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circumstances, and have mostly a starved and stunted aspect.
They are not particular as to soil, excepting that such as
contains fibrous or half-decayed vegetable matter, or the
damp surface of some porous stone, is much preferable to
soil which is much spent and comminuted, as indeed is the
case with respect to all Eerns.
The Hart’s-tongue is sometimes called Scolopendrium offi-
cinarum, and has been named Scolopendrium PhylUtidis,
Asplenium Scolopendrium, or PhyllHis Scolopendrium.
Genus XIY. TEICHOMANES, Linnaius.
The Trichomanes is the most rare genus among our native
Eerns; the indigenous species, of which only one occurs,
being among the few which are met with very rarely indeed,
and within a very narrow range. It, however, is not the
most rare species, although very unfrequent, and local.
Unlike in texture all the other native kinds excepting the
llym en o phy llum s, being quite pellucid, and of the most
delicately crisped appearance imaginable, it is soon distinguished
by this mark alone. The fructification, too, is here
totally unlike that of all others, except the HymenophyUums,
T'i
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