THE NARROW I'UICKLY-TOOTHKD IIUOKLEK KERN. 



which many become at length more or less approssed ; tho scales arc most numerous near the hasc. 

 Itachis stoutish, channelled in front, scarcely at all scaly, pale green, smooth. 



Vernation circulate; sometimes in this plant the raeliis is simply circulate, but in other cases 

 besides the ordinary involution, there is also a lateral curvature; the pinna* ami pinnules arc all 



separately involute. 



Frond from two to four or five feet in height, erect* herbaceous, yellowish green, narrow oblong- 

 lanceolate tapering at the apex, bipinnate. Pinna numerous, opposite or suhoppositc below, often 

 becoming more alternate above ; tho lower ones distant, obliquely triangular, from tlio greater size of 

 the iwsterior basal pinnules, measuring (in average specimens, two feet or upwards in height) about four 

 inches in length, and threw inches across the base, of which latter the posterior pinnules measure nearly 

 two inches; tho upper ones are less distant and narrower, of an elongate triangular outline, those just 

 above tho middle, measuring four and a half inches long, and barely two inches broad at the base, 

 where the posterior and anterior pinnules are of nearly equal size. The pinna? are stalked, frequently 

 more or less drooping, and often twisted so as to turn their upper surface towards the apex of the 

 frond, but this peculiarity is less marked than in the allied L. cristate aud its variety. Pinnules oblong 

 acute, broadest at the base, the lower ones with a short stalk-like attachment, the upper more or less 

 adnate ; the basal pinnules (of tho pinna? half-way up the fertile fronds) phmatifid almost to tho 

 midrib, with oblong acute lobes, tho lobes strongly serrated, with spinnlosc tooth, whose points are 

 directed towards the apex of the lol>e, and often curved upwards above tho plane of the surface of the 

 lobe ; the tipper pinnules are either inciso-Iobatc with spinulosely serrate lolws, or coarsely serrate with 

 spimilosc teeth. The barren fronds usually, and some of the fertile ones, are broader and more lax in 

 habit than those above described, and sometimes entire plants assume this character. 



Venation of the pinnules (tho basal ones of fertile pinnas near tho centre of tho frond,) consisting of 

 a stout midvein, from which a primary vein extends into each lobe, where it forms a fiexuous secondary 

 midvein, hearing alternate forked venules, on the short anterior fork of which, nearly at its point* ami 

 standing just beneath the sinus of the serrature, the sorus is placed, the sori then forming two rows 

 along the lobes of the pinnules. In the less divided pinnules at the middle of the pinna*, the primary 

 midvein produces branched veins, and tho anterior basal venule also in this case bears the sorus. near 

 to its termination, so that the sori then form two lines along the pinnule itself. This latter being the 

 structure of the greater number of pinnules, the general aspect of the fructification is to form two lines 

 lengthwise on the pinnule. The venules arc directed one towards each serrature, but terminate before 



reaching it, in a thickened point. 



Frncli/u-ation on the hack of tho frond, usually occurring on the upper half, but sometimes extending 

 over tho whole surface. Sori numerous, round, indusiate, medial, or subterminal on the anterior basal 

 venules, (or on several venules in the deeply pinnatifid basal pinnules,) forming a lino on each sido the 

 midvein ; usually distinct, but often crowded. Indusium Hat, rcniform, membranous, persistent, with 

 an entire margin, wavy or with angular projections, but without glands. Sport-cam brown, numerous, 



rotundato. Spores oblong, muriculate. 



Duration. Tho caudcx is perennial. The fronds are annual, the first growth appearing early in May, 

 and others growing up at intervals through the summer ; they perish in autumn when exposed, but 

 under shelter, though decaying near the baso of tho stipes so as to he unable to stand erect, they 

 nevertheless retain much or their freshness through the winter ; aud the extreme baso of tho stipes 

 continues fresh for many years. 



This plant is known from L. dOatata, by its creeping caudex, by tho few broad pallid scales of its 

 stipes, and by tho absence of glands from tho margin of its indusium. The connecting link between it 

 and I,, dilatnta is the L. glandulosa of Newman, which latter, as far as our knowledge of it extends, 

 has neither the creeping caudex nor the entire indusium of /,. tpittulosa, aud differs also in the 



