, and Common Buckler 
 Fern. 
 
 Root black, tufted, scaly, large, with numerous dark 
 brown, deeply - penetrating rootlets. Fronds several, 
 rising in a circle, erect, from two to four feet high. The 
 general outline would be spear-head shaped, if the 
 lowest pair of leaflets were not much shorter than those 
 next above them, rendering the form more ovate, but 
 pointed. Less than a fifth of the stem is without leaflets, 
 but this unleafleted portion is covered with a profusion 
 of chaffy scales, which extend, indeed, over the entire 
 stalk and mid-ribs. Leaflets alternate, very equal in 
 width until near their end, when they rapidly taper 
 to a point. Leajits oblong, blunt, roundish-toothed, 
 numerous, crowded, stalkless, for the most part distinct, 
 but sometimes rather united at the base , both surfaces 
 smooth, but there is an indent on the upper surface, 
 over the place where is each mass of fructification. 
 Fructification in circular masses, tawny, ranged closely 
 in short rows near each side of the lower half of the 
 mid-rib of each leafit ; cover (indusium) kidney-shaped,
 
 LASTR^.'A PI'LIX-MAS.
 
 LASTR^A FIL.IX-MAS. 155 
 
 durable, scolloped, swollen, with a cleft terminating in 
 the centre. Spores numerous, shining brown, prominent, 
 round, and just beyond the edge of the cover. 
 
 Three varieties of this Fern occur, and have been 
 thus well particularised by Mr. Charles Johnson : 
 
 " 1. incisa. Frond robust, broadly lanceolate ; pinnae 
 distant ; pinnules distinct, elongate, narrow, acuminate, 
 deeply incised, the lobes serrated. Sori extending nearly 
 the entire length of the pinnules. Lastrea Filix-mas, /8. 
 incisa, Moore, Handbook Brit. Ffrns, 50. Aspidium Filix- 
 mas, 0. erosum, Hooker and Aniott. Dryopteris affinis, 
 Newman, Hist. Brit. Ferns, 187. 
 
 " 2. abbrKvisita. Frond small, lanceolate, pinnate. Sori 
 confined to the base of contracted or obsolete pinnules, 
 forming a linear series on each side of the mid- vein of the 
 pinnae. Lastrea Filix-mas, 0. abbreviatn, Babington. Poly- 
 stichum abbreviatum, De Candollv. 
 
 " 3. Borreri. Frond narrow lanceolate. Rachis clothed 
 with ruddy-golden scales and hairs. Sori few, large, two or 
 three pairs at the base of each pinnule. Dryopteris Filix- 
 mas, var. Borreri, Newman, Hist. Brit. Ferns, 189. 
 
 " Of these, the variety incita is far from uncommon ; 
 abbreviata lias been found on Ingleborough, Yorkshire, on 
 the basaltic cliffs of Teesdale, and in the Peak district, 
 Derbyshire, everywhere apparently in dry localities ; Borreri 
 seems to be common, though first observed by Mr. Borrer, 
 in Devonshire, as a variety ' with more copious and brighter- 
 coloured scales on the rachis, and with a bright golden- 
 yellow tinge on the whole frond.' Brit. Flora. 
 
 " Abbreviata retains its distinguishing features in all soils 
 and under different treatment in cultivation, and may perhaps 
 eventually prove a separate species." ( Sowerby's Ferns. ) 
 
 This is too common a Fern to require the places
 
 156 LASTRJ3A FIL1X-MAS. 
 
 where it is found to bo particularised ; indeed, the 
 difficulty would be to find any wide-extended district 
 where it could not be discovered. 
 
 Mr. W. Reeve observes upon this Fern, that it is & 
 most desirable plant for furnishing the rockery and 
 vacancies and corners in the shrubbery, and other 
 similar places. A few hints may not be out of place 
 for its culture. It is one of the finest growing of the 
 British species, and one that will make a noble object 
 when once established. The treatment it requires is 
 merely a moderate space for its roots, in a compost of 
 sandy loam three parts, with one part of leaf-mould, and 
 a free supply of water during its growing season. This 
 compost will suit it for either pot culture or for culti- 
 vating it in the open air. When growing in pots, these 
 had better be plunged in some loose substance during 
 the winter months. It may be increased very freely 
 from seeds, which will be in a perfect state soon after 
 Midsummer. Like many other Ferns, this will look 
 much nobler when planted out in the spring. If planted 
 in mass upon an irregular surface, say from six to eight 
 strong plants in a clump, with a few large white flints 
 or pieces of rock laid in between and about them, 
 it will add to the appearance. Although this Fern 
 will stand a little sun, yet it flourishes much better in 
 the shade. 
 
 Although some medical practitioners have no faith in 
 this Fern as a destroyer of worms in the human in- 
 testines, yet other authorities maintain that it is the 
 most powerful medicine we possess for that purpose,
 
 LASTR.EA FILIX-MAS. 157 
 
 and it was so esteemed by some of the most ancient 
 physicians. 
 
 " Dr. Peschier, of Geneva, found that sulphuric ether 
 extracted the active principle of the Fern. The solution, 
 left for some time at rest, yielded a mamellated substance, 
 which, on being freed by pressure from the liquid with 
 which it was impregnated, was found to be an adipocire. 
 The liquid was, in consequence of its separation, thinner, 
 had a greenish-brown colour, a disagreeable taste without 
 being acrid, a nauseous smell, and reddened litmus paper. 
 By further analysis the whole products of the Fern are, 
 adipocire, a brown resin, an aromatic volatile oil, an aromatic 
 virose fixed oil, a green colouring principle, a reddish-brown 
 principle, extractive, muriate of potash, and acetic acid. 
 
 " The root was used as an anthelmintic in the days of 
 Dioscorides. It gradually became neglected, but its use 
 was again revived, at different times, by Madame Nufier, 
 Ferrenschwand, and others, who frequently succeeded in 
 killing and expelling the tape worm by the exhibition of 
 secret remedies, of which the Fern powder was the prin- 
 cipal ingredient. To kill a tcenia, about three drachms of 
 the powder of Fern are required. Dr. Peschier found that 
 this quantity yielded three drops of oil, or twenty-four 
 grains. This may be made into pills, or mixed up in the 
 form of an emulsion ; and as it is necessary to be given when 
 the stomach is as empty as possible, one half may be given 
 at night, and the other half in the morning, on the empty 
 stomach. It is immaterial whether a purgative be given 
 with it or not. By this method Dr. Peschier assures us, 
 that he had succeeded in 150 cases of tenia. Others have 
 also given information ; and M. Studer expelled, in one 
 case, Tricocephalus dispar of Bremser, which resists all 
 other known anthelmintics." (Duncan's Edinburgh Dis- 
 pensatory.}
 
 158 LA8TR.EA FIL1X-MAS. 
 
 The above is not the only use to which this Fern is 
 applied, for the Siberians are fond of the flavour which 
 it imparts to ale, and its ashes contain so much potash 
 as to be especially valuable to the soap and glass- 
 maker. In Norway the young fronds, before they uncurl, 
 are boiled and eaten like Asparagus, and in hard 
 winters the dried fronds are there soaked in hot water 
 and given as fodder to cattle. 
 
 The superstitions of old connected with this Fern 
 very widely prevailed, and have been rendered classical 
 by Shakspeare and other writers. " This Ferae," says 
 Lyte in his Herbal, published in 1578, "beareth neither 
 flowers nor seede, except we shal take for seede the 
 blacke spottes growing on the backside of the leaves, 
 the whiche some do gather, thinking to work wonders, 
 but to say the trueth, it is nothing els but trumperie 
 and superstition." Bauhin, writing in 1650, in his His- 
 toria Plantarum, says, " These black spots fall about the 
 festival of St. John (June 25), and are collected by 
 certain women and sold as Fern-seed. I will not relate 
 the follies and superstitions practised with this seed." 
 
 " ' Fern-seed,' says Grose, ' is looked on as having great 
 magical powers, and must be gathered on Midsummer Eve. 
 A person who went to gather it reported that the spirits 
 whisked by his ears, and sometimes struck his hat and other 
 parts of his body; and, at length, when he thought he had 
 got a good quantity of it, and secured it in papers and a box, 
 when he came home he found both empty.' [Bovet, in his 
 Pandsemonium, 1684, gives a narrative of some ladies who 
 say, ' We had been told divers times that if we lasted on 
 Midsummer Eve, and then at 12 o'clock at night laid a cloth
 
 LASTR.EA FILIX-MAS. l. r )9 
 
 on the table with bread and cheese, and a cup of the best 
 beer, setting ourselves down as if we were going to eat, and 
 leaving the door of the room open, we should see the 
 person whom we should afterwards marry come into the 
 room and drink to us.'] Torreblanca, in his Dtemonologia, 
 1623, p. 150, suspects those persons of witchcraft who gather 
 Fern-seed on this night : ' Vel si reperiantur in nocte S. 
 Joannis colligendo grana herbae Frelicis, vulgo Helecho, qua 
 Magi ad maleficia sua utuntur.' 
 
 " A respectable countryman at Heston, in Middlesex, in- 
 formed me in June, 1793, that, when he was a young man, 
 he was often present at the ceremony of catching the Fern- 
 seed at midnight on the eve of St. John Baptist. The 
 attempt, he said, was often unsuccessful, for the seed was to 
 fall into the plate of its own accord, and that too without 
 shaking the plant. 
 
 " Dr. Kowe, of Launceston, informed me, Oct. 17th, 1790, 
 of some rites with Fern-seed which were still observed at 
 that place. 'Fern,' says Gerard, 'is one of those plants 
 which have their seed on the back of the leaf, so small as 
 to escape the sight. Those who perceived that Fern was 
 propagated by semination, and yet could never see the seed, 
 were much at a loss for a solution of the difficulty ; and, as 
 wonder always endeavours to augment itself, they ascribed 
 to Fern-seed many strange properties, some of which the 
 rustick virgins have not yet forgotten or exploded.' This 
 circumstance relative to Fern-seed is alluded to in Beaumont 
 and Fletcher's Fair Maid of the Inn : 
 
 ' Had you Gyges" ring ? 
 
 Or the herb that gives Invisibility ? ' 
 
 " Again, in Ben Jonsou's New Inn : 
 
 ' I had 
 
 No medicine, sir, to go invisible, 
 No Fern -seed in my pocket.'* 
 
 [" Gather Fearne-seed on Midsomer Eve, and weare it about the 
 continually. AUo on Midsomer Day take the herb Milfuile roote before
 
 160 LASTK^A FILI L-MAS. 
 
 " Again, in Philemon Holland's Translation of Pliny, 
 book xxvii. ch. 9 : ' Of Feme be two kinds, and they beare 
 neither floure nor seed.' The ancients, who often paid more 
 attention to received opinions than to the evidence of their 
 senses, believed that Fern bore no seed. Our ancestors 
 imagined that this plant produced seed which was invisible. 
 Hence, from an extraordinary mode of reasoning, founded 
 on the fantastic doctrine of signatures, they concluded that 
 they who possessed the secret of wearing this seed about 
 them would become invisible. This superstition Shak- 
 speare's good sense taught him to ridicule. It was also 
 supposed to seed in the course of a single night, and is 
 called, in Browne's Britannia's Pastorals, 1613, 
 ' The wond'rous one-night-seeding Feme.' 
 
 " Absurd as these notions are, they were not wholly ex- 
 ploded in tlie time of Addison. He laughs at a doctor who 
 was arrived at the knowledge of the green and red dragon, 
 and had discovered the female Fern-seed." ( Tattler, No. 
 240. Brand's Popular Antiquities.) 
 
 Not only were these superstitions not exploded in the 
 time of Addison, but they linger still in some of the 
 rustic corners of our land. Thus Mr. Edwin Lees, in 
 his recent work, " Pictures of Nature in the Silurian 
 Kegion round Malvern Hills," says : 
 
 " The country-people in Worcestershire, as my antiquarian 
 friend Mr. Jabez Allies informs me, still traditionally keep 
 up the old belief in the mystic powers of the ' Fern-seed,' 
 which was supposed to make the gatherer ' walk invisible.' 
 The saying is, that the Fern blooms and seeds only at 
 twelve o'clock on Midsummer night; and to catch the seed 
 
 sun-rising, and before you take it out of the ground say these word* 
 following, &c., and gather the Fern-seed on Midsomer Eve betweene 11 
 and 12 at noone and at night." MS. temp. Eliz.]
 
 LASTRJEA PILIX-MAS. 161 
 
 twelve pewter-plates must be taken. The wondrous seed, 
 it is affirmed, will pass through eleven of the plates, and 
 rest only upon the twelfth ! Such an idea may now be 
 smiled at; but the philosophers of a past age believed 
 something very similar, and even taught that demons 
 watched to convey away the Fern-seed as it fell, ere any one 
 could possess themselves of it. To ' walk invisible ' was 
 said, and at one time believed, to result from possessing the 
 Fern-seed."
 
 162 LASTR^A FOENISKCII. 
 
 
 LASTILE'A FCENISE'CII. 
 
 THE specific name, from the Latin fcenum, hay, refers to 
 the smell emitted by this plant, but that smell differs so 
 little from the smell of other species that we agree with 
 Mr. Charles Johnson in wishing that the specific name 
 of recurvum, given it by some botanists, had been more 
 generally preferred, for recurvum, curled-back, well points 
 out the peculiarly crisped appearance of this Fern. 
 
 It has been called Aspidium dilatatum var. concavum ; 
 Aspidium recurvum; Aspidium spinulosum, var.; and 
 Lophodium fcenisecii. In English it is the Hay-scented 
 Buckler Fern, and Eecurved Prickly-toothed Fern. 
 
 Root large and tufted, rootlets numerous. The Fronds 
 rise from the tuft in a circle ; they are bright pale green, 
 with the leaflets very much curled, or crisped upward; 
 rendering their upper surface concave. The stem curves 
 downward gracefully, the lower liali being without 
 leaflets, but thickly clothed with pale, semi-transparent 
 scales; these scales are long, narrow, and usually 
 jagged. The general outline of the leaCeted portion is 
 a long triangle. The leaflets in full-grown plants are 
 constantly three-leafited (tripinnate) at the lower part of 
 the frond, and of the lower leaflets generally ; the 
 leafits and lobes of the upper parts of the leaflets are 
 all finely toothed, each tooth ending in a short spine, 
 giving it a crisped, irregular, yet graceful appearance, 
 which, combined with the concave form of the leaflets, 
 enables it at once to be identified. On the under
 
 LASTltSl'A. FCENISEC'II.
 
 LASTR.EA FfENTSKCII. 16J 
 
 surface of the leaflets are numerous stalkless glands, 
 producing the secretion which gives forth the hay-like 
 smell to which we have already alluded. The fructifi- 
 cation is regularly scattered over the under surface of 
 each leaflet, each mass being covered with a roundish 
 kidney-shaped membrane (indusium), having a jagged 
 edge, and sometimes having on the edge a few of the 
 glands just noticed. 
 
 This Fern is not generally found in the British 
 Islands, but it occurs abundantly on the western side of 
 England, as in Cornwall aud Devon, and less plentifully 
 in Somersetshire, Sussex, and Cumberland ; at Ripon, 
 Settle, and Scarborough, in Yorkshire, and in North 
 Lancashire. In Wales, in Anglesea, Glamorganshire, 
 and Merionethshire. In Scotland it is found in the 
 East and West Highlands, and in the Northern and 
 Western Islands. 
 
 It occurs sometimes in dryish situations, but is usually 
 found in moist, sheltered, woody places, and on the 
 banks beneath hedges. 
 
 We think that this Fern was first discovered and 
 particularised by Dr. Johnson, the editor of the second 
 edition of " Gerarde's Herbal," and that in that work 
 (page 1130) he describes it as "the Male Fern not 
 branched ; with narrow, separated, deeply - toothed 
 leafits " (Filix mas non ramosa pinnulis angustis, raris, 
 profunde dentatis). Be this as it may, his namesake, 
 Mr. Charles Johnson, says, " In 1821, I first noticed it 
 in the vicinity of Dolgelly, and again in the Vale of 
 Festiniog (in Merionethshire and Glamorganshire), and
 
 166 LASTR^A F(EN'ISECII. 
 
 though marking its peculiarity, supposed it, iu my in- 
 experience, to be a form of Aspidium dilatatum ot 
 Smith. It had not then received name or notice among 
 recent botanists, though, apparently, referred to both by 
 Ray and Plukenet ; nor was my attention directed to 
 its very distinct character, even as a variety, until, in 
 1831, the Rev. W. T. Bree described it in the ' Magazine 
 of Natural History,' under the name of recurvum, since 
 which time opinion has been divided respecting its 
 claim to rank as a species." (Sowerby's British Ferns.) 
 
 Mr. Reeve, writing to us relative to its cultivation, 
 says : 
 
 " Lastraea Fcenisecii is, perhaps, of all the Lastrceas, the 
 most elegant in shape, and, producing as it does many distinct 
 forms, is well worth cultivating. It is of such easy culture, 
 that it should not be absent from any collection. It will, in 
 the shade, unfold its fronds to the length of three feet, and 
 produce them rather abundantly, making, together, a very 
 noble object ; but in proportion as it is exposed to the sun, 
 so it becomes less luxuriant in habit, and also less in the 
 number of its fronds. It may be grown in almost any 
 degree of shade, from the Fernery or shrubbery, excluded 
 from the sun altogether, to a situation exposed to all its 
 rays; but, as I have said, much beauty will be lost ac- 
 cording to the degree of exposure to light which it has 
 to endure. It may be grown in sandy loam, with a little 
 leaf-mould ; or, in default of leaf-mould, in most cases, 
 a few very rotten sticks broken into small pieces will form 
 a very good substitute. The fructification (which will be in 
 a ripe state towards the end of the summer) may be 
 employed for its propagation, proceeding in the same way 
 as directed for other species. The plants, if grown in pots, 
 will require to be plunged in winter."
 
 LASTIUE'A OREO'PTBRIS.
 
 
 LASTILE'A OREO'PTERIS. 
 
 THIS has been called by botanists Aspidium odoriferum, 
 A. oreopteris, Hemestheum montanum, Lastraa montana, 
 Polypodium fragrans, P. oreopteris, P. tfuilypteris, P. 
 montanum, and Polystiehum montanum. In English it 
 is known as the Mountain Fern, Heath Fern, Mountain 
 Buckler Fern, Heath Shield Fern, and Heath Polypody. 
 The uniform reference in these names to " Mountain " 
 and " Heath " indicates the places which it frequents. 
 
 Root, large, black, scaly, and tufted ; with numerous 
 stout, matted rootlets. Fronds several, growing iu a 
 circle, between two and three feet high, erect, spear- 
 head shaped in general outline. Stem covered with 
 fine hairs on the upper part, and slightly with pale 
 brown scales at the bottom; pale green and deeply 
 chennelled in front. Leaflets extending nearly to the 
 bottom of the stalk, almost opposite, stalkless, deeply 
 lobed, so as nearly to form leafits ; lobes bluntly pointed, 
 smooth, except the midrib, which is downy. Underside 
 sprinkled with shining, yellowish, resinous globules, 
 yielding a grateful scent. Fructification in a row near 
 the edge of each lobe, and when ripe the round masses 
 nearly run together, forming a brown beaded line close 
 to the edge. The cover (indusium) of each mass is thin, 
 white, kidney-shaped, but almost circular, and soon 
 shrivelling up. 
 
 It is usually found upon mountain heaths, but it has 
 been found also in shady woods, where the soil is moist.
 
 170 LASTILEA OHEOl'TKRIS. 
 
 In England it lias been gatliered at Old Foot's Well. 
 Bromsgrove, in Worcestershire ; near Chapel Weardale 
 and Darlington, Durham; at Cawsey Dean, near New- 
 castle; at Keswick and near Lodore Waterfall, in Cum- 
 berland; by the Tees; near Richmond, and in woods at 
 Castle Howard, in Yorkshire ; on Coleshill Heath and 
 Corley, in Warwickshire ; near Warrington ; ou Dethick 
 Moor and near Hi ley, in Derbyshire ; in the Isle 
 of Man; on Dalliugton Heath, near Northamp- 
 ton; on the north side of Shotover Hill, in Oxford- 
 shire ; on Oxtou and Eddiugley Bogs, in Nottingham- 
 shire, and at Hartswell, near Farnsfield ; at Conham 
 and Leigh Woods, near Bristol, in Somersetshire; 
 at.Bradwell, iu Suffolk; in Sussex; on Bailey's Hill, 
 between Brasted and Tunbridge, in Kent , and near 
 Southampton. 
 
 In Scotland, at Glen Isla, in Forfarshire ; in Suther- 
 laudshire ; on the banks of Loch Tay ; in Aberdeen- 
 shire ; and at the foot of Craig Chailleach. 
 
 In Wales, near Wrexham, in Denbighshire ; at Llaii- 
 berris and Nant Gwynedd, in Caernarvonshire. 
 
 In Ireland, in Powerscourt Deer Park, and Waterfall, 
 M angerton Mountain ; Lough Corril, in Galway ; and 
 elsewhere. 
 
 This very beautiful and easily distinguished Fern is 
 first mentioned by Ray as a native of this country. He 
 notices it in the Appendix to the second edition of his 
 Synopsis Metkodica Stirpium Britannicarum as " a variety 
 of the common Male Fern observed by Petiver on Duns- 
 more Heath, near Rugby, in the county of Warwick ;"
 
 LASTR^IA OKEOI'TERIS. 171 
 
 and then proceeds to describe it, and to state that it had 
 been mentioned by Phikenet. 
 
 Mr. Reeve observes, in a letter with which he has 
 favoured us, that this is a very elegant and useful Fern 
 for growing in pots, or on rocks and other scenery, when 
 successfully cultivated. Although rather shy of being 
 removed, yet, with a little care, it may be successfully 
 treated. We find with this, as with many other plants 
 or Ferns that are rather impatient of moisture remain- 
 ing about their roots, that they do not like to have the 
 roots disturbed ; therefore those who would like to culti- 
 vate this Fern should obtain it either in a youug state 
 from its native place, or a well-established plant in a 
 pot from a nurseryman, to be planted or potted in a 
 compost of two-thirds fibry peat and one of leaf-mould 
 smd sandy loam in equal parts, with a free admixture of 
 silver sand. The pots must be carefully and well drained. 
 Place one large crock or oyster-shell over the hole at the 
 bottom of the pot; then place over this, according to the 
 size of pot to be used, a quantity of small crocks, and 
 above this place a little sphagnum, just sufficient to 
 cover the crocks. The potting may then be carried out 
 in the usual manner, pottiug rather firmly. Afterwards 
 great care must be taken to see that the Fern does not 
 have too much water, for it is very impatient of ex- 
 cessive moisture. For the rockery or shrubbery it must 
 also have a well-drained situation, or it will not succeed; 
 and also a shady place will be required. The same 
 compost will do for this as for pot-culture, and, whether 
 in the rockery or in pots, a slight sprinkling with the
 
 172 LASTE^A OREOPTERI8. 
 
 syringe or very fine-rosed pot will be found preferable, 
 during fine growing weather, to the application of 
 water to the roots alone. It is well adapted for either 
 the rockery or shrubbery, and would look much 
 better if planted in masses in the shrubbery in the 
 same manner as mentioned for former species. It may 
 be propagated by division, although with some difficulty, 
 but with more certainty from the mature fructification, 
 which will be ripe by the end of the summer months, 
 and which may be sown and treated in the same way 
 as mentioned for other species.
 
 LASTR&'A. Bl'OIDA.
 
 LASTIl/EA RIGIDA. 175 
 
 / LASTRJL'A ET'GIDA. 
 
 THIS has been called Aspidium rigidum, A.fragrans, and 
 A.spinulosum, Lophodium rigidum, Polypodium rigidum, 
 Potystichum rigidum, and P. strigosum. It is probable, 
 also, that it has been confounded with the Polypodmm 
 fragrans of Linnaeus. It is in English the Rigid Buckler 
 Fern, Rigid Shield Fern, and Rigid Lastraea. 
 
 Root thick, slowly-extending, tufted, with many long, 
 wiry rootlets. Fronds numerous, in a tuft, varying, ac- 
 cording to the situation, from half a foot to more than 
 two feet in height. The stem of each frond is thick and 
 stiff, or rigid, whence the specific name; its lower third is 
 without leaflets, but thickly covered with reddish-brown, 
 sharp-pointed, membranous scales ; these scales extend 
 up the leafleted part. General outline of the leafleted 
 portion a lengthened irregular triangle. Upper leaflets 
 alternate, but lower ones nearly opposite ; their stalks 
 much thickened where they join the stem; the leafits 
 are oblong, blunt, variously but deeply lobed ; lobes 
 with from two to five sharp teeth, but not ending in a 
 spine, with the branch of a lateral vein passing into 
 each tooth. Fructification, mostly at the upper part of 
 the frond, is at the first fork of each lateral vein of the 
 leant bearing it, and so forming a row on each side the 
 mid vein ; running together (confluent) when ripe ; the 
 cover (indusium) kidney-shaped, and attached to the lateral 
 vein by a short stalk at the indentation of its kidney form, 
 white at first, but afterwards leaden-coloured. This cover
 
 176 LASTR.EA RIGIDA. 
 
 is beaded round with stalked globular glands. Similar 
 glands are scattered over the frond's whole surface, and 
 they emitting a rather agreeable odour, have caused it 
 sometimes to be called fraqrans, and, consequently, to 
 be confounded with L. oreopteris. 
 
 It is almost confined to the limestone mountains of 
 the north of England, where it was first noticed as a 
 British Fern by the Rev. Mr. Bree. He discovered it 
 at Ingleborougb, in 1815. Since then it has been found 
 atWhornside; at Settle ; at Arnside Knot, near Silver- 
 dale, in Westmoreland ; and on White Scars, above 
 Ingleborough. A single plant was found near Bath, and 
 another at Louth, in Ireland, but in such situations as 
 to justify the opinion that they were introductions. 
 
 Mr. W. Reeve tells us that this Fern is a free-growing 
 species under cultivation, and is a very elegant ornament 
 for the well-drained and shady parts of the rockery. It 
 being found growing wild generally upon chalky soils, 
 and oftentimes upon elevated positions, points out it is 
 well adapted by its native habit for planting on artificial 
 rockwork. It may be grown, also, successfully in shrub- 
 beries and wildernesses, where a thorough drainage 
 can be procured, and also shade, in which it delights, 
 although it will bear exposure, but the beauty of the 
 plant is then lost. It will also succeed well under pot- 
 culture, and to thrive it should have a well-drained soil, 
 composed of turfy peat two parts, and one part sand or 
 limestone broken into small pieces, and a free admix- 
 ture of silver sand; old mortar, broken small, forms a 
 very good substitute for the third part. The same com-
 
 LASTK^IA BIGIDA. 177 
 
 post will suit it for either pot or rock culture; but 
 whether cultivated in pots or upon rockwork, it must be 
 so placed that, whilst freely supplied with water at the 
 roots and over the foliage (which it will require during 
 the growing season), all excess of water may soon drain 
 away, so that the moisture should never become stag- 
 nant about the roots. Although the present species 
 often grows in situations where it is subject to a consi- 
 derable degree of dryness and exposure to the sun, yet 
 it may, under cultivation, be grown to a much finer 
 state of development if kept moist and shaded during 
 its growing period. Young plants are the best to start 
 with. Proceed with potting and propagating in the 
 same manner as directed for former species, the fructifi- 
 cation being ripe by August or September. 
 
 It may be grown in-doors, although, like most of the 
 other Lastrceas, it usually becomes long and weak under 
 confined treatment; but this may be checked if it can be 
 supplied with abundance of fresh air.
 
 178 LASTRvEA SPINULOSA. 
 
 LASTILE'A SPINULO'SA. 
 
 THIS is described by some botanists under the names 
 of Aspidium spinulosum, Lastraa dentata var. linearis, 
 L. spinosa, Lophodium sp'mosum, Polypodium cristatum, 
 P. filix-fcemina var. spinosa, P. dentatum, P. spinosum, 
 and P. spinulosum, and Polystichum spinosum. In 
 English it is called the Narrow Prickly-toothed Fern, 
 Prickly Shield Fern, Lesser Crested Polypody, and 
 Prickly-toothed Shield Fern. 
 
 This species has been confounded with a variety of 
 Lastraa dilatata by Sir J. E. Smith and others. 
 
 Root rather creeping, and although spreading slowly, 
 yet in old plants it reaches to a distance, and sends up 
 numerous tufts of fronds. Fronds a delicate light green, 
 varying from one to three feet high, very slightly lean- 
 ing, having a long triangular general outline, and 
 perfectly flat. The stem whitish, with a few black dots, 
 through half its length without leaflets, and this un- 
 leafleted part is beset with thin, semi-transparent, pale 
 brown, oval scales, slightly pointed. Leaflets not 
 crowded ; leafits numerously and deeply cut, spear-head 
 shaped, all deeply toothed, each tooth ending in a sharp 
 hooked point, and a branch of a lateral vein passing 
 into each tooth. The lower leafits on each leaflet are 
 often larger than their corresponding upper leafits. 
 Fructification on the first inner branch of each lateral 
 vein, forming a row of circular masses ou each side the 
 mid-vein. The masses are small ; the cover of each
 
 SPINULO'SA.
 
 LASTR^EA SPJNULO8A. 11 
 
 dat, kidney-shaped, slightly waved on the edge, but 
 never fringed with glands. In exposed situations the 
 masses sometimes run together. The fructification is 
 generally, but not always, upon the upper leaflets of the 
 fioads only. 
 
 It is found in marshy places, moist wooded ground, 
 and wet hedgerows. 
 
 In England it has been found in the Isle of Man ; 
 near Ingleborough, Pottery Car at Doncaster, and 
 Richmond, in Yorkshire; Woolston M >ss, in Lancashire; 
 Newchurcb Bog, in Cheshire ; Titterstone Glee Hills, 
 and Bomere Pool, in Shropshire ; in Warwickshire ; in 
 Derbyshire; Dallington Heath, near Northampton ; in 
 Norfolk; near the Windmill and the Spring-well on 
 Wimbledon Common ; in Sussex ; at Tunbridge, in 
 Kent; near Torquay, and in a wood near Dunsfbrd 
 Bridge, in Devonshire. 
 
 In Scotland at B rah an Castle, near Dingwall. We 
 are not sure about other localities where it has been 
 said to be found. 
 
 Mr. Reeve observes to us, that although the Lastr&a 
 spinulosa may, at first sight, be mistaken for L. dilatata, 
 yet, when each of them is cultivated in one collection, 
 there will be found a marked difference. Neither of the 
 species should be absent from a collection, for although 
 a similarity exists, both the distinctness and beauty of 
 6:ich will be very apparent when growing near to each 
 other. 
 
 This is a very fine and erect-growing species, and 
 remarkably well adapted for the moist parts of the
 
 182 LASTR^EA SPINULOSA. 
 
 Fernery, rookery, or shady parts of the shrubbery, and 
 from its bold, free habit, should be largely cultivated. 
 It will bear a moderate degree of exposure, although, 
 like most others of the genus, it prefers shade, attain- 
 iug greater magnitude according to the degree of shade 
 it is grown under ; but, whichever situation it may 
 occupy, a good supply of water will be necessary. 
 
 It is a Fern that will make itself at home under 
 ordinary attention, and may be very confidently trusted 
 to repay its cultivator with the expansion of its noble 
 fronds for much less care and trouble than is necessary 
 for many of the British Ferns. It is also a very nice- 
 looking plant when cultivated in pots, which may be 
 easily done. The principal points are, a good supply of 
 water and good drainage, with allowance of space for 
 the roots as the plant increases in size. A compost of 
 equal parts loam and peat, with an admixture of sand 
 sufficient to keep the soil open, will meet its wishes in 
 any situation. Let it be potted rather firmly, but not 
 hardly. The propagation is as directed for former 
 species, by division or by its fructification.
 
 T.ASTR<E'A THEIA'PTERIS.
 
 LASTR.EA THELYPTEK1S. 185 
 
 /* LASTRJS'A THELYTTERIS. 
 
 THIS has been called by different botanists Acrostichum, 
 Aspidium, Athyrium, Hemestlieum, Polypodium, and 
 Polystichum ; but they all agree iu giving it the specific 
 name of Thelypteris, which is literally the Woman or 
 Lady Fern. In English it is known as the Marsh 
 Shield Fern, Marsh Polypody, and Marsh Fern. 
 
 Root widely creeping, by means of slender, blackish, 
 thread-shaped, smooth, or slightly downy ruuners. 
 From various points in these arise irregularly the/rontfr. 
 These are erect, delicate, deep green, usually smooth, 
 but occasionally slightly hairy. The barren fronds aro 
 about one foot high, but the fertile fronds vary from two 
 to four feet in height. Their stem is slender, and 
 mostly naked, but sometimes slightly scaly, and the 
 lower half without leaflets. These, especially when 
 ban-en, grow markedly horizontally, are narrow spear- 
 head shaped, deeply and regularly pinuatifid, partially 
 opposite, but mostly alternate ; the barren segments 
 blunt, and slightly scolloped; the fertile segments 
 narrower, more pointed, with the edges rolled back. 
 The mid-vein zigzagged, and sometimes very hairy. 
 The lateral veins divide into two branches about half- 
 way between the mid-vein and margin of the segment, 
 and on the fertile fronds each branch of the lateral 
 veins bears a small round mass of the fructification. 
 Each mass is dark brown, at first covered by a thin, 
 white, torn, kidney-shaped cover (indusium), fixed by the
 
 186 LASTR^EA THELYPTERIS. 
 
 centre, but which sooii is elevated and shed. The 
 masses eventually run together into lines, and some- 
 times nearly cover the segment. 
 
 It is found in boggy meadows and marshes, especially 
 where the soil is gravelly, but is rare, and though found 
 in different parts of the British Islands, is very local. 
 It is more common in Scotland than in England or 
 Ireland. In England, on Learmouth Bogs, in Northum- 
 berland ; near Settle, in Yorkshire ; at Allesley, in War- 
 wickshire; on Knutsford Moor and New Church Bog, 
 near Over, in Cheshire ; on Oxton Bogs, in Nottingham- 
 shire ; in Windsor Park and Sunning Hill Wells, in 
 Berkshire ; in the valley below Caesar's Camp, on Wim- 
 bledon Common ; and on Leath Hill, in Surrey ; in 
 a bog on Waterdown Forest, near Tunbridge Wells ; at 
 Belton, and near Bungay, in Suffolk; at St. Faith's, 
 Newton Bogs, near Norwich ; and in Somersetshire and 
 Sussex. In Wales, in a moist dell at the foot of Snowdon, 
 near Llanberris; on the border of the lake near Red 
 Wharf; and at Beaumaris, in Anglesea. In Ireland, 
 on the marshes at Glencree, in Wicklow, and at Ne- 
 veruss, Killarney. 
 
 This Fern was first noticed as an English plant by 
 Ray. He mentions it in his Synopsis Methodica Stir- 
 pium Britannicarum, as the Filix minor palustris repens, 
 Creeping Water Fern, or Lesser Marsh Fern. 
 
 Mr. Reeve informs us that the Lastrcea thetypteris will 
 be found to thrive pretty well under pot-culture, and 
 with ordinary care will become a very elegant object. 
 Being one of those Ferns which choose a marshy place
 
 LASTRyEA THELTfPTERIS. 187 
 
 for their natural habitation, it will be found vey useful 
 for planting upon the base of the rockery, where, when 
 once established, it will soon spread and show its 
 beauty, for, when seen in a mass, it is a very handsome 
 Fern. It produces its fertile fronds, which arc the 
 finest, in much greater abundance where it has full 
 scope for its roots, delighting as it does in being per- 
 mitted to creep about where it chooses. It may, however, 
 be treated very successfully under pot-culture ; but, 
 as it will be seen, from its creeping nature, a pan will 
 be far better to grow it m than any other vessel, as it 
 does not require depth so much as surface-room. The 
 drainage in the pan must be formed by a layer of crocks 
 at the bottom, then a layer of coarse, fibry peat, filling 
 half the depth of tht pan, and the remainder with a 
 compost of two-thirds turfy peat, and one-third of leaf- 
 mould, with a free admixture of silver sand, and a few 
 pieces of crock broken very small. In this compost, 
 with a free supply of water, the plant will flourish as if 
 at home. The same compost will suit it for planting 
 out. It may be propagated easily by division, and may 
 be grown also under glass. The plants in pots or pans 
 will require a slight protection through the winter 
 
 Some botanists have considered as species, and even 
 as belonging to a new genus, forms of Ferns which, we 
 believe, are only varieties of the species of Lastrtea, 
 which we have particularised. Thus Aspidium dume- 
 torum, Lophodium glandulosum, and Lophodium colli- 
 num, we consider varieties of Lastrasa dilatata, and 
 Lophodium uliginosum of Lastraa cristata.
 
 188 OPHIOGLOSSUM VULGATL'M. 
 
 /OPHIOGLO'SSUM VULGA'TUM. 
 
 THAT this is a Fern very distinct from all others is de- 
 monstrated by the fact that it has never received from 
 botanists any other generic name than Ophioglossuni , 
 and with but a solitary exception no other specific 
 name than that under which we notice it. The ex- 
 ception is 0. ovatum, the name uuder which it is de- 
 scribed by Mr. Salisbury. Its English name is equally 
 unique, being known by no other than Adder's Tongue. 
 The botanical name is merely a translation of this, 
 derived from the Greek words opliis, a serpent, and 
 qlossa, a tongue. 
 
 Boot small, carrot - shaped, with numerous stout, 
 yellow, smooth, fibrous rootlets, spreading horizontally. 
 Frond from three to nine, and even more inches high ; 
 its stem pale green, round, hollow, and tapering down- 
 wards; the barren lobe of the frond, usually called the 
 leaf, stalkless, solitary, egg-shaped, lurid green, nearly 
 upright, sheathing the stem; the fertile lobe, which 
 gives the plant its name, from its somewhat tongue-like 
 shape, is really a spike of fructification, as in the 
 Botryehium and Osmunda ; it rises from withinside the 
 base of the barren lobe, stalked, narrow, slightly taper- 
 ing upwards, pointed, bearing the fructification in a 
 line along each of its two edges ; the fructification is 
 embedded in roundish, yellow masses, which, gaping 
 when the spores have escaped, present a series of clefts
 
 OPBIOGLO'SSVD vci.OA*r!l.
 
 OPIIIOGLOSSUM VULGATUM. 191 
 
 along each e;lge. Tliis tongue-shaped lobe is usually 
 entire, but sometimes is divided into two ; the leaf- 
 like lobe, also, though in general whole, is occasionally 
 deeply cleft at the top. 
 
 It is usually found in meadows and moist pastures; 
 but we have also found it in Hampshire, in an open 
 copse, in an old chalk-pit at Abbot's Barton, near Win 
 Chester. 
 
 In England it has been found, also, at Middleton-one- 
 row, Durham; Round House, near Richmond, York- 
 shire; West Felton, Shropshire; behind Heawood Hall, 
 near Alderley, Cheshire ; near Warrington, Lancashire; 
 near Braimston, Leicestershire; Heanor and Love 
 Lane, near Derby, Derbyshire ; Colwick, Nottingham- 
 shire; Broadmoor, near Birmingham; Pottery Car; 
 near Blymhill, Staffordshire; near Bristol; at the side 
 of a pond on Wike Farm, Sion Lane, Isleworth ; near 
 the ladder- stile, Osterley Park, near Brentford, Mid- 
 dlesex ; at Beddington, near Bungay, and Meltingham 
 Castle, Suffolk ; four miles south of Dorking, Surrey; 
 meadows of Longleat, Wilts; about Slateford, near 
 Barnstaple, Devon ; and in various parts of Norfolk, 
 Herts, Kent, and Hants. 
 
 In Scotland, in Dalmeney Woods, near Edinburgh; 
 in Orkney ; at Balmuto ; and at Carlowrie. 
 
 In Wales, near Wrexham ; and on the lawn of 
 the Observatory, Duusink, and many other parts of 
 Ireland. 
 
 The first writer mentioning it as an English plant 
 is Dr. William Turner, who, in the third part of his
 
 192 OPHIOGLOSSUM VULGATUM. 
 
 Herball, published in 1568, says, " The Adder's Tongue, 
 or Ophyoglosson, groweth in moyst and medowes in the 
 end of April ; " adding, after giving a very characteristic 
 woodcut, " This is a wounde herbe, and healeth woundes 
 which are almost uncurable, or at the least wonderfully 
 hard to be healed. The nature of it is also to dryve 
 away great swellinges, and to prevent extreme inflam- 
 mations. Some use to bruise it with Swyne's grese, and 
 to kepe it and laye it upon swellinges ; but I councell 
 rather to seth it when it is grene with sallet oyle, and to 
 kepe it, and then will it be good both for swellings and 
 woundes also." This is still used as an application to 
 fresh wounds, and country-people know it as " Adder's- 
 spear ointment." 
 
 There is a very permanent variety of this Fern, which 
 by some botanists has been raised to the dignity of a 
 species, under the name of Ophioglossum Lusitanicum, 
 the Spanish or Lesser Adder's Tongue. Its only re- 
 markable differences from O. vulgatum are its shorter 
 growth, its producing more than one leaf, and the leaves 
 being stalked and spear-head-shaped. 
 
 The drawing on the opposite page will best make its 
 differences understood. 
 
 " For its discovery in the Channel Islands we are in- 
 debted to Mr. George Wolsey, who found it among 
 short herbage on the summit of rocks not far from 
 Petit Bot Bay, on the south coast of the Island of 
 Guernsey, growing with Trichonema Columns and 
 Scilla autumnaUs" (Sowerby's Ferns, edited by Charles 
 Johnson.)
 
 OPHIOGLOSSUM VULGATUM. 
 
 193 
 
 Mr. W. Reeve, writing to U8 relative to the culture of 
 these Ferns, says: 
 
 ' The Ophioglossum vulgatum is scarcely worth cul- 
 tivating unless for curiosity, or for completing a col- 
 lection, in which case it should not be absent. Although 
 
 of simple appearance, yet, when cultivated with other 
 species of Ferns, it will not fail to give satisfaction, and, 
 like the Ophioglossum Lusitanicum, may be very easily 
 grown, and will soon spread and form a mass, under 
 favourable circumstances, at the base of the Fernery or 
 
 o
 
 194 OPHIOGLOSSUM VULGATUM. 
 
 rockery. Let it have a compost of equal parts lonni, 
 leaf-mould, and peat, with an admixture of sand. There 
 is not enough interest in the plant itself to be grown 
 away from other Ferns. 
 
 " It may be also grown in pots, or wide, shallow pans, 
 in the same compost. It must be potted firmly, with a 
 good drainage, and requires a good supply of water. It 
 may be propagated by division, or by the fructification, 
 to be treated in the same way as directed for former 
 genera. It will be as well to give both these Ferns a 
 slight protection in winter when cultivated in pots. 
 Each will thrive well in the greenhouse."
 
 OSMU'NDA KEGJL'LIS.
 
 OSMUNDA. REGALIS. 197 
 
 / OSMU'NDA REGA'LIS. 
 
 THIS very stately Fern has never been called by modern 
 botanists otherwise than by the above names ; and its 
 usual English names bear the same import, for it has 
 been called The Royal Fern, Osmund Royal, Royal 
 Moonwort, and Royal Brackens. Early writers, how- 
 ever, have called it by names less dignified, for we find 
 it mentioned as Flowering Fern, Osmund the Waterman, 
 Water Fern, and Saint Christopher's Herb. 
 
 Its root is tuberous, woody, scaly, sometimes extend- 
 ing horizontally, but at others rising erect as much 
 even as two feet out of the ground, and at all times 
 furnished with numerous, strong, fibrous rootlets. The 
 fronds rise from the crown of the root. The fertile 
 fronds are usually two or three feet high, and few in 
 number; but the barren fronds are more numerous, 
 and often attain to more than six feet ; and Mr. S. 
 Murray, on the banks of the Clyde, measured one tuft 
 that was eleven feet and a half in height. Their stem is 
 smooth, and reddish when young ; they are doubly 
 leafleted, the primary divisions being opposite, and the 
 secondary divisions mostly alternate. Leqfits smooth, 
 bright green, nearly stalkless, somewhat heart-shaped, or 
 slightly lobed at the base oblong, bluntish, entirely or 
 only slightly scolloped, but we have seen them slightly 
 toothed; they have one mid-vein, and numerous lateral 
 veins. In the fertile fronds the upper leafits are divided 
 and changed, aa it were, into dense clusters or spikes of
 
 198 OSMUNDA REGALI8. 
 
 capsules. The terminal divisions of the frond are com- 
 posed entirely of such capsules, forming a compound, 
 loose cluster or panicle. Each capsule is at first green, 
 but becomes pale reddish-brown, veined, two-valved, 
 and on a short stalk; the seeds (spores) are numerous, 
 and nearly globular. 
 
 It is not very common, and is found in wet bogs, 
 woods, and hedges. 
 
 In England it has been found at Low-gelt Bridge, 
 Allowby, and Keswick, in Cumberland ; between Stone- 
 bridge and Bradnoek's Marsh, near Parker's Mill, in 
 Warwickshire ; at Ellesmere Lakes, Moreton Moors, 
 and West Felton, in Shropshire; at Speke, between 
 Crosby and Formby, and on Chat Moss, near Liver- 
 pool ; Walston Moss, near Warrington, in Lan- 
 cashire ; in the Isle of Man ; Chartley Moss, in 
 Staffordshire; at Pottery Car, near Doncaster; near 
 Leeds; near the upper mill at Bulwell, in Notting- 
 hamshire; on bogs near Yarmouth, and St. Faith's, 
 Newton Bogs, Norwich; in Kavanagh's Wood, Great 
 Warley, near the Barracks at Little Warley, and at 
 Danbury, in Essex ; near Leith Hill, and near Dorking, 
 in Surrey; on Bagsbot Heath ; between Frimley village 
 and Frimley Green, and on Esher Common, in Surrey ; 
 at Tunb ridge, in Kent; at the corner of the Lake, 
 Uckfield, in Sussex.; on the cliffs near Dawlish, near 
 Chudleigh, on the banks of the Teign, and at Ivy 
 Bridge, on the Erme, in Devon; on the Goodhilly 
 Downs, near St. Ives, and in the mouths of old mines 
 near M.arazion and Cosgarne, Cornwall ; in the Isle
 
 OSMUNDA BEGAL1S. 199 
 
 of Wight; at Saudford Bridge, near Wareham, and at 
 New Bridge, near Wimborrie, iu Dorset; in the New 
 Forest, and at Freemantle, near Southampton. 
 
 In Scotland, at the head of Loch Fine, to the north- 
 east of Inverary, Argyleshire, and on the Dumbarton 
 side, near Loch Lomond ; at the side of the Loch 
 at Incliuedamff, Sutherlandshire ; in Aberdeenshire, 
 and on the coast of Kincardineshire. 
 
 In Ireland, at Mucruss Abbey ; at Castlebar, in Mayo, 
 and in Kelly's Glen, county of Dublin. 
 
 In Wales, near Llyn Traffwll, in the turbary at 
 Trewilmot, near Holyhead. 
 
 The first notice of this "flower -crowned Prince of 
 British Ferns " is in the edition of Oerardes Herbal 
 of 1597. He says, "It groweth in the midst of a bog, 
 at the further end of Hampstead Heath, from London, 
 at the bottome of a hill adjoyning to a small cottage, 
 and in divers other places; as also upon divers bogges 
 on a heath or common neere unto Bruntwood, in 
 Essex, especially neere unto a place there that some 
 have digged, to the end to find a nest or mine of 
 gold ; but the birds were over fledge, and flowne 
 away, before their wings could be clipped." 
 
 The root of this Fern was considered by ancient phy 
 sieians, " especially the heart, or middle part thereof," as 
 a powerful remedy if applied to wounds. That " middle 
 part," says Gerarde, " hathe beene called the heart of 
 Osmund the Waterman." 
 
 Dodoens, in 1583, was the first to call this Fern by 
 the name of Osmund ; and, as Dodoens was a Fleming,
 
 200 OSMUNDA REGAINS. 
 
 we might expect from Flanders to ascertain the origin 
 of this name; but it remains unexplained. Parkinson 
 says it was called " Osmunda regalis, of the singular 
 properties therein;" but whether he refers to the first 
 or second word of the name is not specified. Osmund, 
 in Anglo-Saxon, is " House-peace ;" at least, so says 
 Carnden ; and " House-peace royal " may have reference 
 to its then credited powers as a vulnary. 
 
 Wordsworth, with a poet's license, but no authority, 
 thus speaks of this Fern : 
 
 '' Fair Ferns and flowers, and chiefly that tall Fern, 
 So stately, of the Queen Osmunda named ; 
 Plant lovelier, in its own retired abode, 
 On Grasmere'a beach, than Naiad by the side 
 Of Grecian brook, or Lady of the Mere, 
 Sole-sitting by the shores of old romance." 
 
 Another poet anonymously refers to the same plant 
 as follows: 
 
 " Auld Botany Ben was wont to jog 
 Thro* rotten slough and quagmire bog, 
 Or brimfull dykes and marshes dank 
 Where Jack-a- Lanterns play and prank, 
 To teek a cryptogameous store 
 Of Moss, of Carex, and Fungus hoare, 
 Of Ferns and Brakes, and such-like sights, 
 As tempt out scientific wights 
 On winter's day ; but most his joy 
 Was finding what's called Osman Hoy." 
 
 This most noble of all the British Ferns, being so 
 distinct from all others, and being so easily cultivated, 
 should not be absent from any collection. Mr. W. 
 Reeve says that it will be found to delight in a compost 
 of three-parts fibry peat and one of vegetable mould,
 
 OSMUNDA REGALIS. 201 
 
 with a free admixture of silver sand. If grown in a pot, 
 which must be large, or other confined space, it must 
 have good drainage, and an abundant and continuous 
 supply of water. With a moderate space for its roots it 
 makes a noble-looking plant. For open-air culture it 
 prefers a damp, shady situation, and in the compost as 
 for pot-culture it will thrive and do well. It may be 
 also grown in exposed situations with an abundant 
 supply of water through the summer months. In such 
 an exposure it will not produce nearly such fine fronds 
 as in one more shaded; yet, if a constant supply of water 
 and good drainage can be secured, it will do remarkably 
 well. We have also grown this Osmunda very success- 
 fully in a stove temperature, where it will, with plenty 
 of light, form also a pleasing object. It is too large for 
 a Wardian case. It may be increased by sowing its 
 seeds, and also by division ; but by its seeds is the best 
 mode.
 
 202 POLY PODIUM ALPESTRE. 
 
 POLYPO'DIUM ALPE'STRE. 
 
 THIS, until a few years since, was unnoticed as a British 
 Fern, apparently because it lias the aspect, unless closely 
 inspected, of Athyrium filix-fcemina. It has been called 
 Polypodium rhccticum and Pseudathyrium alpestre ; but 
 we know of no other English name than Alpine Poly- 
 pody, & name very appropriate, because it is found only 
 in mountain glens at high elevations. 
 
 Root, in its wild state, lying down, much branched, 
 with a tuft of fronds at the end of each branch. Fronds, 
 from one to three feet high, in circular tufts; their 
 stem rather swollen at the base, and only about one- 
 fifth of its length bare of leaflets, this bare part having 
 a few brown, broad, pointed scales. The general out- 
 line of the frond is narrow spear-head-shaped ; leaflets 
 alternate, and their leafits, like the frond, narrow spear- 
 head shaped, on short stalks, at right angles with the 
 stalk of the leaflet, deeply cut at their edges, and each 
 section sharply toothed ; their mid-vein zigzag, and 
 with lateral veins branching Into each section, beariug a 
 mass of fructification at the end of one of their branches 
 midway between the mid-vein and edge of the leafit. 
 Each mass is circular, generally distinct, but sometimes 
 running together. 
 
 This Fern was first discovered in the British Isles by 
 Mr. H. C. Watson, who, in 1841, found it on Ben 
 Aulder, in Inverness-shire, and iu Caulocken Glen, For- 
 farshire. It has since been found on the Clova Moun-
 
 POLYPO'DIUM ALPE'STBE.
 
 POLYPODIUM ALPESTRE. 205 
 
 tains by Mr. Backhouse, who observes that Athyrium 
 Jili-x-fcemina accompanies it up as high as from 2,000 to 
 3,000 feet ; but from the latter height, up to 4,000 feet, 
 Pohjpodium alpestre is alone. 
 
 Mr. W. Reeve informs us that Polypodium alpestre is 
 well worthy of cultivation, for, when successfully grown, 
 it is erect, yet elegant. It requires a well-drained com- 
 post, composed of fibry peat two parts, and fine loam 
 and leaf-mould equalised to form the other two parts, 
 with an admixture of silver sand and freestone crocks, or 
 some such porous substance, broken very small. The 
 plants in pots must have a good drainage, and be kept 
 moist during the growing season, and gradually dried 
 oft' and ripened as winter approaches, when they will 
 require a slight protection ; to be either shifted into 
 larger pots or deep pans in the spring, or to be parted 
 and placed in smaller pots. If cultivated on rockwork, 
 or in any fixed situation, care must be taken to procure 
 a thorough drainage. In any case, if the drainage is 
 bad, the plant will not thrive. It must be planted 
 firmly upon a shallow supply of the above-named 
 compost. This, with a few pieces of porous stone or 
 old mortar laid about the surface, will be beneficial. 
 It prefers an open situation, but does not like the rays 
 of the sun much. If these directions are followed, and 
 a moderate supply of water given overhead during the 
 growing season, success may be expected. It may be 
 grown well in a greenhouse where it can have plenty of 
 light, and it can be propagated by division.
 
 20C POLYPODIUM CACCAREUM. 
 
 POLYPO'DIUM CALCA'REUM. 
 
 THIS, by modern botanists, was confounded with P. 
 dryopteris ; but, though much resembling, there is no 
 reasonable doubt of their being two distinct species. 
 
 Root dark brown, but stouter and less widely creeping 
 tban that of P. dryopteris. Its rootlets are almost black, 
 scattered, and wiry. The stem of each frond is firm and 
 stiff, varying in height from six to eighteen inches, and 
 nearly two-thirds of its length being without leaflets. 
 The stalks of the two lower leaflets are so much more 
 stout tban the stalks of those above them, that some 
 botanists consider them as two branches, and call it a 
 three-branched Fern. The unleafleted portion of the 
 stem is stout, pale, very scaly, and bearing numerous 
 small, stalked glands. These glands are found also on 
 the leaflets, and give the whole plant a mealy aspect. 
 The general outline of the frond is nearly equilateral 
 triangular. Leaflets opposite ; the lower ones, in very 
 luxuriant specimens, have leafits alternate and deeply 
 cut (pinnatifid). The upper leaflets are only deeply cut, 
 or lobed ; but the edges of both leafits and lobes are 
 scolloped and fringed with very small, stalked glands. 
 Each leafit and lobe has a wavy mid-vein, from which 
 proceed very regularly, in pairs, lateral or side-veins; 
 these side-veins are also very regularly forked, and on 
 the upper branch of each fork, about midway between 
 the edge of the leafit or lobe and its mid-vein, is a 
 circular mass of fructification. The masses become
 
 POLYPO'DIUM CAT.CA'BEUH.
 
 POLTPODIUM CALCAREUM. 209 
 
 brown and crowded as they ripen. The colour of the 
 entire frond is a very distinguishing mealy, dark green. 
 
 It is found only on a limestone soil (whence its 
 * specific name, calcareum), on mountainous heaths, and 
 in wooded places. We are not aware of its being found 
 native in either Ireland or Scotland; but in England it 
 grows about Matlock Bath, and on the road-side under 
 the Lover's Leap at Buxton, in Derbyshire ; at Sbeddin 
 Clough, near Burnley, and near Lancaster ; at Arncliff, 
 Gordale, White Scars, near Ingleton, and near iSettle, in 
 Yorkshire; on Cheddar Cliffs and Box Quarries, near 
 Bath, in Somersetshire ; and in Leigh Woods, near 
 Bristol. 
 
 This is not a newly-discovered Fern, for it was known 
 to Clusius, Taberuseiuontanus, and Gerarde ; but it was 
 first recognised as a native of England by the late 
 President of the Linnsean Society, Sir J. E. Smith. It 
 has been described by botanists under the following 
 names : Gymnocarpium Roberlianum, Lastrtea calcarea, 
 and L. Mobertiana, Phegopteris calcarea, and Polypo- 
 dium Robertianum. In Johnson's edition of Gerarde s 
 Herbal it is figured and described as Dryopteris Tragi. 
 In English it is known as the Limestone Polypody, 
 Rigid three-branched Polypody, and Smith's Fern. 
 
 Mr. W. Reeve says that this Fern, like the P. alpestre, 
 is a desirable species for cultivation, and is very scarce. 
 It is pretty, and may be very successfully treated. It 
 will be found to prefer, and, in fact, will not do in any 
 other than, a free, open compost, composed of fibry 
 peat, loam, and vegetable mould, equalised to form 
 
 p
 
 210 POLYPODIUM CALCAREUM. 
 
 two parts, and very old mortar and lime or sand- 
 stone for the other two parts, with a free addition of 
 silver sand. A good drainage must also be secured, 
 and the plant fixed firmly in the situation it is to re- 
 main in. It likes a free supply of water overhead 
 through the summer months, but to be withheld as 
 winter approaches ; and it must be ripened off to stand 
 through that season. The above-particularised compost 
 and directions will be suitable either for pot-culture 
 or for cultivation on rockwork, where it will bear 
 moderate exposure to the sun ; but, as with the P. 
 alpestre, a thoroughly good drainage and a free supply 
 of water will be necessary ; the water, of course, not 
 to be used while the sun is shining upon it. It thrives 
 remarkably well in a greenhouse, and may be easily 
 propagated by division.
 
 POLYPO'DIUM DEYO'PTEEIS.
 
 POLYPOD1UM DRYOPTERIS. 213 
 
 POLYPO'DIUM DRYO'PTERTS. 
 
 THIS Fern has uniformly borne the specific name of 
 dryopteris, from being sometimes found among the 
 moss about the root of Oak-trees, drys being the 
 Greek for au Oak, and pteris for a Fern. It has been 
 included, however, iu. various genera by different bo- 
 tanists, being described by them as a Gymnocarpium, 
 Lastreea, Phegopteris, and Polystichum. In English it 
 is known as the Three-branched Polypody. 
 
 Its root is black, widely creeping, thread-like, wavy, 
 and slightly hairy, with numerous tufts of rootlets. 
 Fronds from five to twelve inches high, with nearly a 
 five-sided outline when laid flat ; but this form is not 
 apparent in their growing posture, owing to their very 
 flaccid growth. Stem slender, brittle, pale green, very 
 smooth, with the exception of a few scales at the bottom ; 
 dividing into three branches at the top, each branch 
 about one-third the length of the stem, but the middle 
 branch is rather the longest. The branches spread 
 loosely and drooping, so as to be arched above. The 
 branches really are large, pale, bright green leaflets, 
 smooth, fine-textured, and cut into deep, oblong, blunt 
 segments, wavy or toothed at their edge, and rather 
 rolled back, and smooth, except having a slight downi- 
 ness on the mid-vein. Instead of segments there are a 
 few stalkless leaflets near the base of each branch. 
 Each branch is triangular in its general outline. Mid- 
 veiu wavy, with alternate side-veins, which fork, and
 
 214 POLYPODIUM DRYOPTEK1S. 
 
 bear a mass of fructification on the inner branch of each 
 fork midway between the edge and the mid-vein of the 
 segment of the leaflet. The masses are pale, convex, 
 and permanently distinct, turning brown when ripe, and 
 are without hairs, scales, or other covering. 
 
 It is found on shaded mountain-sides. Jn England, 
 above Langley Ford, near the Cheviot Mountains; 
 among rocks at the fall of Lodore, Derwent Water, 
 in Cumberland ; in Barrowfield-wood, near Kendal ; 
 near Durham; in Wedwood Forest, near Yoxhall 
 Lodge, Staffordshire; near the upper part of the 
 Tees ; at Hill Cliff, Cheshire ; Egerton Moor, and 
 Dean Church Clough, near Boltou; and Boghart 
 Hole Clough and Prestwich Clough, Lancashire ; 
 rocks at Belle Hag, Sheffield; Richmond, and about 
 North Bierley, in Yorkshire ; Cornbury Quarry, in 
 Oxfordshire ; at Froddesley Hill, and north side of 
 Titterstone Glee Hill, in Shropshire ; in woods north-east 
 of the road up Frocester Hill, in Gloucestershire ; and 
 Leigh Woods, near Bristol. 
 
 In Wales, near Tintern Abbey; at Craig Breidden, 
 Montgomeryshire ; Rhaiadr-y-Wenol-Twll-Du, Caernar- 
 vonshire ; near Llangollen on a slate rock ; frequent in 
 North Wales. 
 
 In Scotland, on the banks of the White Adder, 
 between the Retreat and Elm Cottage, Berwickshire, 
 at Laugholm and Broomholm, in Eskdale; at Moray, 
 in Ross-shire ; Hawthorn Dean, near Edinburgh ; 
 about Duukeld, in Stormont ; common in Aberdeen- 
 shire, Forfarshire, and Perthshire.
 
 POLYPODIUM DRYOPTERIS. 215 
 
 In Ireland, at Connamara, Killarney, Mourne Moun- 
 tains, Mam Turk, Tullamore Park, Turk Mountain, and 
 other mountain districts. 
 
 This is the Filix ramosa minor, or Smaller-branched 
 Fern, of Bauhin's Historia Plantarum, where it is well 
 represented by the woodcut. It is certainly not the 
 Dryopteru Tragi of Clusius, Gerarde, and Parkinson. 
 
 It was not known to Ray as a British plant when he 
 published, in 1670, his Catalogus Plantarum Anglic ; 
 but he had discovered it near Tintern Abbey before he 
 published the first volume of his Historia Plantarum, 
 in 1685, and this is the first certain notice of its being 
 a member of the British Flora. 
 
 The Polypodium dryopteris is well worthy of culti- 
 vation, and, from its distinctness and comparatively 
 compact habit, will be found to be very useful for rock- 
 work, or any retired spot where moisture and shade can 
 be commanded. It has, like the last-named species, 
 a creeping main root, and will, like it, also require a 
 shallow compost, composed of two-thirds fibry peat, with 
 one-third leaf-mould, and a free admixture of sand and a 
 little finely-broken sandstone. This compost will grow 
 it either iu the rockery or in a pot. In either case a good 
 drainage must be secured; for, although the growing 
 plant delights in an abundant supply of water, yet it is 
 most averse to water remaining about its roots. There- 
 fore this must be attended to, and, after the usual 
 articles are placed (such as crocks, broken bricks, or 
 porous stones) for the drainage, a layer of moss, or the 
 roughest parts of the peat, should be placed over the
 
 216 POLYPODIUM DRYOPTERIS. 
 
 crocks or stone. This will prevent the fine compost 
 from filling the vacancies among the drainage upon the 
 moss or rough peat. A depth of about three inches of 
 the prepared compost will be quite sufficient. Upon 
 this the plants are to be placed rather firmly, the main 
 root of the plants to be just, and only just, below the 
 surface. After this is done, providing the weather is 
 anything but wet, a moderate watering should follow 
 to settle the whole, after which the plants will require 
 to be kept moist until the new fronds begin to unfold, 
 when, as they increase iu size, a free supply of water 
 will be necessary over the whole plant, so that a shady, 
 moist atmosphere may be kept about it as steadily as 
 possible. 
 
 The same directions as regards drainage and planting 
 must be observed for pot culture, giving a continual 
 supply of water during the growing season, and keep- 
 ing the pots in the shade. 
 
 This Polypodium may be readily increased by division. 
 As winter approaches the water should be gradually 
 withheld, and the plants allowed to have a drier soil to 
 stand in through that season. The plants in pots should 
 have a slight protection during the winter. They 
 thrive remarkably well in a greenhouse, and would do 
 well for a case of hardy Ferns.
 
 POLVPO'DIUM PKEGO'PTERIS.
 
 POLYPODIUM PIIECSOl'TEUIS. 219 
 
 * POLYPO'DIUM PHEGOTTERIS. 
 
 THIS species, by some botanists, bas been included in 
 the following genera Gymnocarpium, Lastraa,Hn(l Poly- 
 itichum. In every instance, however, they retained the 
 specific name, phegopteris, singularly inapplicable as it 
 is; for phegos, a Birch-tree, and pteris, a Fern, literally 
 the Beech Feru, has no reference either to its shape or to 
 its haunts, for it is more rarely found in woods than 
 on mountains. In English it is known as the Pale 
 Mountain Polypody, Mountain Polypody, and Sun 
 Fern, names referring to the high and fully-exposed- 
 to-the-light situations in which it delights. 
 
 Its root is dark-coloured, thread-shaped, wavy, widely- 
 creeping, scaly, and slightly hairy, emitting fibrous 
 rootlets in tufts wherever fronds are produced from it. 
 Fronds scattered, erect, five to eighteen inches high, 
 sharp -pointed, spear-head shuped, delicate - textured, 
 covered with small hairs. Stem brittle, pale, slender, 
 sometimes rather scaly, more than half its length uu- 
 leafleted. Leaflets sharp -pointed, opposite, the two 
 lowest separated widely from those above them, bent 
 forward, and rather hanging down. Most of the leaflets 
 are deeply cut into numerous broad segments. Each 
 segment is blunt, wavy, somewhat scolloped; sometimes, 
 however, entire, covered with fine hairs, and often 
 fringed. The uppermost leaflets composing the sharp 
 point of the froud are entire, and without segments. 
 The mid-vein of each segment is wavy, and more hairy
 
 220 POLYPODIUM PHEGOPTERIS. 
 
 than the other parts of the leaflet. The hairs in various 
 parts are often in tufts, or starry. The side-veins are 
 alternate, usually unbranched, and bearing at their 
 upper end, near the margin of the segment, a mass of 
 fructification. Each vein does not hear a mass, there- 
 fore the row is broken. Each mass is naked, circular, 
 very small, and pale yellowish-brown. 
 
 It is chiefly found in the clefts of rocks in moist, 
 mountainous situations, sometimes on open, stony moors, 
 and still more rarely in woods, but, wherever found, the 
 soil abounds with moisture. 
 
 In England it has been found on rocks above Langley 
 Ford, at the foot of the Cheviot Hills; at Cawsey Dean, 
 Durham ; about Keswick, Cumberland ; at Egerton 
 Moss, near Bolton, Belle Hag, near Sheffield, at Settle 
 and Wensley Dale, Yorkshire ; at Prestwich Clough 
 and Boghart Clough, Lancashire ; at Norwood, Surrey ; 
 near Brentford, Middlesex; at Lidford Fall and 
 Beckey Fall, Dartmoor, Devonshire; and in the Isle 
 of Man. 
 
 In Wales, near Llanberris, in the first and second 
 fields towards Snowdon : Capel Curig, North Wales ; 
 and in Caernarvonshire. 
 
 In Scotland, on the Grampians, in Aberdeenshire ; on 
 Red Caird Hill, west of Inverness-shire; in Forfarshire, 
 Sutherland, Dumbarton, and other parts of the High- 
 lauds ; in Moray and Ross-shire ; on Ben Lomond ; at 
 Ruberslaw and Jedburgh ; and at Campsie, near 
 Glasgow. 
 
 lu Ireland, on the right hand of Powerscourt Water-
 
 TOLYPODIUM PHEGOPTERIS. 221 
 
 fall ; at Waterfall above Lough Eske, in Donegal ; and in 
 other parts of northern counties. (Francis' Analysis of 
 British Ferns.) 
 
 This Fern was not known as a British plant when 
 Ray published, in 1670, his Catalogus Plantanim 
 Angliae; but it is included by Morrison and Bobart in 
 their Historia Plantarum Oxoniensis, published in 1680, 
 and Bobart states that it had been found in the northern 
 parts of England by Mr. T. Lawson and Mr. D. Lhwyd 
 (Lloyd). In those parts it had also been observed by 
 Dr. James Sherard. Dillenius mentions it, in 1724, in 
 the third edition of Ray's Synopsis Methodica Stirpium 
 Britannicarum, as "Filix minor Britannica pediculo 
 pallidiore, alis inferioribus deorsum spectantibus." (The 
 smaller British Fern, with paler stem, and lower wings 
 looking downwards.) 
 
 The Poly podium pliegopteris is a free-growing and very 
 pretty species. Under favourable circumstances it will 
 not fail to repay the cultivator. It is remarkably well 
 adapted for cultivating upon the shaded and most moist 
 parts of a Fernery or rockery. Such a situation must 
 be secured for it, it being particularly partial to an 
 abundant and constant supply of water about its roots, 
 and also as often as possible overhead, during the 
 growing season. A situation on the Fernery, where it 
 might be partially overshadowed by some projecting 
 portion of the rockwork, would be suitable; but, although 
 it delights in a situation like this, yet it must be well 
 drained, so that the mould about its roots does not 
 become soddened and water-logged, for stagnant water
 
 222 POLYPODIUM PHEGOPTERIS. 
 
 throws the plant into a sickly state, and finally deprives 
 it of life. 
 
 Haviug chosen or constructed a suitable place for it, 
 proceed to drain as directed for the last species, using 
 a moderately thick layer of sphagnum moss, or the 
 roughest parts of the peat, to be pressed firmly together; 
 upon that may be placed a few lumps of sandstone, if 
 at hand, or porous stone of any kind. Room to be 
 allowed for five or six inches of the following compost : 
 Fibry peat three parts, loam one part, and leaf-mould 
 one part, with a free admixture of silver sand. The 
 Fern to be planted firmly in it, so that the main root 
 is barely below the surface, when a few pieces of finely- 
 broken stone strewed about the surface will help to 
 keep the soil open. This operation is best done early in 
 the spring. When all is finished, a liberal watering 
 may be given, and the whole left a few days to settle. 
 Just enough water to keep the soil moist will be suffi- 
 cient until the young fronds begin to unfold, when a 
 more liberal supply must be given, and continued until 
 the winter is approaching, when water must be with- 
 held, and the soil only kept slightly moist through that 
 season. 
 
 For pot culture the same compost may be used, well 
 draining the pots, or deep pans, which are, perhaps, 
 better, and placing the plants in the same manner as on 
 the rockwork. These must be kept in a close, shady 
 place, and be freely supplied with water, or failure will 
 most surely be the result. This Fern may be very 
 successfully grown in a greenhouse or cool stove,
 
 POLYPODIUM PHEGOPTERIg. 223 
 
 wliere it may be kept green through the winter, but 
 the pots should have a slight protection. It is very 
 readily increased by division, which should be done 
 in spring.
 
 224 POLYPOD1UM VULGARE. 
 
 i/POLYPO'DIUM VULGA'RE. 
 
 WITH hut one exception botanists have never called 
 this Fern by any other name than Polypodium, a name 
 derived from two Greek words, polys, many, and pous, 
 podos, a foot, and having reference, according to Theo- 
 phrastus, to the resemblance borne by its numerous 
 rootlets to the feelers of the polypus. Mr. Newman 
 alone has described it under the name of Ctenopteris 
 vulgaris. It is usually called the Common Polypody, 
 Polypody of the Oak, and Wall Fern. 
 
 Root creeping horizontally, having very many stout, 
 branched, somewhat woody, hairy rootlets; if left un- 
 disturbed becoming very much twisted and matted; 
 densely clothed with membranous, brown, narrow- 
 toothed, pointed, shining scales. Fronds from six to 
 eighteen inches high ; lowest third of their stalk naked, 
 grooved in front, arid smooth ; narrow spear-head- 
 shaped, deeply cut into many segments, often nearly 
 to the stalk; the segments parallel, slightly distant, 
 narrow oblong, blunt, and flat; seldom quite entire, 
 but often wavy and even toothed, especially at the 
 end. Each segment has a zigzag, prominent mid- 
 vein, from which lateral veins issue alternately. The 
 lowest side-vein, and next to the mid-vein, exclusively 
 bears at its end, if isrtile, a mass of fructification. These 
 masses of fructification are thus in a row, and mid-way 
 between the mid-vein and margin of the segment; each 
 of the other side-veins terminates in a little knob, which
 
 POI.YPO'DIDB TULOA'SK.
 
 POLYPODIUM VULGARE. 227 
 
 looks like an abortive muss ot fructification. Each 
 mass is circular ; depressed at first, but becoming pro- 
 minent; without any cover (indusium), and often run- 
 ning together when ripe. They are then shining, orange- 
 tawny coloured. The spores burst open when moistened. 
 The upper part of each frond is usually fertile. 
 
 There are three varieties of this Fern found in the 
 British Islands. 
 
 1. Polypodium vulgare Canibrieum, or Common Welsh 
 Polypody. It has a broad, somewhat egg-shaped frond, 
 with the segments irregularly toothed, and always barren. 
 Linnaaus considered it a distinct species. This was first 
 known as a British variety in 1686, being then men- 
 tioned by Bay in his Historia Plantarum. He says 
 that he received it from Sir Hans Sloane, and that it 
 was first discovered near Dennis Powis Castle, three 
 miles from Cardiff, in Glamorganshire. It has since 
 been found at Chepstow, in Monmouthshire, near Dun- 
 dry Church, in the vicinity of Bristol, and at Braid 
 Hall, near Edinburgh. P. vulgare sinuatum is a very 
 slight variation of this. 
 
 2. Polypodium vulgare serratum, or Common toothed 
 Polypody. The segments of tins are very regularly, 
 and often doubly toothed. It is first mentioned 
 as a British variety in 1724 by Dillenius, in 
 his edition of Ray's "Synopsis of British Plants." 
 He says it was found on the walls of Windsor 
 Castle by the Rev. Mr. Manningham. It has been 
 found, also, near Bristol, in the Ash ton Manor and 
 Leigh Woods. P. vulgare acutum is a very slight
 
 228 POLYPODIUM VULGARE. 
 
 variation of this, the segments being more pointed, 
 and has been found on rocks in North Wales ; in 
 Cobhhin Park, Kent; and in meadows near Maiden 
 and Ewel), in Surrey. P. vulgar e Hiliemicum is another 
 sub-variety, the segments being more deeply out and 
 partly scolloped, found in the Dargle, in the county of 
 Wicklow. 
 
 3. Polypodium vulgxre bifidum, or Common forked 
 Polypody. In this variety the end of each segment is 
 forked or divided into two segments, spread away from 
 each other. Sometimes the segments are divided into 
 three lobes at the end, and it is then called P. vulgare 
 proliferum. This variety has been found iu a wood near 
 Bingley, in Yorkshire, and at Chepstow, in Monmouth- 
 shire. 
 
 Many other sub-varieties might bo mentioned, but 
 they all pass by various gradations into one another, 
 and we do not believe that any one of the varieties is 
 permanent. Cultivation, we think, would reduce them 
 all to the form of the original species. This species is 
 common throughout the British Islands on old walls, 
 old roofs of cottages, shady banks, and trunks of old 
 trees. 
 
 The first botanical writer who mentions this as an 
 English Fern is Dr. William Turner In the second part 
 of his " Herbal," published in 1562, he gives a very fair 
 woodcut of this plant, and speaks of it as the " Englishe 
 Polypody," "Wall Feme," and " Okc Feme." Lyte'and 
 Gerarde copied Turner's woodcut. They all dwell upon 
 the medical qualities of this Fern; but, although
 
 POLYPODIUH VULbrAUE. 229 
 
 Dioscorides did so before them, it is only thereby 
 demonstrated to be an error so much the older. They 
 recommended it as a cathartic; but Dr. Wood ville cor- 
 rectly observes, "Another character in which it has been 
 recommended, and for which, from its sensible qualities, 
 it seems to promise more advantage, is that of a demul- 
 cent or pectoral ; thus conjoined with liquorice its good 
 effects have been experienced in coughs and asthmatic 
 affections. However, it is now rarely used in this 
 country, nor have the French authors, Poissoner and 
 Malouin, who have cited instances of its success in 
 mania, been able to restore to it its ancient reputation 
 in this calamitous disorder." 
 
 The root, which is the part medically made use of, 
 has a peculiar bitterish-sweet taste when fresh. It has 
 been analysed by M. Desfosses, who found in it a sweet 
 substance resembling sarcocollin, mannite, iucrystal- 
 lisable sugar, starch, albumen, malic acid, lime, mag- 
 uesia, and oxide of lime. M. Planche also found in it 
 viscin, which is more popularly known as bird-lime. 
 
 Mr. W. Reeve is a great admirer of this species. He 
 says, "The most distinct, the most generally known, and, 
 perhaps, the most ornamental of all the Pohjpodiums is 
 vulgare. It is a very hanflsome and useful Fern, and 
 well adapted for cultivating upon the Fernery or rockery, 
 or for adorning any out-of-the-way place. It is so well 
 known, and so easily managed, that little need be said 
 of its culture. The more elevated parts of the rockwork 
 will be most suitable for it, aud the shady parts in pre- 
 ference to the more exposed parts, although it will bear
 
 230 POLTPODJ.UM VULGA.UE. 
 
 a moderate degree of exposure to light when once 
 established. It particularly delights in the decaying 
 trunks of old trees, so that these should be introduced in 
 forming the rockery, and the plants fixed upon them by 
 filling the crevices with fine leaf-mould, peat, and sand, 
 and fixing the main root of the Fern upon this com- 
 post early in the spring ; or it may be planted in other 
 parts of the rockery in the above-mentioned eonnpost, 
 with a free admixture of sand. It requires only a 
 moderate supply of water, and must be well drained. 
 It is as hardy as any of the species, but will, if pro- 
 tected a little, remain green all the winter. If exposed 
 to severe frost the fronds become brown and die off. 
 It will grow very well in pots or pans with a good 
 drainage, and in the above-named compost. It will 
 grow, also, in the greenhouse, where it forms a 
 very pretty object, and becomes evergreen. It may be 
 easily propagated by division, which must be done iu 
 the spring."
 
 POLY'STICHUM ACULEA'TUM.
 
 I'OLYsriCHUM ACULEATDM. 233 
 
 / POLY'STICHUM ACULEAT UM. 
 
 THIS lias been included by various botanists in the 
 genera Aspidium and Polypodium, but all have retained 
 the specific name aculeatum, prickly, on account of the 
 sharp-pointed character of the teeth on the edge of the 
 leafits. Some botanists consider it and P. angulare 
 only different forms of the same species. In English it 
 is known as the Common Prickly Shield Fern. 
 
 Root large, woody, enlarging very slowly, tufted, pro- 
 ducing many coarse, wiry side rootlets. Fronds numerous, 
 spreading in a circle; their upper side shining, dark 
 bluish green, but paler underneath ; in general outline 
 spear-head shaped, sometimes broad, at others narrow, 
 but always tapering to a point, and rather stiff when 
 mature, though very limp when young ; in height from 
 two to three feet. Stemleafleted to within three or four 
 inches of its base, and covered throughout with reddish- 
 brown scales. Leaflets alternate, close together, narrow 
 spear-head shaped, tapering to a point. Leafits all 
 rather convex, alternate, the upper one next the stern 
 always larger than the others, and parallel with it, 
 giving the stem somewhat the appearance of being 
 bordered with alternate leafits. They are distinctly, 
 though rather shortly stalked, irregular arrow-head 
 shaped. Towards the upper end of the leaflet they are 
 joined together at their base (decurrent); the upper side 
 of each is largest, sharply saw-toothed, the teeth being 
 unequal, and the points so sharp as to b really prickles :
 
 234 POLYSTICHUM ACULEATUM. 
 
 the end tooth inclines to one side ; the lowermost tooth 
 on the upper edge forms somewhat of a lobe. The mid- 
 vein of each leafit has alternate side-veins, and these 
 side-veins are again branched ; of the upper side-veins 
 that next the mid-vein bears a mass of fructification. 
 The fructification is produced almost exclusively on the 
 leafits at the top of the frond, and the masses form a 
 parallel line of circles, gradually diminishing in size from 
 the base of the leafit to its point on each side of the mid- 
 vein. They often press against each other, but rarely run 
 together. Each mass has a flat, circular cover, unnotched, 
 and with an elevation in the centre when young. 
 
 There are two varieties, which seem merely alterations 
 of form, arising from accidental circumstances of soil 
 and situation, and of which it is sufficient to say, that 
 of obtusum the teeth are more scollop -shaped, yet 
 prickly; and alatum has the leaflets connected by a 
 wing proceeding from the sides of the stem. 
 
 It is most common in the south of England in woods 
 and on shady banks, especially if moist and stony. 
 
 In England it has been found at Benroyd Clough, 
 Norland, and Toadholes Wood, in Sowerby Dean, both 
 near Halifax, and near Richmond, in Yorkshire; in 
 Leigh, St. Anne's, and Stapleton Woods, near Bristol ; 
 in Burton Wood, near Warrington, in Lancashire; in 
 Shapscombe Wood, near Pain swick, Gloucestershire; at 
 Ulverscroft Priory, in Charnwood Forest ; at the Valley, 
 near Bromsgrove, in Worcestershire; in the Isle of 
 Man ; at Elmdon House, Warwickshire ; on Little 
 Warlev Common, Essex ; about Tunbridge Wells
 
 POLYSTICHUM ACULEATUM. 235 
 
 Kent ; near Bramshot, Hants ; at Osterley Park, Lamp- 
 ton Lane, and Sion Lane, near Brentford, in Middle- 
 sex ; near Hastings and other places in Sussex; at 
 Kmgsteignton, in Devon ; and near Gurnet Bay, in the 
 ]sle of Wight. 
 
 lu Wales, near Wrexham, in Denbighshire; at Cickle, 
 near Beauraaris, and at Lleiniog Castle, Anglesey ; and 
 near Bangor and Caernarvon. 
 
 In Scotland, about Drumlanrig, in Nitl.sdale; at 
 Peasebridge ; and. on Cartlaad Rocks, near Lanark. 
 
 In Ireland, at Colin Glen, Belfast; Hedge Banks, 
 near Carrickfergus ; and near Clonmel. 
 
 Johnson, in his edition of " Gerarde's Herbal," is the 
 first to mention this Fern as a British plant, and we 
 have the unusual occurrence, not only of the name of 
 its discoverer, but of the very day of its discovery. He 
 describes it as Filix mas non ramosa pinnulis latis, auri- 
 culatis, spinosis (Male Fern not branched, with broad 
 eared and prickly leafits) ; adding, " This I take to be Filix 
 mas aculeata major Bauhini (Bauhin's Larger prickly 
 Male Fern) ; neither have I seen any figure resembling 
 this plant. It groweth abundantly on the shadowy 
 moist rocks by Maple-Durham, near Petersfield, in 
 Hampshire. John Ooodyer, July 4, 1633." 
 
 Polysticlium aculeatum is a free-growing, easily- 
 managed, and very desirable Fern for the rockery, 
 feruery, and also for pot culture. It grows remarkably 
 well in sandy loam and peat (fibry is the best) in 
 equal parts, with an admixture of sand. It requires a 
 tolerable depth of mould to grow in, and to be well
 
 236 POLYSTICHUM ACULEATUM. 
 
 drained. During its growing season it must be supplied 
 rather freely with water, although not to make the soil 
 marshy. It bears exposure to light pretty well when 
 once established, but will become much finer if in the 
 shade. It is perfectly hardy, and will bear very severe 
 weather unless the roots are too much exposed, for in 
 that case it is apt to perish. If grown iu pots, a. slight 
 protection of some kind is desirable, for it will bear in- 
 door treatment much better than many others of the 
 British Ferns. The fructification is ripe by the end of 
 the summer, and from the fructification it may be 
 increased in the same wav as directed for other Ferns.
 
 rOLY'STICHUM ANfiULA'HE.
 
 POLYSTICHDM ANGULARE. 239 
 
 |/ POLY'STICHUM ANGULA'RE. 
 
 THIS is the Aspidium aculeatum of the botanist Kunze. 
 Indeed, there is much disagreement among authorities 
 as to the differences between Polystichum aculeatum and 
 P. angulare and their varieties. As there are sufficient 
 points of distinction we have avoided, by retaining them 
 as separate species, any attempt to reconcile the dissen- 
 tients. That now under our consideration is the Aspi- 
 dium angulare of some botanists. In English it has 
 been called Angular-leaved Shield Fern, Soft Prickly 
 Shield Fern, and Angular Prickly Shield Fern. 
 
 Its main root is large, tufted, often upright and trunk- 
 like when old. It sends forth many creeping side-shoots, 
 which produce crowns, and the whole are furnished with 
 many coarse, wiry rootlets. The fronds spear -head 
 shaped in general outline vary in height from two to 
 four, and even more, feet. They are more soft and deli- 
 cate in their texture than those of P. aculeatum, con- 
 sequently they are more flexible, drooping, and elegant 
 in their habit of growth ; they are also more shaggy. 
 Of the stem about one-fourth is unleafleted, and is, as 
 well as the stalks of the leaflets, very thickly covered 
 with reddish-brown chaff-like scales. Towards the ex 
 treme ends of the leaflets the scales gradually are finer 
 until they really become hairs. The leaflets are alternate 
 and narrow spear-head in outline. The lea/its are alter- 
 nate, flat, stalked, and would be pointed egg-shaped if 
 the upper side did not produce near its base an irregular-
 
 240 POLYSTICHUM ANGULAUE. 
 
 toothed lobe ; all are saw-edged. The lowest leafit on 
 the upper edge of the leaflet's stalk, and next the stem of 
 the frond, is larger than the other leafits, though not so 
 markedly larger or regular in its position up the stem as 
 in P. aculeatum. All the lobes and teeth end kx hairs, 
 softer and less bristle-like than in P. aculeatum, and on 
 their under surface are many hair-like scales. The mid- 
 vein of each leafit is straight, emitting side- veins in oppo- 
 site pairs, and the side-veins are branched. On the 
 lowest of the upper branches of these side-veins is the 
 fructification. It is in circular masses, each having a 
 cover (indusium), slightly depressed in the centre, and 
 usually entire. 
 
 There are two varieties. Subtripinnatum (almost- 
 doubly -leafited), with the lower leafits very deeply 
 cut, and the sections or lobes sometimes distinct. An- 
 gustntum (narrow-leafited), all the leafits being very 
 narrow, and much more pointed than are those of the 
 species. 
 
 It is found in similar situations as P. aculeatum, and 
 is plentiful in England, Wales, and Ireland, but less 
 abundant in Scotland. Wherever aculeatum occurs this 
 species is likely to be found. 
 
 There is little doubt that this species was known to 
 Kay in 1696, when he published the second edition of 
 his Synopsis Stirpium Britannicarum. After particular- 
 ising the Fern we nave previously described as Poly- 
 stichum aculeatum, Ray next mentions Filix Lonchitidi 
 qffinis (Fern related to Lonchitis), adding, " Under this 
 title was sent to me, by Mr. Lloyd, a plant like to the
 
 POLYSTICHUM ANGULARE. 241 
 
 preceding, but with rounder leafits, and covered all over 
 with longer scales. He collected it in the mountain 
 parts of Wales." 
 
 Mr. W. Reeve very correctly observes that PoJystichutH 
 anyulare will thrive remarkably well under the same 
 course of treatment as w.is given for P. aculeatum ; for 
 like that it delights in a well-drained, shady situation, and 
 in the same compost. It is a very desirable and a very 
 hardy plant ; yet, when cultivated in pots or situations 
 where the roots are much exposed, a slight protection 
 will be necessary during severe weather. It may be 
 increased in the same manner as aculeatum.
 
 24:2 POLYSTICHUM LOBATUM. 
 
 
 / POLY'STICHUM LOBA'TUM. 
 
 THIS is considered by some botanists merely as a variety 
 of PoJystichum aculeatum, but from Ray downwards 
 it has been admitted as a distinct species by many 
 autborities. Bay in his Synopsis Stirpium Britan- 
 nicarum describes it as Fili-x aculeata major, pinnulis 
 nurictdatis crebioribus,foliis integris rtngustioribus (larger 
 prickly Fern, with closer and eared leafits, and witb the 
 whole fronds narrower). Sir J. E. Smith, after quoting 
 this description, adds, " Ray has well marked the dif- 
 ferences between P. aculeatum and -P. lobatum." Mr. 
 Francis sums up the distinctions very eft'ectively as 
 follows : 
 
 " This species is distinguished from aciihalum, for which 
 alone it can be taken, by the decnrrem lobes ; and as Sir J. 
 E. Smith very rightly observes, ' by the much shorter, more 
 crowded, and less scaly pinnse (leaflets).' Added to which the 
 pinnules (leafits) are more entire, being but slightly eared, 
 very convex, thick, and of a glaucous colour, furnished with 
 a less number of, and smaller, bristly serratnres, sometimes 
 wanting them entirely at the sides. The sori also are more 
 confined to the top of the leaf, and larger than in aculeatum. 
 The variety lonchitldoides is not very scaly, and in form and 
 size exactly intermediate between this species and loiichitis" 
 
 It is the Polypodium lobatum of Hudson, and the 
 Polypodium lonchitldoides of some other botanists. In 
 English it was called by Ray Prickly Male Fern with 
 narrower leaves, and by others Close-derived Prickly Shield 
 Fern.
 
 POLY'STICHUM LOBA'TCM.
 
 POLYSTICHUM LOBATUM. 245 
 
 Main root large, tufted. Fronds evergreen, produced 
 in a circle, from one foot to two feet high, stiff, narrow 
 spear-head shaped in their general outline, milky green 
 in colour, and surface very shining. Stem strong, very 
 scaly, and leafleted almost to the base. Leaflets alter- 
 nate, short, very gradually decreasing in length as they 
 approach the top of the stem, curved upwards ; so close 
 together near the bottom of the stem as to overlap each 
 other. Leafits pointed egg-shaped, at their base run- 
 ning much into each other; slightly saw-toothed; only 
 the larger ones eared, and that but slightly ; that next 
 the stem, on the upper side of the leaflet, so broad as to 
 overlap that next to it, and so long as to partly cover 
 the under leafit on the Iea6et next above it. Fructification 
 only at the top of the frond; the masses somewhat -ir- 
 regular in size, borne by the lowest branch of the side- 
 veins, circular, with a cover depressed in the centre. 
 
 It is found on shady hedge-banks, and is more common 
 than P. aculeatum, which is some evidence that it is not 
 a variety of that species. 
 
 We extract from Mr. Francis's " Analysis of British 
 Ferns " the following list of the places where it is 
 found : 
 
 " Extremely common in Scotland and in the north of 
 England, gradually losing itself towards the south, and 
 becoming more and more intermingled with aculeatum, 
 which in its turn is superseded still more southerly by ungu- 
 lare. In the middle and south of England its recorded 
 habitats are Leicestershire ; common about Settle, Yorkshire ; 
 Pottery Car, near Doncaster ; Matlock, Derbyshire ; at Stud- 
 ley, Sambourne, Overley, and Weatherly, Warwickshire ;
 
 246 POLYSTICHUM LOBATUM. 
 
 Lane leading to the Vach6 from Chalfont, Bucks ; near 
 Bristol; near Dorking, Surrey; in Hants, &c. ; near Yar- 
 mouth; Sussex and S. Kent. Wales near Wrexham, Den- 
 bighshire. Ireland Colin Glen, near Belfast ; Hermitage, 
 County Wicklow ; County of Derry. Glen Fee, Clova Moun- 
 tains ; Braid Woods, near Edinburgh." 
 
 It is even hardier than P. aculeatum and P. angulnre, 
 and may be cultivated like them in every particular.
 
 POLY'STICHUM LONCHI'TIS.
 
 POLYSTICHUM LONCHITIS. 249 
 
 / POLY'STICHUM LONCHI'TIS. 
 
 Tars Fern has been included by some modern botanists 
 in the genus Aspidium, and by others in Polypodiiim. 
 By the older botanists it was called Lonchitis, which has 
 always since been retained as the specific name, and is 
 appropriate, loychitis, in Greek, signifying "resembling 
 a spear," which is applicable to its leaves. In English it 
 is known as the Holly Fern, being evergreen, dark- 
 coloured, leathery, and prickly, Rough Alpine Shield 
 Fern, Royal Polypody, Great Spleenwort, and Spleen- 
 wort Polypody. 
 
 Its root is tufted, large, coarse, scaly, black, and 
 having numerous fibrous rootlets. Fronds in a circle 
 round the crown of the root, and leaning outwards in a 
 cup-like arrangement, varying from six inches to fifteen 
 or more inches in height, narrow spear-head shaped in 
 their general outline, stiff and harsh, colour very deep 
 glossy green. Stem furrowed in front, clothed for three- 
 quarters of its length with leaflets, and the unleafleted 
 part covered with broad, large, tapering, dark brown 
 scales. Leaflets crowded, so as to overlap the one 
 next below, short-stalked, about three-quarters of an 
 inch long, alternate, smooth on the upper surface, 
 rather scaly on the under surface, pointed egg-shaped, 
 but rendered irregular by a lobe near the base on the 
 upper side, saw-edged, the teeth being irregular and 
 fringed with sharp bristles. The mid-vein of each 
 leaflet straight, with alternate aide-veins, these being
 
 250 POLYSTICHUM LONCITITIS. 
 
 also branched. The fructification is borne by the lowest 
 upper branch of each side-vein, forming a row of masses 
 pretty close to, and on each side of, the mid-vein. The 
 lobe of the leaflet has a small raid-vein of its own, and 
 masses of fructification are on each side of it. The 
 fructification rarely occurs except upon the upper leaflets 
 of the fronds. The cover (indusium) of each mass is 
 circular, fixed by the centre, notched on one side, and 
 separating all round as the sori, which are light brown, 
 increase in size. 
 
 This species is rare, and found only in mountainous 
 districts in the north of the British Islands. Its favourite 
 haunts are the clefts of rocks near the mountain tops. 
 
 In England it has been found about the upper part 
 of the Tees ; near Settle, in Yorkshire ; on Swarth 
 Fell, near Ulleswater, and other parts of Cumberland. 
 
 In Wales, at Clogwyn-y-Garnedh, Snowdon ; and on 
 Glyder, near Llanberris. 
 
 In Scotland, very common in the Highland valleys 
 and exposed mountain sides. On the Bredalbane 
 Mountains, Perthshire, at an elevation of about 3,000 
 feet ; Craig Chailleach, Perthshire ; Clova Mountains, 
 and Glen Isla, Forfarshire ; on Ben Lawers, and Falcon 
 Glints, near Chaldron Spout, Teesdale ; Aberdeensbire, 
 Moray, and Ross-shire; base of Benmore, Sutherland; 
 on Ben Lomond ; and in Glen Phee. 
 
 In Ireland, on Bandon Mountains; in a glen east 
 of Lough Eske, Donegal ; and on Glenade Mountain, 
 Lei trim. 
 
 Polystichum lonchitis was not known as a British
 
 POLYSTICHUM LONCHITIS. 251 
 
 Fern when Ray published, in 1670, his Catalogus Plan- 
 tarum Anglice, nor when his Historia Plantarum issued 
 from the press, in 1686, but it bad been discovered by 
 Mr. Lloyd between that year and 1696, when Ray 
 mentions it in the second edition of his Synopsis Stir- 
 pium Britannicarum. He adopted the name of Lon- 
 chitis aspera major, or " larger rough Sjdeeuwort with 
 indented leaves." He says, " It issues from clefts in the 
 rocks on the tops of the mountains of Wales, as at 
 Clogwyn - y - Garnedh - y - Grib - Goch - Trygvylchan (D. 
 Lhwyd)." 
 
 Mr. W. Reeve observes that it is a very ornamental little 
 plant when it can be cultivated successfully. He grew 
 it in a cool house, where it was constantly shaded, and 
 upon a damp bottom, with great success. He employed 
 a compost of sandy loam and peat in equal parts, with 
 a liberal admixture of sharp sand. It may be cultivated 
 upon the rockery, but great care is necessary, it being 
 a very shy plant to establish itself in dry, exposed 
 situations. A shady part of the rockery must be 
 selected, where it can be kept damp ; but it will not 
 bear stagnant moisture. It must be planted firmly in 
 the compost above-mentioned as early in the spring as 
 possible ; and if a hand or bell-glass can be kept over it 
 for a short time all the better, as this will keep the soil 
 moist about it for some time without the application of 
 much water. Give a little air occasionally. 
 
 It will thrive remarkably well in a greenhouse, and 
 Mr. Reeve had it produce fertile fronds abundantly in a 
 stove temperature. It is difficult to increase except by
 
 252 POLYSTICHUM LOKCHITIS. 
 
 the seed, which should be sown as soon as ripe, and 
 treated in the same manner as directed for other Ferns. 
 A cold pit will meet its requirements during the winter 
 months, and in the summer also if kept shaded and 
 damp.
 
 PTE'RIS AQUILT'NA.
 
 PTERIS AQUILINA. 255 
 
 PTE'RTS AQUTLT'NA. 
 
 WITH but two exceptions all modern botanists have 
 described tbis very common Fern under the above 
 names. Mr. Newman alone has called it Eitpteris, and 
 Mr. Bernbardt considers it an Asplenium, but both still 
 retaining the specific name (tqiiilina. This specific name 
 was given by Linnaeus because, when a slanting cut 
 is made through the body of the main root, the surfaces 
 represent in their woody tissue a figure somewhat re- 
 sembling a spread or displayed eagle. In English it 
 has been called Brakes, Female Fern, Braken, Eagle 
 Fern. 
 
 Root creeping, widely extending, brown and downy 
 when young, smooth and black when old. Rootlets 
 fibrous and downy. Fronds produced singly along the 
 root, upright, and from one to eight feet high. In one 
 instance it was found thirteen feet high. Stem half its 
 length without branches, angular, pale yellowish green, 
 but purplish at the lower part, stiff, branched. Branches 
 horizontal, spreading, with smooth stalks, the primary 
 branches nearly alternate, and the next more decidedly 
 alternate, the leafy portion deeply cut into close, spear- 
 head-shaped, bluntish, convex, opposite segments, the 
 end one usually much the largest, all smooth, and of a 
 light, bright green colour on the upper surface, but 
 paler and hairy underneath ; edges of the segments 
 brownish, rolled back, and wavy, inclosing the fructifi- 
 cation. There is a mid- vein in each segment, and this
 
 256 PTERIS AQUILINA. 
 
 mid-vein produces side-veins in opposite pairs, which are 
 variously branched ; these branches unite at the edge of 
 the segment, and where they unite is the fructification. 
 This is in a continued line, the masses of spores being 
 covered with a whitish membrane, which seems to be 
 au extension of the outer skin c f the leafy segment. 
 
 This Fern is variously modifie Vy the situation in 
 which it grows ; its segments are sometimes quite entire- 
 edged, and this variation has been called integerrima. 
 In another variation the edges of the segments are 
 excessively curled or crisped. This, however, differs 
 from the Pteris crispa of some botanists, which we have 
 described as Allosorus crispus. 
 
 It is useless to particularise the localities of this Fern, 
 for it is found on barren heaths and in woods wherever 
 the soil is a siliceous sand. It is much rarer in districts 
 where chalk abounds. 
 
 Turner, writing of this Fern in 1562, says in the 
 second part of his " Herbal," " Not onlye the opinion 
 of the commen people is that the Feme hath sede, but 
 also it is the opinion of a Christen Physicion, named 
 Hieronymus Tragus, who doth not onlye saye that 
 Ferns hath sede, but wrytith that he founde upon myd- 
 somer even sede upon Brakes. I have taken onte of his 
 herball his wordes concernynge that matter, and have 
 translated that into Englishe after this maner followinge. 
 Although that all they that have written of herbes have 
 aftyrmed and holden that the Brake hath nether sede 
 nor frute, yet have I dy vers tymes proved the contrarye, 
 whictie thinge I will here testefye I have foure yeres
 
 PTERIS AQUILINA. 257 
 
 together, one after an other, upon the vigill of Saynt 
 Johne the Baptiste (which we call in Englishe myd- 
 somer even), sough te for this seede of Brakes upon the 
 nyghte, and in dede I fownde it earlye in the mornynge 
 before the daye brake; the sede was small, blacke, and 
 lyke unto Poppye. I gathered it after this maner: I 
 laide shetes and wollen leaves underneath the Brakes, 
 which receyved the sede that was by shakynge and 
 beatynge broughte oute of the branches and leaves. 
 Manye Brakes in some places had no sede at all, but in 
 other places agayne a man shall fynde sede in every 
 Brake. I went aboute this busyness all figures, con- 
 jurynges, saunters, charmes, wytchcrafte, arid sorseryes 
 sett a syde, taking with me two or three honest men to 
 bere me companye. When I soughte this sede all the 
 villagers aboute did shy ve with bousyers, that the people 
 made there." 
 
 We have more fully narrated the old superstitions 
 relative to "Fern seed" at pp. 158 161. We will 
 now turn to more profitable matter the uses to which 
 Brakes are applied. These are well epitomised by 
 Mr. Lightfoot as follows : 
 
 " The root is viscid, nauseous, and bitterish, and, like all 
 the rest of the Fern tribe, has a salt mucilaginous taste. 
 It creeps under the ground in some rich soils to the depth 
 of five or six feet, and is very difficult to be destroyed. 
 Frequent mowing in pasture grounds, plentiful dunging in 
 arable lands, but, above all, pouring urine upon it, are the 
 most approved methods of killing it. It has, however, many 
 good qualities to counterbalance the few bad ones. Fern 
 cut while green, and ,left to rot upon the ground, is a good
 
 258 PTEEIS AQUILINA. 
 
 improver of land ; for its ashes, if burnt, will yield double 
 the quantity of salt that most other vegetables will. 
 
 " Fern is also an excellent manure for Potatoes ; for, if 
 buried beneath their roots, it never fails to produce a good 
 crop. 
 
 "Its use as a good litter in the stable and the fold is 
 'mown to every farmer ; as, also, that it makes a brisk fire, 
 when dried, for the purposes of brewing and baking. 
 
 "Its astringency is so great that it is used in many 
 places abroad in dressing and preparing kid and chamois 
 leather. 
 
 " In several places in the North the inhabitants mow it 
 green, and, burning it to ashes, make those ashes up into 
 balls with a little water, which they dry in the sun, and 
 make use of them to wash their linen with instead of 
 soap. 
 
 " In many of the Western Isles the people gain a very 
 considerable profit from the sale of the ashes to soap and 
 glass makers. 
 
 " In Glen Ely, in Inverness- shire, and other places, we 
 observed that the people thatched their houses with the 
 stalks of this Fern, and fastened them down with ropes 
 made either of Birch bark or heath. Sometimes they used 
 the whole plant for the same purpose, but that does not 
 make so durable a covering. 
 
 " Swine are fond of the roots, especially if boiled in their 
 wash. 
 
 " In some parts of Normandy we read that the poor have 
 been reduced to the miserable necessity of mixing them 
 with their bread ; and in Siberia and some other Northern 
 countries the inhabitants brew them in their ale, mixing 
 one-third of the roots to two-thirds of malt. 
 
 " The ancients used the root of this Fern, and the whole 
 plant, in decoctions and diet-drinks, in chronic disorders of 
 all kinds, arising from obstructions of the viscera and the
 
 PTERIS AQU1LINA. 259 
 
 spleen. Some of the moderns have given it a high character 
 in the same intentions ; hut it is rarely used in the present 
 practice. The country people, however, still continue to 
 retain some of its ancient uses, for they give the powder of 
 it to destroy worms, and look upon a hed of the green plant 
 as a sovereign cure for the rickets in children." 
 
 The ancients were correct in their estimate of the 
 fattening qualities of the Brake, arid it has been proved 
 in modern days. At Nettlecombe, in Somersetshire, it 
 is, or was, customary to gather the young shoots of this 
 Fern, and to simmer them for two hours in water. 
 When cold the liquor forms a strong jelly, and is as 
 effectual as potatoes for pig food. 
 
 Professor Sprengel recommends all Ferns, and 
 especially the Brake, as a good manure. He says that 
 10,000 parts of the fresh-gathered, air-dried herbage 
 contain of mineral substances 1,040 parts silica, 433 lime, 
 152 magnesia, 1,050 potash, 370 soda, 052 alumina, 150 
 oxide of iron, 036 oxide of manganese, 095 sulphuric 
 acid, 060 phosphoric acid, 259 chlorine = 3,696 of 
 mineral substances. This Fern, he adds, is rendered 
 still more valuable as a manure by its richness in 
 nitrogen. He found that 100 Ibs. of its dry herbage 
 contain 16-lOOths of a pound of nitrogen, and, conse- 
 quently, 3000 Ibs. = 45 Ibs. 
 
 If cultivated, it must be grown in a deep, sandy soil, 
 and in the shade, or the specimens will not be fine. It 
 should be covered over with leaf mould every winter, for 
 the roots are very liuble to suffer from severe frost. To 
 protect them fun her, and, indeed, for ornament, let the
 
 260 PTERIS AQUILINA. 
 
 dead fronds remain until the spring. To propagate it, 
 take up the creeping main root early in spring ; have the 
 ground trenched ready, draw drills about two inches 
 deep, lay the roots along the drills thickly, and cover 
 them with the soil.
 
 SCOLOPE'NDRIUM YULQA'BB.
 
 SCOLOPENDRIUM VULGAUE. 263 
 
 I/ SCOLOPE'NDRIUM VULGA'RE. 
 
 THIS is the Asplenium scolopendrium of Linnaeus, and 
 the Scolopendrium officinalis, S. phyllitis, Phyliitis vul- 
 garis, and P. scolopendrium of some other botanists. 
 It is the Common Hart's Tongue Fern of English 
 herbalists. 
 
 Root compact, penetrating deeply, tufted, slowly 
 spreading by forming offsets round the crown. Fronds 
 numerous, usually from six to eighteen inches high; 
 but Mr. C. Johnson founds pecimens in the open vault 
 near the great hall of Conway Castle four feet long, 
 and nearly four inches broad. Stem one-third without 
 any leafy development, and this unleafed part is dark 
 purple-coloured and shaggy, with narrow, brown, mem- 
 branous scales ; but sometimes it is smooth. The 
 general outline of the leafy portion is long, narrow, 
 heart-shaped, and pointed, smooth, entire at the edge, 
 but somewhat wavy, bright grass green. The leafed 
 portion of the stem is also covered with scales, but they 
 are smaller ; it puts forth on each side a regular series 
 of three-branched veins, each branch being two-forked, 
 and where the outer forks almost join the outer forks 
 from the next veins there is apparently a single line of 
 fructification throughout their length, but each of these 
 adjoining forks produces fructification, and the masses 
 run together. The fructification occurs only about the 
 upper part of the frond, and is composed of numerous 
 small brown capsules, rising up through a pale brown,
 
 264 SCOLOPENDRIUM VULGARE. 
 
 membranous cover, which folds over them in their 
 early growth, but in their state of ripeness remains 
 nearly erect on each side. 
 
 There are eight forms into which the fronds pass, 
 but they so frequently occur with the fronds of the 
 usual form that they can scarcely he considered varieties. 
 I. Polyscliid.es has a scolloped, finely-plaited edge. 2. 
 Crispum has the edge very wavy and curled. 3. Mar- 
 ginatum, with the edge double, or, as it were, with a 
 hem. 4. Hastatum, with a pair of spreading lobes at 
 the base. 5. Lobatum, or rather, furcatum, for the 
 point of the frond is divided into two irregular ends. 
 6. Multifidum, or many-cleft at the point. 7. Lace- 
 ratum, torn, the whole frond, both at the edges and 
 point, being deeply cut. 8. Mamosum, branched, the 
 stem divided in two, and the points of the twin fronds 
 much lobed and crisped. 
 
 The Hart's Tongue is one of the commonest of our 
 Ferns, and is to be found almost in every county of the 
 British Islands. 
 
 It was known to Turner, Gerarde, Bay, and other 
 ancient herbalists as Phyllitis, and even the lobatum 
 variety is described and depicted by Gerarde under the 
 name of Phyllitis multifida. He says he found it " in 
 the garden of Master Cranwich, a chirurgion dwelling at 
 Much-Dunmow, in Essex," " who," he adds, " gave me 
 a plant for my garden." 
 
 This Fern looks noble by itself, and also forms a very 
 striking object when grown in a collection of pot plants, 
 or on a rockery, from neither of which it should be
 
 SCOLOPENDRIUM VDLGARE. 265 
 
 absent. It is easily established. It is very distinct 
 from all other British Ferns, and it is, moreover, a 
 plant that will take its place on any part of the Fernery 
 or rockwork, being not so particular as many other 
 Ferns. But, although it bears exposure as well as any 
 of our native species, still greater luxuriance may be 
 obtained by placing it in deep, shady places. It is re- 
 markably well adapted for planting about the shrubbery, 
 wilderness, and such-like places, in clumps accompanied 
 with masses of rock, stone, &c. This and Lastraa 
 ftlix mas look extremely well together in such clumps. 
 Two parts loam, with one part each of leaf mould and 
 peat, will form a suitable compost, with the addition of 
 sand and some finely-broken sandstone, broken pots, or 
 a little old mortar. This Fern requires potting or plant- 
 ing rather firmly, a good drainage, and a moderate 
 supply of water. It will bear any temperature from 
 the severest winter frosts to the temperature of a stove, 
 in which it thrives remarkably well. It may be pro- 
 pagated either by division or by seed, in the same 
 way as directed for former species.
 
 266 TBICHOMANES BREVISETUM. 
 
 TRICHO'MANES BREVISETUM. 
 
 THIS has been commonly included in the genus Tri- 
 chomanes, but with the various specific names of ra- 
 dicans, speciosum, Europaum, alatum, pyxidiferum, Tun- 
 bridgense, var. 3, and Andrewsii. By a few botanists it 
 has been called Hymenophyllum alatum, Hymenopliyllum 
 Tunbridgense, /3, and Didymoglossum alatum. In English 
 it is known as the Short-styled Bristle Fern, and Gup- 
 Ooldy-locTcs 
 
 Root very thick, cylindrical, creeping, black, densely 
 hairy, with numerous stout, scattered, branched, ver- 
 tical rootlets. Fronds issuing singly, irregularly, from 
 ^the upper side of the root; erect, from five to twelve 
 inches high, dark, transparent green, narrow egg-shaped 
 in general outline. Stem winged, and from one-fourth 
 to one-half bare of leaflets. Leaflets with two leafits 
 at their base, and their upper portion irregularly but 
 alternately lobed. Both leafits and lobes cut into deep, 
 blunt segments. A few of the upper segments end in 
 a single, imbedded, oblong, cylindrical cup, continued 
 from the leaf, slightly winged at the sides. Fructifi- 
 cation round the bottom of a little column in that cup. 
 
 This very rare Fern is found in watery places, and on 
 wet rocks. 
 
 In England it has been found at the head of Elm 
 Crag Well, at Belbank, half a mile from Bingley, York- 
 shire.
 
 TRIOUO'MANES BBEVISE'TCM.
 
 TRICHOMANES BREVISETUM. 269 
 
 We are not aware that it has been found either in 
 Wales or Scotland. 
 
 In Ireland it is more common, being found at Powers- 
 court Waterfall and various parts of Kerry ; on shady 
 banks and rocks exposed to the spray of the waterfall 
 above Turk Cottage, Killarney, growing with the equally 
 rare Jungermannia Hutchinsia ; Hermitage, in the 
 county of Wicklow ; Ballinhasy Glen, near Cork ; and 
 Glendine, near Youghal. 
 
 It is first mentioned as a British Fern by Dillenius 
 in the third edition of Ray's Synopsis, published in 1724. 
 He states that it was found by Mr. Richardson at Bel- 
 bank, and it has been found there since. The copper 
 plates given by Dillenius establish the identity beyond 
 any doubt, even if his description were not sufficient 
 for doing so. Filix humilis repens, foliis pellucidis et 
 splendentibus, caule alato (Dwarf Creeping Fern, with 
 transparent and shining leaves, and with winged stem). 
 
 This Fern, Mr. W. Reeve informs us, is one of the 
 more delicate of the British Ferns. When successfully 
 grown it is one of the most interesting of the smaller 
 species. It is useless to attempt to cultivate it upon an 
 exposed situation, it being so partial to a close, calm, 
 moist, and warm atmosphere, and when once dislodged 
 from its native place it is very difficult to establish it 
 otherwise than with these conditions. It may be suc- 
 cessfully grown in a pot by first filling a middling-sized 
 pot one-third full of finely-broken potsherds or sandstone, 
 putting upon this a layer a little finer, and filling the 
 remaining space with a compost of fine loam, silver
 
 270 TRICHOMANES BBEVISETUM. 
 
 sand, and finely-powdered sandstone in equal parts. 
 This is to be pressed firmly together, and then the 
 cauder or main root very carefully arranged upon the 
 surface, fixing it by means of a few very small hooked 
 pegs the smaller in size and quantity the better. Then 
 strew a little sand and powdered stone over the surface, 
 just enough to cover and settle the roots. This being 
 done, the whole is to receive a liberal watering from a 
 very fine-rosed watering-pot, and left for a short time to 
 settle. Place the pot in a saucer, the top of which is to 
 be below the level of the top of the first layer of stone 
 in the pot. This saucer is to be kept full of water, 
 with a bell-glass turned over the pot, and to rest in the 
 saucer of water. Place the whole in a warm green- 
 house or stove, and by keeping the saucer filled with 
 water success may be relied upon. Similar directions 
 may be followed for cultivating this Fern upon a larger 
 scale. Be careful always to keep the atmosphere moist 
 and warm, which moisture will be secured by keeping 
 the pan full of water. This Fern may be increased by 
 division, although very shy of this process, and also by 
 its seed, or fructification, which is, perhaps, the best 
 mode, although this Fern is very delicate and tender 
 in a young state.
 
 WOO'DSIA HYPEBBO'KEA.
 
 WOODSIA HYPERBOREA. 273 
 
 WOO'DSIA HYPERBO'EEA. 
 
 THIS has beeu called Acrostichum alpinum, Ceterach 
 alpinum, Polypodium hyperboreum, P. Arvonicum, and 
 Woodsia alpina. By some botanists it is considered 
 merely a variety of Woodsia Ilvensis. In English it is 
 known as the Alpine Woodsia, Rounded- leaved Woodsia, 
 and Hairy Polypody. 
 
 Its roots are fibrous, very deeply penetrating, black, 
 and tufted. Fronds narrow spear-head shaped in their 
 general outline ; the lower third of each stem is without 
 leaflets, but having a few hairs and light brown chaffy 
 scales. The stem is united to the root by a joint, from 
 which it falls off when the frond decays in autumn. 
 Leaflets in pairs, quite or nearly opposite, smooth, tri- 
 angular in their general outline, but with the angles 
 rounded; deeply lobed and scolloped; mid-vein not 
 strongly marked, and its side-veins are simple or only 
 two-forked, reaching nearly to the edge of the lobes, and 
 not far from the end of these side-veins is the fructi- 
 fication. This consists of from six to ten circular masses 
 on each leaflet; they are large, light brown, and usually 
 increase in size until they run together. The cover 
 (indusium) of each mass is divided into such numerous 
 segments that the fructification seems imbedded in hairs. 
 This appears fully in our woodcut of Woodsia Ilvensis. 
 
 In England and Ireland this very rare Fern has never 
 been found. 
 
 In Wales it has been discovered at Clogwyn-y-
 
 274 WOODSIA HYPERBOKEA. 
 
 Garnedh and Moel Sichog, on Snowdon, at an elevation 
 of not less than 2,500 feet. It is said to have grown on 
 Glydr Fawr, Caernarvonshire, but recently it has been 
 sought for there without success. 
 
 In Scotland it occurs on Ben Lawers, Ben Chowzie, 
 and the Clova Mountains ; at Craig Chailleach and 
 Mael Ghyrdy, in Perthshire; and in Glen Fiadh, in 
 Forfarshire. 
 
 We think it probable that this Fern is the Filix Cale- 
 donica mentioned in 1704 by Ray, in the third volume 
 of his Historia Plantarum, as being in the museum of 
 Mr. Petiver. Whether this be so or not, Bay mentions 
 it in the second edition of his Synopsis Stirpium Bri- 
 tannicarum, published in 1696, where it is described by 
 Mr. Lhwyd, its discoverer, as Filix alpina pedicularis 
 rubra foliis gubtus villosis (Alpine Fern, with red- 
 rattle leaves hairy underneath). It was described and 
 engraved during the same year in Plukenet's Alma- 
 (jestum Botanicum, 150, t. 89, /. 8. Mr. Lhwyd says he 
 never saw it except on wet, lofty rocks called Clogwyn-y- 
 Garnedh, near the top of Snowdon, and that it is rare 
 even there. It springs there from the edges of the rocks, 
 not erect, but somewhat reclining. Dr. Richardson 
 adds, in the third edition of the same Synopsis, that 
 " it grows on a moist, black rock almost at the top of 
 Clogwyn-y-Garnedh, facing north-west, directly above 
 the lower lake." 
 
 We give the cultivation of Woodsia Ilvensis, and the 
 Woodsia hyperborea requires similar treatment.
 
 WOO'DSIA ILVE'NSIS.
 
 WOODSIA ILVENSIS. 277 
 
 WOO'DSIA ILVE'NSIS. 
 
 THIS Fern has been included by various botanists in 
 the genera Acrostichum, Lonchitis, and P oly podium ; 
 but they have uniformly retained the specific name 
 flvensis, which is one of the illustrations of the absurdity 
 of naming a plant after the country where it was first 
 found. Ilvensis, or Elban, refers to the Isle of Elba, 
 where it was originally discovered ; but since then it has 
 been found in Britain, all over Germany, the Alps, the 
 Pyrenees, Siberia, and even Greenland. The true render- 
 ing of the botanical name, then, is the Elban Woodsia ; 
 but it has also been called Oblong Woodsia, Hairy 
 Woodsia, Downy Hair Fern, and Opposite-leaved Poly- 
 pody. 
 
 .Root* tufted, numerous, long, smooth, blackish, fibrous. 
 Fronds several, in a tuft or group, erect, spear-head 
 shaped in general outline, from two to five inches high. 
 Stem pale brown, slightly scaly, very elastic and wiry, 
 about one-fourth without leaflets, and jointed at a short 
 distance from the roots. At that joint it falls off when 
 decayed. Leaflets stalkless, egg-shaped, bluntly-pointed, 
 deeply cut into segments, somewhat wavy, and rolled 
 back at the edge; opposite at the lowest part of the 
 frond, but alternate at the top; upper surface milky 
 green, smooth, but sprinkled over with a few hairs or 
 slender scales; under surface densely covered with 
 similarly fine, glossy scales and jointed hairs, and nearly 
 covered with fructification. Fructification in round,
 
 278 WOODSIA ILVENSIS. 
 
 convex masses, variously placed at the points of the 
 very irregular and indistinct veins; the masses are 
 separated whilst young, but soon become crowded. The 
 sort are on a small, membranous, roundish cover, of 
 which the edge is fringed with very long, taper, jointed, 
 hair-like segments. 
 
 This, one of the rarest of our Ferns, is found only on 
 the highest and bleakest of our mountains It has not 
 been found in Ireland. 
 
 In England only on Falcon Glints, Teesdale, Durham. 
 
 In Wales, at Glyder-vawr, near Lyn-y-cwm, and Clog- 
 wyn-y-Garnedh, Snowdon. 
 
 In Scotland, between Glen Dole and Glen Phee, in 
 the Clova Mountains, Forfarshire, at an elevation of 
 between 1,600 and 1,700 feet. 
 
 Mr. W. Reeve states that the two Woodsias require 
 the same treatment, and are cultivated chiefly for their 
 minute beauty, being so small that they will be almost 
 lost upon a rockery or Fernery of any size. They are, 
 however, well adapted for cultivating upon small Fern- 
 eries, with such companions as Asplenium trichomanes, 
 Allosorus crispus, the Asplenium ruta-muraria, and 
 others. They may be cultivated, also, in pots successfully. 
 They require a very open soil, composed of equal parts 
 turfy peat and light loam, with a very free admixture of 
 finely-broken charcoal, sandstone, and silver sand ; the 
 pots to be one-third filled with finely-broken crocks or 
 sandstone; upon this is to be put a little sphagnum 
 or fibry parts of the peat, and the remainder to be 
 filled with the above compost, placing the little plant
 
 WOODSIA ILVEX8IS. 279 
 
 ia it as you approach towards the top, keeping the 
 crown of the plant above the pot's rim, and round it 
 placing a few small stones. Great care must be exercised 
 so that the plants do not become water-logged, for this 
 is almost sure death to them, they disliking nothing 
 more than stagnated moisture. What moisture is given 
 is best given by means of placing the pots in a 
 saucer of water for a few minutes. When the moisture 
 is seen rising through the surface remove the saucer, 
 and set the plants again to drain. 
 
 The same directions may be followed in pi anting these 
 Ferns in a rockery or Fernery, placing the pieces of 
 rock or stone firmly round the base of the plant, so as 
 to keep the soil firm to the roots. The plants may be 
 increased by division, which will require great care 
 and nicety. They may also be increased by the fruc- 
 tification. They succeed remarkably well in the close, 
 warm temperature of a stove.'but will do quite as well, 
 and perhaps better, in a greenhouse.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 N.B. Those names not in capitals are synonymee and English names. 
 
 Acrostichum alpinum, 273 
 Ilvensis, 277 
 ,, leptophyllum, 127 
 spicant, 82 
 ,, thelypteris, 185 
 
 Adder's Tongue, 188 
 Adiantum album, 68 
 
 ,, CAPILLDS VENEBIS, 9 
 ALLOSOBUS CBISPCS, 15 
 Alpine Bladder Fern, 96 
 Polypody, 202 
 Woodsia, 2/3 
 Angular-leaved Shield Fern, 239 
 Prickly Shield Fern, 239 
 Anogramma leptophylla, 127 
 Arrangement of Ferns, i 
 Aspidium aculeatum, 233, 239 
 angulare, 239 
 ,, crist a turn, 140 
 dilatatum, 146, far. con- 
 
 cavum, 162 
 dentatum, 108 
 dumetorum, 187 
 fragile, 105, 116 
 , fragrans, 175 
 filiz-mas, 152 
 ,, lonchitis, 249 
 ,, montanum, 123 
 ,, odoriferum, 169 
 ,, oreopteris, 169 
 ,, recurrum, 162 
 Rhaeticum, 105 
 ,, ricidum, 175 
 spinulosum, 146, 1/5, 
 
 178, ar. 162 
 ,, thelypteris, 185 
 
 ASPLEMICM ADIANTUM NIGBUM, 
 
 21 
 
 ,, alternifolium. 33 
 ,, aquilinum, 255 
 
 ASPLBNIUM ceterach, 95 
 
 ,, of Dioscorides, 93 
 
 FONTANUM, 27 
 
 GBBMANICUM, 33 
 
 LA.NCKOLATL M, 36 
 
 ,, leptophyllum, 127 
 
 ,, MAUIM'M, 42 
 
 RUTA-MtJBABIA, 48 
 
 scolopendrium, 263 
 
 SEPTEXTRIONALE, 5 
 
 spicant, 83 
 trapeziforme, 47 
 
 TRIC IIOMA.VES, 58 
 VIBIDE, 94 
 ATIIYRIUM PILIX-FCEMINA, 70, 205 
 
 thelypteris, 185 
 
 Black Maiden-hair, 21 
 B LECH N DM BORKALE, 79 
 ,, spicant, 81 
 
 BoTRYCHIUM LUNABIA, 85 
 
 Braken, 255 
 
 Brakes, 255 ; their uses, 257 
 
 Brittle Bladder Fern, 116 
 
 Polypody, 116 
 Broad sharp-toothed Shield Fern 
 146 
 
 ., prickly - toothed Buckler 
 Fern, 146 
 
 ,, Priokly Fern, 146 
 Buckler Fern (Common), 163 
 
 Capillaire, to make, 12 
 Ceterach alpinum, 273 
 
 OFPICIKABUM, 91 
 
 Close-leaved Prickly Male Fern, 242 
 Cluster Lunary, 86 
 
 Moonwo.t, 86 
 Creeping Water Fern, 186 
 Crested Fern, 140 
 
 U
 
 282 
 
 Crested Polypody, 140 
 
 Shield Fern, 140 
 Crisped Fern, 15 
 Ctenopteris vulgaris, 224 
 Cup Goldy-locks, 266 
 Curled Fern, 15 
 Cyathea dentata, 108 
 
 fragilis, 105, 116 
 
 ,, montana, 123 
 
 ,, regia, 96 
 Cystea angustata, 107 
 
 ,, dentata, 108 
 CYSTOPTERIS ALPINA, 96 
 
 ANGUSTATA, 105 
 
 ,, DENTATA, 108 
 
 ,, DlCKIEANA, 112 
 
 fragilis, var. angus- 
 
 tata, 105 
 
 FRAGILIS, 116 
 
 MOHTANA, 123 
 
 myrrhidifolia, 123 
 
 Darea Tunbridgensis minor, 133 
 Deep-cut Mountain Bladder Fern, 
 
 105 
 
 Didymoglossum alatum. 266 
 Dilated Shield Fern, 146 
 Downy Hair Fern, 277 
 Drooping Lady Fern, 70 
 Dryopteris Candida, 40 
 
 ,, Tragi, 2U9 
 
 ,, filix-mas, 152 
 Dwarf Sea Fern, 42 
 
 Eagle's Fern, 255 
 English Maiden -li air, 58 
 
 Black Maiden-hair, 58 
 
 Polypody, 228 
 Eupteris aquilina, 255 
 
 Female Fern, 255 
 
 ,, Dwarf Stone Fern, 42 
 ,, Shield Fern, 70 
 ,, Polypody, 70 
 Ferns defined, Hi., 2 
 their uses, 257 
 ,, parts described, 3 
 Fern Seed, superstitions concern- 
 ing, 158, 256 
 Filiculapetrrea-mas, 106 
 Fills Caledonica, 2/4 
 ,, Lonchitidi affinis, 240 
 ,, mas ramosa pinuulis dentatis, 
 
 143 
 
 ,, saxiitilis caule tenui fragile, 
 120 
 
 saxatiiis Tragi, 
 
 Filmy-leaved Fern, 130 
 Flowering Fern. 197 
 Forked Spleenwort, 55 
 
 ,, Maiden-hair, 56 
 Fox Fern, 81 
 
 Grammitis ceterach, 95 
 
 leptophylla, 127 
 Great Spleenwort, 79, 249 
 Shield Fern, 146 
 ,, Spleenwort, 64 
 ribbed Spleenwort, 64 
 Green Maiden-hair Spleenwort, 64 
 Gymnocarpium Robertianum, 209 
 ,, dryopteris, 213 
 
 phegopteris, 219 
 
 GTMNOGRAMMA LEPTOPHYLLA, 
 
 127 
 Gymnopteris ceterach, 95 
 
 Hairy Polypody, 273 
 Hart's Tongue Fern, 263 
 
 ,, Woodsia, 2/7 
 Hay-scented Buckler Fern, 162 
 Heath Fern, 169 
 Shield Fern, 169 
 Polypody, 169 
 Hemestheum montanum, 169 
 ,, thelypteris, 185 
 
 Holly Kern, 249 
 Horned Moss, 56 
 
 ,, Maiden-hair, 56 
 Hymenophyllum alatum.Tunbridg- 
 ense , 266 
 
 ,, TUNBRIDGENSE, 
 
 94, 130 
 
 ,, unilaterale, 136 
 
 WILSONI, 136 
 
 Knagged Moss, 56 
 
 Laciniated Bladder Fern, 96 
 Lady Fern, 70 
 Lanceolate Spleenwort, 36 
 LASTRJEA CRISTATA, 140 
 
 ,, calcarea, 209 
 
 ,, dentata var. linearis, 
 178 
 
 ,, DILATATA, 146 
 
 ,, dryopteris, 213 
 
 ,, FILIX-MAS, 152 
 
 KIEN1S1.CII, l6l 
 
 ,, montana, 169 
 
 ,, multiflora, 146 
 
 ,, OKEOPTERIS, 164 
 
 ,, phegopteris, 219 
 
 BIGIDA, 175
 
 283 
 
 LASTR.EA Robertiana, 209 
 ,, spinosa, 1/8 
 
 ,, SPINULOSA, 1?8 
 
 ,, THELYPTEEIS, 185 
 
 Lesser Crested Polypody, 178 
 
 Limestone Polypody, 209 
 
 Lomaria spicant, 81 
 
 Lonchitis, 249 
 
 ,, Ilvensis, 277 
 
 Lophodium caJlipteris, 140 
 collinum, 1S7 
 
 ,, fcenisecii, 162 
 glandulosum, 187 
 
 multiflorum, 141) 
 ,, rigidum, 1/5 
 ,, sriinosum, 1/8 
 ,, uliginosum, 187 
 
 Lunary, Small, 85 
 
 Maiden-hair, 9 
 
 Spleenwort(Common), 
 
 58 
 
 Male Fern, 152 
 Polypody, .152 
 ,, Shield Field, 152 
 Marsh Shield Fern, 185 
 Fern, 185 
 Polypody, 185 
 Martagon, 86 
 Miltwaste, 91 
 Moonwort, Common, 85 
 Mountain Bladder Fern, 12.% 
 Fern, 169 
 Kuckler Fern, 169 
 Parsley, 15 
 ,, Polypody, 219 
 Muscus corniculatue, Mi 
 
 Naked Stone Fern, 56 
 Narrow Prickly-toothed Fern, 178 
 Northern Hard Fern, 79 
 Notolepeum ceterach, 95 
 
 Oak Fern, 21, 228 
 Oblong Woodsia, 2/7 
 Ophioglossum Lusitanicum, 102 
 ovatum, 188 
 
 ,, VULGATCM, 188 
 
 Opposite-leaved Polypody, 277 
 Osmund Bald-pate. 40 
 ,. Royal. 197 
 ,, the Waterman, 157 
 OSMUKDA RKGALIS, 19" 
 spicant. 81 
 
 leptophylla, 127 
 
 Pale Mountain Polypody, 219 
 
 Parsley Fern, J5 
 Phegopteris calcarea, 209 
 
 dryopteris, 213 
 
 Phyllitis vulgaris, 263 
 
 ,, scolupendrium, 263 
 multitida, 264 
 Pilled Osmund, 40 
 Polypodium aculeatum, 233 
 ,. album, 116 
 
 ALPESTRK, 203 
 
 arUtatum, 146 
 Arvonicum, 273 
 
 ,, calypteris, 140 
 
 CALCAREUM, 206 
 
 ., cristatum, 140, 146, 
 
 1/8 
 
 dentatum, 108, 178 
 
 ,, dilatatum, 146 
 
 DRYOPTERIS, 213 
 
 ,, filix-inas, 152 
 
 ,, filix-f<rmina ear. spi- 
 
 nosa, 178 
 
 fragile, 116 
 
 fragrans, 169 
 
 hyperboreum, 273 
 
 Ilvense, 105 
 
 ,, Ilvensis, 2/7 
 
 leptophyllura, 127 
 
 ,, lobatum,242 
 
 lonchitis, 249 
 
 ,, lonchitidoides, 242 
 
 ,, montanum, 123 
 
 ,, montanum, 169 
 
 myrrhidifolium, 123 
 
 oreopteris, 169 
 
 PIIEGOPTEEIS, 219 
 
 regium, 96 
 
 rigidum, 175 
 
 ,, Rliwticum, 105,202 
 
 Robertianum, 209 
 
 ,, spinosum, 178 
 
 spinulosum, 178 
 
 thelypteris, 169, 185 
 
 VULGAKR, 224 
 
 Polypody (Common), 224 
 ' f the Oak, 224 
 
 POLYSTICHUM ACULEATUM, 23J 
 ANGULARE, 239 
 
 ,, cristatum, 140 
 
 dryopteris, 213 
 
 ,, filix-max, 152 
 
 LOBATUM, 242 
 
 LONCHITIS, 249 
 
 ,,. montanum, 169 
 
 ,, multiflorum. 146 
 
 ,, phegopteris, 219 
 
 ,, rigidum, 175
 
 284 
 
 Polystichum strigosum, 175 
 spinosum, 178 
 
 ,, tbelypteris, 185 
 
 Prickly Male Fern with narrower 
 
 leaves, 242 
 
 Shield Fern, 178 
 (Common), 233 
 
 toothed Shield Fern, 178 
 Probewort, 52 
 
 Pseudathyrium alpestre, 202 
 PTBBIS AQCILINA. 255 
 crispa, 256 
 
 Recurved Prickly-toothed Fern, 162 
 Red-stemmed Polypody, 105 
 Rigid Buckler Fern, 175 
 
 Shield Fem, 175 
 
 Lastraea, 175 
 
 three - branched Polypody, 
 
 209 
 
 Rock Polypody, 27 
 Rough Alpine Shield Fem, 249 
 ,, Spleenwort, 79, 91 
 Miltwaste, 79 
 Round-leaved Woodsia, 273 
 Royal Fern, 197 
 
 ,, Brackens, 197 
 
 ,, Moonwort, 197 
 
 Polypody, 249 
 Rue-leaved Spleenwort, 48 
 
 ,, Maiden-hair, 61 
 
 Saint Christopher's Herb, 197 
 
 Salvia vitae, 52 
 
 Scale Fern, 91 
 
 Scaly Hart's Tongue, 91 
 ,, Spleenwort, 91 
 
 Scolopendrium ceterach, 95 
 
 ,, officinalis, 263 
 
 ,, phyllitis, 263 
 
 ,, VULGABE, 263 
 
 Sea Spleenwort, 42 
 
 Sea Maiden-hair, 42 
 Short-styled Bristle Fern, 266 
 Slender-stemmed Polypody, 27 
 Smith's Fern, 209 
 Smooth Rock Spleenwort, 27 
 Soft Prickly Shield Fern, 239 
 Spear-shaped Spleenwort, 36 
 Spleenwort Polypody, 249 
 Stone Brakes, 15 
 
 ,, Polypody, 105 
 
 ., Rue, 51 
 Sun Fern, 219 
 Superstitions relative to Fem, 1 58 
 
 Tentwort, 48 
 Three-branched Polypody, 213 
 
 , cleft Polvpody, 96 
 Toothed Bladder Fern, 108 
 
 ,, Polypody, 108 
 TKICHOMANES BREVISETDM, 266 
 ,, famina, 68 
 
 ,, ramosum, 68 
 
 Trichomanes radicans, speciosum, 
 Europseum, alatum, pyxidiferum, 
 Tunbridgense var. J3j and An- 
 drewi-ii, 266 
 Tunbridge Fern, 130 
 
 Wall Fern, 224 
 Rue, 48 
 
 ,, Spleenwort (Common), 58 
 Water Fern, 197 
 White Oak Fern, 36 
 
 ,, Spleenwort, 48 
 Wild Spleenwort, 79 
 Wilson's Bladder Fern, 123 
 Woodsia alpina, 273 
 
 ,, HYFBRBOBEA, 273 
 ,, ILVENSIS, 2/7 
 Worms, a remedy for intestinal, 
 156 
 
 Hugh Barclay, Printer. Winchester. 
 
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