212 THE BEITISH FEENS.
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half nearly or quite entire, tho rest furnished with short hlunt
entire or obscurely .fine-toothed segments ; fertile ones similar in
form, spicate (J inch wide and undivided) above, sparingly lobod
below, tho lohes sometimes all much abbreviated.
B l e c h n u m S p ic a n t , v . l a n c I f o u u m , WoUaston 3 IS. Moore, Ferns o f Gt.
Britain, Nature Printed, imdor t. 43 C; Id ., Ilandh. Brit. Ferns, S ed. 221.
Var. subserratum : sterile and fertile fronds narrowish elongate ;
segments falcatoly curved forwards, the anterior margin entiro, tho
posterior crenately serrate.
B l e c h n u m S p ic a n t , v . s u b s e r r a t u m , Moore, in litt.
Var. imbrioatum: sterile fronds short lanceolate, with densely
crowded overlapping ohlong aoutish segments ; fertile ones of tho
same size and form, pinnate, their stipites and rachides broad deeply
furrowed in front, the pinnæ crowded, acute.
B l e c h n u m S p ic a n t , ®. im b r io a t u m , Moo?-e, in litt. 1858.
B l e c h n u m S p ic a n t , v . c r a s s ic a u l e , McNab, in Uort. Edin.
Var. striotum : sterile fronds elongate lanceolate, sometimes
irregular with abbreviated segments ; segments distant dilated at
the base, crenately toothed ; fertile fronds of the same form or sometimes
narrower, with distant Knear obtuse obscurely crenated
segments. [Plate XCV B.]
B l e c h n u m S p ic a n t , ®. s t r ic t u m , Francis, An a l. Brit. Ferns, 2 od. 64 ; 6 ed.
58. Moore, Ferns o f Gt. Brita in , Nature Printed, under t. 43 C ; Id .,
Handb. BHt. Ferns, 3 ed. 222.
Var. ramosum; fronds divided, the apices of the divisions
densely multifid-crisped, forming a close convex terminal tuft of
segments. [Plate XCVI A.]
B l e o h n u m S p ic a n t , ®. r a m o s u m , Kinahan, in litt. ; Id ., Phxjtol. iy. 892.
Moore, Ilandh. Brit. Ferns, 2 ed. 186, 188 ; 3 ed. 218 ; Id ., Ferns o f Gt.
B rita in , Nature Printed, under t. 43 C.
Var. multifurcatum ; fronds often divided below, the apices of the
divisions repeatedly forked, the ultimate divisions acutely prolonged,
forming a flat spreading tuft of segments. [Plate XCVII B.]
B l e c h n u m S p ic a n t , ®. m u l t if u r c a t u m , Moore, Perns o f Gt. Britain, Nature
Printed, t. 43 C, fig. 3 ; Id., Haxidb. Brit. Ferns, 3 ed. 218.
THE COMMON HAED FEEN. 213
! IF
Caudex stoutish, erect or documhont, tufted, scaly. Scales narrow
lanceolato-acuminate, deep tawny brown. Fibres stout, numerous,
branched, the younger parts densely tomentose.
Vernation circinate.
Stipes of the barren fronds usually short, i. e., ono or two inches
bnt sometimes four or five inches long, densely scaly at the base,
and with a few narrow scattered scales upwards, dark purpKsh
brown, terminal and adherent to tho caudex. Rachis channelled in
front, rounded and prominent behind. The fertile fronds have
longer dark-coloured stipites, from five to ten inches long, and the
rachis is distinctly of a dark purple colour.
Fronds of two kinds, sterile and fertile, tufted. Sterile fronds from
six to eighteen inches averaging about a foot in length, ono or two
inches in breadth, spreading or prostrate, dark green, hard coriaceous,
linear-lanceolate, pectinately-pinnatifid ; the segments Knear-ohlong,
flat, somewhat falcatoly curved, dilated and confluent at theK base,
bluntish or acute at their apex, the margins entire, or rarely when
very vigorous obscurely lobed, diminishing both above and below ;
the lower ones small, roundish, often becoming remote ; the upper
ones confluent into a lanceolate point. Fertile fronds of the same
form hut taller, one to two foet or sometimes nearly throe feot high,
growing from the centre of the tuft, erect pinnate below ; the pinnæ
or segments Knear-aoute, contracted to about half the width of tho
barren segments, the lower ones distant, the upper more contiguous,
and there dilated and confluent at the base. Fronds of intermediate
character, sparingly fertile, and but partially or not at all contracted,
are sometimes produced.
Venation of tho segments of the barren fronds distmot, consisting
of a stout costa or midvein, producing lateral reins which are once or
twice forked, the venules extending parallel towards the margin and
terminating in a small club-shaped head. Tho venation of the
fertile fronds is altered in consequence of their contracted nature ;
it consists of a series of veins, which seldom have space to become
forked, hut are lost in the continuous longitudinal sporangiferous
receptacle which runs parallel with and very near to the midvoin.
In the less contracted fertile fronds, the venules are, however, continued
towards the margin exterior to the receptacle.
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