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TH E MALE FERN.
L a s t r je a F i l i x - m a s .—Presl.
Aspidium Filix-mas.—Smith, Hooker, Galpine, Mackay, Francis.
Pohjpodium Filix-mas.—Linneus, Berkenhout, Hudson, Bolton,
Withering, Lightfoot.
Aspidium nemorale.—Gray.
I .O C A L IT IE S .
E n g la n d . A
slÔÎr*ND. [ Universally distributed.
I r e l a n d J
T h is is a most abundant species, and one which seems to delight
in wooded and well-cultivated districts; although scattered over
every part of the kingdom, it is ever most luxuriant in rich soil
and shady situations : it lives to a great age, and the fronds of
each succeeding year increase in size.
The roots are extremely strong and tough, they are of a dark
brown colour, and penetrate very deeply into the e a rth ; the
rhizoma is tufted: if in a favourable situation, it elongates slightly
every year, so that in very old plants it makes a decided appearance
above ground, and the crown of the rhizoma, whence spring
the fronds, appears to be seated on a short stem ; it more often,
however, assumes a pendant position, as represented in the next
page, the crown of the rhizoma curving at the extremity, and
the fronds growing in a nearly erect position. This elongation
of the rhizoma in Filix-mas, (a character still more decided in
Filix-femina,) affords us a clew to that erect and elongated part
which is called the “ trunk ” of Tree Ferns. I t is inconsistent
with analogy to suppose that genera, which are so obviously
allied in every other character, should he so totally different in
this, as for one to possess a trunk, and the other to he entirely
without it.
The fronds make their appearance in May : at first they are
perfectly circinate, but after a few days the apex of each is
liberated, and hangs down, the frond at this period possessing
the bend which characterises a
shepherd’s crook, as represented
in the illustration. In this state
it is very tender, and is generally
cut down by the late frosts of
spring ; the loss is, however,
quickly supplied; a second series
of fronds make their appearance,
and expanding at a more congenial
time, arrive in safety at
maturity. The fronds are mature
in August, and last to the middle of
winter quite uninjured. They are
generally fertile, but plants are not
of unfrequent occurrence which
produce only barren fronds ; and
these are generally larger, greener,
and have the pinnulæ more deeply
serrated than when fertile : the
fronds vary from five to ten or
more in number, their position is
nearly erect, or, perhaps, somewhat
slanting, and radiating from
a common centre. The length of
the fronds averages between two
and three feet, and the rachis is
naked nearly one-third of its
length, and very chaffy.
The form of the frond is
lanceolate and pinnate ; the lower
pinnæ are considerably shorter
than those of the middle of the
frond, but never approach the
diminutive size of those of Oreopteris
: the pinnulæ are nearly
linear, hut acute at the apex ; they are regularly pinnate ; the
pinnulæ are obtuse, somewhat pinnate at the extremities, and
serrated at their margins.
I I