filix-femina, four or five feet in length, yet I have feen per-
fc6l leaves in fru6tiflcation not more than nine inches high in
the former, and little more than fix in the latter fpecies.
Hence, in my defcriptions, when I fay the leaves are from
one to four feet in height, from four to twelve inches, &c. I
would be underftood to mean, that the leaves in both cafes
are grown to as great a degree of perfeHion as the fituation
and foil will admit of, that the roots are of a fufficient age,,
and that the plants of the fmaller as well as larger fize are in
complete fruftification.
In moift and rich foils, the Polipodium criftatum has an
upright rib, and attains the height of three or four feet ; the
firft pair of fécond leaves are fhorter than thofe next above
them ; the leaf, for the moft part of its length is triply pinnated,
or, in our own way of defcribing, divided into fécond
leaves, third leaves, and lobes. Upon dry rocks and banks,
the plant is ten or twelve inches high, the rib curves backwards
from the infertion of the firft pair of the fécond leaves,
which are by much the largeft, and only this firft or loweft
pair are triply divided.
For want of paying proper attention to thefe accidental cir-
cumftances, many imaginary fpecies have been admitted in
the lifts of Britifti ferns. A defire to multiply the fpecies of
plants feems to have prevailed amongft the Botanifts of the
The works ofTournefort, Vaillant, Micheli, Plukenet.
laft age.