THE SOFT PRICKLY SHIELD FERN. 



fructification on the back of (lie frond, generally occupying the whole of tho upper part to the 

 extent of two-third^ but sometimes confined on tills jwrtiou to the upper part of the piniuc. Sori 

 small, numerous, round, indusiate, seated at the apex of the venule, forming a line on each side of 

 the midvein, and also of the vein of the auricle, often crowded, and sometimes becoming continent; 

 they are attached to the anterior venules of the fascicle, whenever the veins are forked, but in the 

 auricle several of the simple venules bear son. Imhtsium linn, membranaceous, orbicular, peltate, and 

 umbilieatc. gporc-am# numerous, brown, roundish, obovnte. Spores roundish, ovate, muriculato. 



Although as regards /*. angularc and /*. awfoatum there is so close an affinity, that instances do 

 occur in which it is difficult to determine between them, yet ( confining our view to the plants as found 

 in Great Britain, such instances are rare, at least to those who have made themselves familiar with 

 the aspect and characteristics of the plants. As to the application of the names, there is doubtless a 

 certain amount of error and confusion, which it is hoped the autographic delineations in Plates X., XL, 

 XlL r ami XIII., may assist in correcting. Extending the inquiry, however, so as to include the exotic 

 Ferns of this affinity, the limite of the 8]>ecics become obscure ; ami it is perhaps doubtful whether in 

 this more comprehensive view they can be defined,— at least by means of the mutilated examples alone 

 available for examination in herbaria, — with sufficient Clearness to be kept permanently separate. The 

 study of the living plants may, indeed, afford other distinctive marks than those derived from form and 

 texture, as in the ease rtPotypodium Dryopteris and iU ally, winch have a different vernation, and in 

 that of some forms of Lmlrm Filiz-ma$ t in which the same kind of organic difference occurs. With 

 our present information, however, there seems no meau between tho two extremes of uniting the 

 simply pinnate 1\ Lonchitis with the tripinnate /*. angularc, an unbroken series being traceable ; or, on 

 the other hand, retaining the three British species we have figured (Plates IX., X., and XII.), as well 

 as some of the allied exotic ones, as distinct. We are not prepared to adopt the former alternative, 

 and therefore, with all its difficulties, prefer the latter. 



The specific name of angularc, which has been generally employed whenever the species has been 

 kept distinct, is retained for this plant, from a suspicion that it may, after all, be found necessary to 

 merge it in P. aetdeatum* in which case any present change would bo impolitic. Wo have no doubt, 

 however, that both the P. seti/erum of Forskal (1775) and the Polypodium appendiculalum of Hoffmann 

 (1795) are referrible hero, and these names certainly claim priority over angularc (1810). The law of 

 priority, which should take effect if our plant should finally prove distinct, would give the name of 

 /*. setffemtn, which is a remarkably suitable one. 



The differences between the English P. angular* and /*. aculcatum have been already |>oiuted out 

 (See Plate X.) 



In the garden, this Fern will be found very ornamental, ami of very easy management. It grow* 

 readily in free sandy loam, either in shady parts of the garden or shrubbery ; on rock-work ; or in the 

 in-door Fernery ; and it is increased with tolerable facility by division. Some of the varieties, however, 

 propagate much more extensively by means of bulbils which form either at the base of the stipes below 

 or about the surface of the soil, or in tho axils of tho lower pinme, or in some instances on the veins of 

 the fronds. This remarkable proliferous or viviparous character has now been observed in several of the 

 Itritish Ferns, including Potgtfichum Lumhitis ; P. avulcatum, with ite variety tobatum; P. angutare, 

 three or four varieties; Lmlrca Filix-mns, two varieties; A. f&niserii ; Axplenium lanwoUUum ; A* 

 liula-muraria ; Stvtojtmdrinm vulgarc* several varieties ; and Jftechnum Spicanl, Besides this 

 bulbilliform mode of increase, Mr. Wollaston has observed a different kind of dcvelopemcnt in a variety 

 of Polgpodmm rulgare nearly allied to cambrieum, communicated by Mr. E. T. Bennett. In this case the 

 dcvelopemcnt consisted of protlialloid growths on the apices of the serraturcs of the lobes, which had every 

 indication of being fertile, though unfortunately the frond was broken off before they were observed, so 



s 7 



Al * 



