THE LADY FERN 
short, oblong or curved, indusiate, medial; usually occupying the anterior sido of the anterior venules, 
divided forms, and then straight, short oblong $ the receptacle of the lower one, sometimes of 
crossing the venule, and forming а curved sorus ; or also returning along the posterior 
the venule, and forming an arcuate or horse-shoe 
aped sorus. In the very much divided 
varieties, this curved form of sorus is more frequent; and sometimes it is өтеп moro abundant than 
the simple oblong form. In this latter stato, the fructiication may be readily mistaken for that of 
‘or Jess confluent by the spreading 
а Lastrea. The sori are at first distinet, but generally become mi 
of the crowded spore-cases, Indusium membranaceous, the free margin cut into capillary segments. 
‘Spore-cases numerous, dark brown, obovate. Spores oblong, granulate or muriculate. 
Duration, The caudex is perennial, ‘The fronds are annual, appearing about May, and being 
destroyed by the first frosts of autumn, ог decaying carly in the autumn, even when protected 
inst frost, 
he Lady Fern is not easily confounded with any other British Fern. Though related on the one 
ists, it is at once dis 
hand to Asplenium, and referred to that genus by many talented bo 
from all the British 4 ms by its herbaceous texture, its annual fronds, and its whole habit, as well 
m 
splen 
as by the curved or arcuate sori, On the other hand, these sori connect it in some degree with Lastrea, 
and it was no doubt the examination of specimens with advanced fructifications of this form which led 
toits being associated, as it was formerly, with Aspidium ; but neither is it properly referrible to the 
Aspidice at all, nor is the plant sufficiently like any species of Zastrea to be mistaken for one of them. 
‘The genus Athyrium, to which it is referred, is nevertheless one of doubtful character: not on the 
ground stated by Mr. Newman—that Roth's typical species is Asplenium fontanum, and that we have 
по right to restr 
4 the genus to the “Filix-fæmina or abnormal group,” because that would be a palpable 
perversion of tho authors meaning; for the fact of Asplenium fontanum occurring first in Roth's 
‘enumeration of the species, does not constitute it the type of the genus, Ъ is clearly on account of its 
x the smallest and the simplest of the forms he proposed to brin 
together ; Roth, moreover, in his 
vio character, expressly states of the indusium “margine laciniato-fimbriatum,” which character 
belongs specially to the Filix-foom 
» group, and does not well apply to A. fontanum. There need be no 
hesitation therefore about restricting Roth's Athyrium within the limits to which he himself points, and. 
thus identi p. Tt is by taking a wide 
ш it with the Filix-fæmina g 
d more comprehensive view 
that the genus becomes doubtful. Both Presl and Fée unite Allantodia and Athyrium under the 
latter namo, and characterise thé 
oup mainly by the short oblong gibbous sori, and vaulted indus 
but these marks pass i 
nnsibly into those of Asplenium ; while the character al 
ded by the fringed 
indusia, on which Rot 
seems partly to have relied, is too trivial for the purpose of generie definition 
‘The remaining character, that of the curved arcuate 
wse-shoe-shaped sori, is certainly foreign to 
Agi 
and indicates, as we have alread 
towards Lastrea, Tt is on this 
ground that we adopt the genus, from which the straight-fruited Allantodias should assuredly be 
ovod to Asplenium. Тһе effect of this, though it will doubtless reduce Athyrium very much, will 
not be to restrict it entirely 
the forms of A. F' 
y fomina, a considerable number of distinct species 
similar fruetitieation, 
‘the Erect Lady Fern—A. Frux-raaasa muericon—(Prare ХХХ, A.) is generally distinguishable 
by its narrow erect fi 
ds, and its distinct and apparently linear pinnules, which however owe their 
narrowed appearance to the inflection of the points of their lobes over the 
the anterior basal 
pinmules are also conspicuously longer than the rest, as aro the anterior b 
al lobes of all the pinnules, 
The caudex grows in tufts, and produces numer 
fronds, which stand uprig 
and have a rigid 
appearance, though in reality herbaceous, owing probably to the cireumstance of t 
growing expo 
as is generally the caso with this variety. The same cause, namely, exposure, often produces more or 
less of convexity in the pinna. It occurs with the stipes—which is much thickened just above the base, 
as is generally the case in this species—either pale green, or purplish те 
The fronds grow from two to 
