22. erosa (Woll.). The pecnliiirity of this form, which somewhat
rosomhlos the coUina typo, resides in the marginal toothing, which is
so arranged as to produce a nibbled but scarcely unsymmetrical
appearance. The frond is narrowly ovato, hipinnate; the pinnules
distant, oblong obtuse, lohed, and the lohcs serrated, the serratures
hoing bristle-pointed, and often curved. A peculiar feature of the
variety consists in the pinnules being somewhat unequal in size, in
the lobes of tho iiinnules hoing also unequal, and consequently in
the toothing hoing irregular. I t was found hy Mr. Wollaston at
Tunbridge Wells. Mr. Clowes has found at Windermere a similar
plant, hut larger and more deeply lobed, the pinnæ being, though
very slightfy, here and there interrupted.
23. interrupta (M.). This, is a variety of the collina type, and is of
medium size, and of irregular development. The fronds aro lanceolate-
ovate. Tho pinnæ, normally composed of close-set oblong obtuse
pinnules, are sometimes wanting, sometimes reduced half or more in
length, and acquiring an irregularly incised or laciniated margin ;
sometimes nearly normal towards the tip, and having tho pinnules
near tho base variously reduced, and altered in outline, as woll as lacin-
iatod. I t is as the name implies, one of the interrupted or irregular
forms. The fronds aro somotimos ramose as well as interrupted. I t
was found near Ilarrogato in Yorkshire by Mr. Clapham.
24. cristata (M.). This appears to he a dwarfish form, of broad
ovate outline. The pinnæ are mostly about twice-forked into short
bluntly dilated segments forming a slightly crisped terminal tuft,
and tho apex of the frond is similarly hut rather more deeply divided.
When not thus tufted, the apices of the pinnæ are very broad, blunt,
and dilated, showing by the branching of the veins a tendency to
become forked, so that it is probable the plant may eventually prove
to he more thoroughly cristate than our figure represents. I t was
found near Doncaster by Mr. S. Appleby, and was communicated
by Mr. R. Sim of Footsoray. [Plate X LIX A.]
25. glandulosa (M.). This is a large growing and somewhat erect
habited plant, with much the aspect of a large broad spinulosa, hut
differing from th a t plant in the scales of the stipes hoing frequently
two-coloured and more lanceolate, and in the mdusia heingfringed with
glands. The caudex proves to he decumbent or somewhat creeping.
Tho stipes varies from about one-third to one-half the entire length
of the frond, and is olothod sparingly upwards, more thickly near the
base, with ovato bluntish and ovato-lanoeolate pointed scales, which
are generally of a pale brown, some hut not all having a darker
central blotch or streak, and many of thorn, as seen on the growing
plant, heooming a good deal appressed to the stipes, whilst a few
remain spreading, this peculiarity boing of course far less obvious
after the fronds are pressed. The stipites, raohides, and under surface
of the fronds, are densely covered with stalked glands. The fronds are
from two to four feet high, ohlong-lanoeolate in the larger plants, or
ovate-lanoeolate in the smaller onos, growing nearly erect around
the stout pale-coloured crown which terminates the thick tufted
ascending or slowly creeping caudex ; hipinnate above, tripinnate
below. The pinnæ are ascending, and twisted so as to form nearly
a horizontal piano, the lower onos broad and unequally deltoid, the
upper lancoolato-ovato, the longest nearly six inches long, and
about two inches broad just above the base. The pinnules are
lanceolate-ovate, or pyramidately ovate, acuto, averaging nearly an
inch in length over the greater part of the frond, the posterior ones
on the lower pinnæ longest, those of tho lowest pinnæ hoing an inch
and three-quarters long ; the lower ones stalked, the rest successively
decurrent, adnate, and then confluent ; they are pinnatifid almost
down to the midvein ; their lobes oblong, adnate, incised or toothed,
the serratures all tipped hy a hristle-like point. The fructification
is copious over the whole frond, the sori forming two lines on each of
the smaller pinnules, or on the lobes of the larger ones, and being
covered hy indusia, which are fringed with stalked marginal glands.
This variety was first discovered hy Mr. Bennett, of Brockham, in a
boggy part of Ankerbury Hill, near Lydbrook, in the Forest of
Dean, Gloucestershire. The samo form has since been obtained from
—Essex : Epping Forest, II . Doithleday. Sussex : wood at Hastings,
J . Stidolph. Surrey : Barnes (rather less glandular and with more
narrow scales), T. M. Shropshire : wood below Linley, noar Brose-
ley, O. Maw. Westmoreland : Windermere, F. Clowes. We are
indebted to all these gentlemen, as well as to Mr. Purchas, for
specimens. The Windermere plant has a more creeping caudex,
but it is not otherwise distinguishahlo from the rest.
I*'