THE BEITISH FEENS. THE LADY FEEN,
fringed indusia, on which Eoth seems partly to have reKed, is too
trivial for the purpose of generic definition. The remaiuing character,
that of the curved arcuate or horse-shoe-shaped sori, is entirely
foreign to Asplenium, and indicates, as we have already stated, a
tendency towards Lastrea. It is on this ground that we definitively
adopt the genus, excluding, however, the straight-fruited free-veined
Allantoclias which should, in our opinion, be retained in Asplenium.
The effect of this, though reducing Athxjrium considerably, is not to
restrict it entii’ely to the forms of Filix-foemina, for a considerable
number of distinct species, from various countries, have a similar
fi’uctification.
The species of Athxjrium are analogous in habit with those forms
of the Polypodieoe and Aspidieæ, in which the stem assumes the
form of a short erect or decumbent caudex, which habit is represented
among the British Ferns by the Polxjpodium alpestre and the
Lastrea Pilix-mas. There is, indeed, great similarity in habit between
the Lady Fern, which is to be regarded as the type of
Athxjrixixn and the Polypodium alpestre; indeed the latter, as we
have already pointed out (ante, vol. i. 78), has sometimes a certain
amount of resemblance to Athyrium even in the fructification,
which has led to its being constituted by Mr. Newman into a
distinct genus, called Pseudathyrixm.
The species of Athxjrium have not hitherto been divided into
sectional groups. They are found distributed over the whole of
both hemispheres ; and are generally of elegant aspect, our own
native species fairly claiming precedence in this respect over all
other British Ferns. Among the Indian species are some extremely
beautiful plants, especially Athxjrium pectinatum and Athyrium
Hookerianum, both of which are remarkable for the finely toothed
segments of their fronds, which in the former, inhabiting Nepal,
Simla, etc., are lance-shaped in outline, and in the latter found by
Dr. Hooker in Sikkim, are deltoid or broadly triangular.
The name of the genus was derived by Roth from the Greek
athyros, opened, or having an open entrance, alluding to the repressed
indusium.
BRITISH SPECIES AND VARIETIES.
A, Filix-foemiaa; a perennial, with plnnate-pinnatiiid, twice pinnate, or thnoa
pinnate lanceolate fronds ; very prolific of varieties.
(a) Fronds xiormal.
(1) Fronds broad lanceolate ; pinxiales flat,
var. marinum; b ip in n a te ; pinnules crowded, oblong-obtuse, connected by
th e wing of raohis ; te e th mostly slijiplo and even ; sori short, much
curved, near th e costa.
var. latifolium; bipinnate ; pinnules short-stalked, flat, imbricate, ovate ;
sori small, d istan t from th e costa.
var. acuminatum; bipinnate ; pinme w ith long acuminate apices ; pinnules
distinct decorrent linear-ohlong ; sori numerous, near th e costa. ^
var. incisum; subtripiiinate ; pinnules linear-laiiceolate, deeply pinnatifid,
th e lobes with marginal and apical te e th ; sori numerous, near th e
costa.
var. plumosum; trip in n a ts ; pinnules ovate-acuminate, imbricate, cu t into
linear inoiso-pinnatifid secondaiy pinnules ; segments narrow linear,
unequally bifid or three-toothed ; sori imperfect, suhmarginal in the
sinuses.
var. graoile; bipinnate ; pinn® oaudately acuminate ; pinnules d istan t oil
th e slender raoHdes, linear-oblong fringed with linear te e th ; sori
crowded, near th e costa.
var. dissectum i bipinnate ; pinme suddenly acuminate ; pinnules distant
decurrent, irregularly ovate-oblong, pinnatifid ; lobes distant
unequally to o th e d ; sori nea r th e costa a t th e base of th e sinuses.
(2) Froxids narrow lameeolaU ; pinnules coxwex.
var. rh a tic um ; pinnules distinct, becoming linear by th e incurvation of
th e apices of thoir lobes ; sori numerous, near th e costa.
(h) Fronds monstrous, muUifid.
(1) Fronds tall, symmetrical.
var. polydaotylon: p in n a flat, bi-tri-furcate, with flat n o t crispy tassels.
var. multifidum; pinnules oblong acute, convex ; tassels crispy, of numerous
narrow slightly divergent segments.
var. multiceps; pinnules flat, oblong, unequal, inclso-serrate; tassels
crispy, of numerous narrow lacerate spreading segments.
var. oorymbiferum: pinnules broad, flat, oblong-obtuse; tassels of broad
spreading tapered segments, th e ir rachides bordered with normal
pinunles.
(2) Fronds dwarfish, wnsymmetrieal.
var. grandiceps: terminal tassel broad, multifid-crisped, dense; pitincc
indistinctly tasselled.
var. depauperatum; terminal tassel loose, consisting of narrow lacerate
segm en ts ; pmme lacerate tasselled.
(3) Fronds dwarf, ramose.
var. acrocladon; teiuninal tassels dense, multifid-crisped, with narrow
projecting laciniately-toothed segments,
va/r. crispum i terminal tassels dense, nmltifid-crisped, i
ilt 'ii
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