THE CRESTED BUCKLER FERN 
a horizontal direction, the 
Cauder stoutish, decumbent, or slowly creeping, è «. extending in 
fronds of 1 being in advance of those of the preceding one; branched, searecly tufted, 
decayed fronds surrounding a woody 
somewhat scaly, formed of the enlarged living bases of the 
axis. Seales similar to those of the stipes. Fibres numerous, coarse, dark brown, branched, 
+ terminal and adherent to the caudex, about one-third of the entire length of the frond, stout, 
shining, dark brown at the base, the brown blending with green upwards, sparsely scaly, with broad 
ovato membranous pale-brown scales, which are for the most part appressed, and are most numerous 
near the base. Jtachis stout, channelled in front, almost free from scales, pale green. 
Vernation circinate, the pinnse lying flat against the sides of the incurved rachis 
narrow linoar-oblong 
tap 
Frond from one to three feet high, herbaceous, dull green, erect 
rous, the lower 
at the apex, scarcely at all narrowed at the baso, sub-bipinnate, Pinne num 
distant, sub-opposite, broad triangular, two inches long, an inch and a half broad at the base; the 
Iternate, elongate triangular, those near the middle of the frond measuring 
д, and nearly an inch and a quarter broad at the base ; all shortly 
about two and а half in 
stalked, the stalk twisted so that their upper surface is directed towards the apex of the frond. Pinnules 
oblong, bluntish, all moro or less adnate, and connected by the wing of the rachis; the basal ones only, 
and these only on highly developed fronds, having a narrow attachment, pinnatifidly lobed, the lobes 
в are inciso-crenate at the margin, serrate 
serrate, with spinulose teeth; the rest of the pinnu 
at tho apex, the crenatures serrated, and all the serraturos tipped by a spinuloso point ; the posterior 
basal pinnules are 
rely larger than the anterior ones of the same pinna. The late summer and 
autumnal fronds have broader and larger pinnules 
Venation of the pinnules consisting of a flosnons midvein, which throws off nein into each lobe 
these veins bear several venules, which are either simple or forked, and are directed one towards 
tin 
each tooth, termin 
within the margin in a somewhat thickened point. Usually only the anterior 
basal venule of each fascicle bears a sorus, but oceasionally on the lowest pinnules the posterior basal 
venue also is fertile, The veins 
re conspicuously depressed on the upper surface 
Fructification on the back of tho fronds, usually confined to the upper half, but sometimes 
extending lower down. Sori numerous, round, indusinte, п 
on the anterior basal venules, 
row on each sido of and nearer to the midrib than the margin, except in the most luxuriant 
pinnules, where the development of s 
n the posterior venules produces a more irregular arrange- 
mont. Jndusivm membranaceous, reniform, flat, with a wavy, somewhat irregular margin, but 
without 
jands, affixed by а deep basal sinus. Spore-cases numerous, dark brown, roundish. 
Spores oblong, muriculate 
Duration. The caudex is perennial. The fronds aro annual, the earliest produced in May, succeeded 
by others during the summer, all destroyed by the autumnal frosts, or eventually. perish 
if not 
exposed, 
Lastrea cristata, with the plants called uliginosa and spinulosa, form 
habit i ~ х 
nd other characters from the 
lied 44 
У latata д 
ala group, with which, however, the more highly 
developed form, spinulosa, is sometimes associated by botanists of hi o 
doubt, of th : : 
plants having been studied in the herbarium, where their differences become less marked 
rather than in a state of growth, in which the most important char 
ters are obvious, OF this group 
L. cristata is the least developed form. We have in the Handbook of 
itish Ferns (see p. 114) 
