i !
SYNOPSIS OF TH E SPECIES.
Hypopeltis.—Pinnæ and pinnules continuous tvith the rachis.
* Fronds ffinnate.
1. P. Lonchitis: pimiæ rigid spinosely ciliato-serrate, falcate, auricled ; th e
upper ones usually overlapping.
** Fronds hipinnate.
t Fronds r ig id ; pinnules sessile, attached hy ihe acute-angled wedge-shaped
hose, spiny-serrate.
2. P. aculeatum : fronds broad lanceolate ; pinnules ovate acute, sub-falcate,
auricled ; sori infra-medial.
m r . lohatum: fronds narrow lanceola te; pinnules nearly all confluent,
tb e lowest only auricled.
var. argutum : fronds lanceolate ; pinnules distinct, long, narrow, i. e.
linear acute, auricled.
var. cristatum : fronds lanceolate ; apical lobes of th e pinnæ confluent,
forming a dilated somewhat crispy termination.
f t Fronds la x ; pinnules (basal ones o f lower pinnae) vnih obtuse-angled
bcise, attached hy a slender pedicel, bristly serrate.
3. P. an g u lare: fronds broad lanceolate ; pinnules sliort oblong-ovate, subfalcate,
auricled ; sori te rmina l or subterminal.
{a) Fronds normal,
var. imbricatum : fronds narrow lanceolate ; pinnules roundish-oblong,
imbricated, bristle-tipped ; rachis proliferous.
var. rotundatum : fronds narrow lanceolate ; pinnules few, rotundate, flat,
obscurely crenate, or sub-entire.
var. alatum : fronds lanceolate ; pinnules decuiTent, th e pedicel obliterated
by a wing to th e rachis.
var. confluens : fronds bipinnate below ; pinnules (where perfect) linear,
acute, auricled, often depauperated or cuneate, th e upper confluent
into a lin e a r lobato-serrate apex; upper pinnæ linear-falcate,
auricled, serrated.
var. gTacUe : fronds bipinnate, ovate-caudate, lax ; pinnules narrow oblong
or linear, acute, distinct, scarcely auricled, inciso-serrate.
var. grandidens : fronds bipinnate, narrow lanceolate ; pinnæ iiTegularly
abbreviated, th e ir apex often flabellate ; pinnules variable, coarsely
inciso-dentate or laciniate, tb e te e th subulate.
var. plumosum : fronds ovate-lanceolate, thin, chartaceous, bipinnate ;
pinnules deeply inciso-lobate, all acutely aristate-serrate.
var. proliferum: fronds ovate-lanceolate, b i-tri-p in n a te ; pinnules a tte n u ated,
distinct, distantly and attenuately lobed ; rachis proliferous.
{h) Fronds monstrous or abnormal,
var. cristatum : fronds lanceolate, th e apices of th e fronds and pinnæ
inultifid-crisped.
var. polydactylum : fronds narrow lanceolate, th e apices of th e fronds and
pinnæ ramose or multifid, plane.
var. Kitsoniæ: fronds ramose above, th e branches corymbosely tu fte d ;
pinnæ dilated-crisped a t th e ir apices ; pinnules setaceo-serrate.
THE ALPINE SHIELD FEBN, or HOLLY PERN.
POLYSTICHUM LONCHITIS .
P. fronds pinnate, narrow linear-lanceolate, rigid ; pinnæ faloately
lanceolate, acute, spinosely ciliate-serrate, auricled at the base on the
upper side, obliquely wedge-shaped or rounded on the lower, the
lowest ones often having both an anterior and posterior auricle.
[Plate XV.]
P o lystichum L o n c h it is , Both, FI. Germ., iii. 71. DeaMn, Florirjr. Brit. iv.
89, fig. 1602. Babington, Man. Brit. Bot. i ed, 423. Sowerby,
Gt. B rit. 30, t . 15. Newman, Hist. Brit. Femes, 3 ed. 103, Moore, Handb
Brit. Ferns. 3 ed. 7 8 ; Id ., Ferns o f Ot. BHt., Nature Pm n k d t 9.
Sehott, Gen. Fil. (t. 9.) Presl, Tent. Pter. 82, t. 2, fig. 7. Fee Gen Pel. 278
P olypodium L o n c h it is , Linnæus, Sp. Plant. 1548. Bolten, F i t B n t , . •
Smith, Eng. Bot. x ii. t . 797- Flora Danica, t. 497. Sturm, Deutschl F t
A s p id iu m l L - c h i t i s , Swartz, Schrad. Journ. Bot. 1800, ii. 30 ; Id ., Syn. p p -
SmUh, FI. BHt. 1118 ; Id ., Bng. FI. 2 ed. iv. 271.
FI 7 ed 683. Maekay, FI. Hib. 338. Bentham, Hand,b. Bret. PI. 628
Sehkiehr, Krypt. Gew. 29, t . 29. Willdteww, Sp. PI. v 224.
Syst Teg. iy . 97. Ledebour, FI. Boss. iy. 612. Koeh, Syrwps. 2 ed. 976.
A. Gray, Bot. North. II. States, 2 ed. 599. Frws, Sum. Teg. 82. Nyman,
Syll. FI. Europ. 431. Loeoe, Nat. Hist. Ferns, yi. t . 22.
A s p id iu m a s p e k u m , Gray, Nat. A rr. B n t. PI. ii. 6.
Caudex thick, slowly elongating, erect or decumbent, consisting
of the densely packed bases of decayed fronds surrounding a central
woody axis, and clothed in the upper part with the numerous scales
which remain about the bases of the stipes. Fibres stout, rigid,
branched, dark brown.
Vernation circinate.
Stipes usually short, from half an inch to two inches, or sometimes
three inches in length, rarely more, clothed with large
ovate or hroadly-lanceolate roddish-hrown pointed chaffy scales;
terminal and adherent to the caudex. Bachis densely scaly, with
narrower lanceolate and subulate pallid scales.
Fronds from six to eighteen, rarely twenty-four inches in length,
deep green, paler beneath, of rigid leathery texture, erect or