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There is a European var. flexilis, with very narrow, nearly
sessile fronds, and the pinnæ often deflexed, which has not been
observed in America.
Undoubtedly the greatest resemblance of this fern is to the
lady-fern, Asplemum Filix-fæmina ; but that species has a very
well-developed indusium, while the minute objects delineated by
Mettenius scarcely deserve the name.
The stalks are clearly continuous with the root-stock ; and
for this reason the plant is plainly not a Polypodium, whatever
else it may finally be determined to be.
Plate X X III., Fig. 2. — Phegopteris alpestris: a specimen collected
in the California Sierra by Professor Brewer in 1862.
ti
P l a t e X X III. — F ig . 2.
A S P ID IUM FR A G R A N S , S w a r t z .
F r a g r a n t W o o d -F e rn .
A s p id iu m f r a g r a n s ; — R o o t-sto ck sho rt and stout, v e ry
chaffy, w ith ample brigh t-brow n g lo s s y sca le s, w hich a lso abound
on the sho rt c lustered s ta lk s , and extend, d im in ish in g in size,
n e a rly to the top o f the fro n d ; fronds rig id -m em b ran a c e o u s ,
g lan du la r, aromatic, fo u r to ten inches lon g , s ix to twenty-fou r
line s wide, lanceolate, acuminate, narrowed from the middle to
the base, bip innate ; pinnæ nume rous, oblong-lanceolate ; pinnules
many, one to two line s long, oblong, obtuse, adnate b y
a decurrent base, p in nate ly incised w ith v e r y minute crenated
teeth, o r in sm a lle r frond s n e a rly entire, the back n e a rly hidden
b y the la rg e thin im b ric a tin g indusia, w hich are orb icu la r with
a n a rrow s in u s , and more or le ss toothed and g lan d u la r around
the margin.
Aspidium fra g ran s , S w a r t z , Syn. F il, p. 5 1. — W il ld en ow , Sp. Pl., v.,
p. 2 5 3 . — H o o k e r , in “ Parry’s 2d Voy., App., p. 4 1 0 ; ” FI. Bor.
Am., p. 4 10 .— R u p r e c h t , Distr. Crypt. Vase. Imp. Ross., p . 35.
— M e t t e n iu s , Aspid., p. 56 .— C r a y , Manual, ed. 2 , p. 598.—
M il d e , Fil. Eur. et Atlant, p. 117 .
Polypodium fra g ran s , L in n æ u s , Sp. PL, p. 1550.
Polystichum fra g ran s , L ed e bo u r , “ FL Ross., iv., p. 514 .” — M axim ow ic z ,
Prim. F'l. Amur., p. 33g.
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