rill»
V
Lobes o f the fecond leaves moft commonly five ; two on each fide of
the rib, and one at the end ; they are o f a roundifh figure, grow clofe together,
and are obfcurely crenated round the margin. The colour on the
upper fide is a browniih kind of green ; the underfide thickly covered
with a brown hairy nap.
The lower figure reprefents one of the 'fecond leaves, as it appeared
when a little magnified ; the feed veffels are difpofed in three or four
clufters, on each lobe, partly hidden amongft numerous, ftrong, brown,
hair-like filaments, by which alfo the whole under fide of the leaf, quite
to the margin, is thickly covered.
The fpecimen above defcribed is very exaftly figured on plate 42, and
is a plant fo perfeftly diftina from the Acroftichum ilvenfe, in its ufual
ftate, that it feems to me unreafonable to fuppofe them both of the fame
fpecies.
The Acroftichum ilvenfe, defcribed in the former part of this work,
page 14 , and accurately figured on plate 9, was brought from Snowden.
Older, in Flora Danica, has given an excellent figure of the fame plant.
Tab. 391 . And the figure in Pluk. Phyt. Tab. 179, Fig. 4> (which is
cited by Linnæus, in Flo. Suecica, E d . 2. No. 938,) agrees pretty aptly
with both Oederi and my own; But are all very different from the
Acroftichum alpinum above defcribed.
The fpecimen figured on plate 4 2, was brought from Scotland, but
the plant is alfo a native of South-Britain ; for in a volume of dried
plants, collecfted by the late Mr. T . Knowlton, I have feen fpecimens of
the fame plant, with this note, in his own hand writing. From the
Mountains of Wales. From thefe, and fome other circumftances, I arn
induced to think, that two fpecies of Britiih Ferns have been confound^ed
together, under the name of Acroftichum ilvenfe ; and I believe that
future obfervation will confirm the truth now difcovered.
A C R O S T I C H U M