Prare IX. 
THE ALPINE SHIELD FERN, or HOLLY FERN 
(Porysticnum Loxenms). 
POLYSTICHUM, Roth. Schott. 
rarely terminal on the venules, covered by 
ular, peltate, ie, attached at 
Clusters of Spore-cases circular, medial, 
indusium, ог membranous scale. Zndusium orb 
ог near its centro, the margin becoming free. Veins pinn 
direct, disunited at their extremities, the lower anterior one in each fascicle, on 
the fertile parts of the frond, bearing а sorus, 
теше; venules 
P. Loxomrs: fronds pinnate, narrow lincar-lanccolate, ri 
late, acute, spinosely cilinto-serrate, the upper ones auricled at the base on the 
Марей or r 
nd posterior auricle 
id; pinnæ faleately lanceo 
unded on the lower; the lowest ones 
upper side, obliquely wedge 
often with both an anterior 
"British Ferm, 10h, 
тейине ла 
Marval of Brith Belong, MU. биту, Fray, 30, 16 
rc Hand of British Fer, ба. Pre, Tentamen Рита, 
Britannie, В. 
EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE 
fct (1100 yards, aer) abore де 
а Nor Wales, in the 
in Yorkshire. Is tern a 
‘rutin of Donegal, Leitrim, Бірі Мені, and Kerry. The 
а the n ctrl partion, os 
Kaulfinterneditebetwen P. Lonekitirand P faleineilum of Madeira und în Califo 
Candex thick, slowly е erect or decumbent, consisting of the densely packed bases of 
decayed fronds surrounding a central woody axis, and clothed in the upper part with the numerous 
id, branched, dark brown, 
scales which remain about the bases of the stipes. Fires stout, ri 
two inches, or somet 
‘Stipes usually short, from half an inch nes in Welsh specimens three inches 
in length, clothed with largo ovate or broudly-Ianceolate reddish-brown pointed chafly scales; termin 
iceolate and subulate pallid scales. 
and adherent to the caudex, Rachis densely scaly, with narrower 1 
Vernation circinate 
‚en, or rarely twenty-four inches in le 
Frond, from six to ei h, deep green, paler beneath, of 
rigid leathery texture, erect or pendulous according to the conditions of growth, lincar-lanecolate, 
pinnate. Pinnce undivided, numerous, with one of the margins, usually the anterior one, bent back 
from the plane of the rachis and usually crowded, so that when the frond is flattened they become 
