THE NARROW PRICKLY-TOOTHED BUCKLER FERN. 



abundant glands which cover it though this latter is a character of comparatively little value, for 

 common forma of L. ditatata, in no other respect distinguishable^ are found Imtli covered with and free 

 from glands L. spinulosa is less easily distinguished by the precise and important characters afforded 

 by the caitdcx, the scales, and the indusia, from L. cristata / though perhaps more readily separated 

 by the eye from that, than from imperfect specimens or &. dilatata. with which, in some of its forms, 

 it agrees in the variable, and therefore less important character of the subdivision of its parte. From 

 £. cristata itself, L. spinulosa may ho known, by the short triangular, and less divided pinnm of the 

 former, and by their blunter, less deeply toothed pinnules ; but from the variety utiffinosa it is in some 

 of its states much less easily known, the greater inequality of the pinnules on its lower pinmu being 

 almost the only difference, if wo except the cristata-likc fronds of uliginosa— ami the latter arc not always 

 present Indeed so closely do these merge into each other by means of transition forms of frond, that 

 we are forced to the conclusion that they are all three in reality mere variations from one si>ccific typo. 



There are two versions of the specific name of this plant in use among British botanists— spinosa 

 and spinulosa. We advisedly use the latter. The former lias been revived by recent authors, on the 

 grounds that Roth who employed it \\\ Flora Germaniea <1S00), was the first to correctly define the plant 

 from iU ally £■ dilaUUa, and that Miillcr in the Flora Danica has "misprinted " spinulosa for Weiss' 

 name of spinosa, and under it figured the plant wo now call A. cristata Weiss' name Pohjpodium 

 Fili&fwmintt var, spinosa, as that of a variety merely, and altogether so incorrect, has no claim to notice* 

 Miillcr describes, but without name, and very well figures, two pinmc of L. spinulosa in the Flora 

 Fridricfwdalina (1707), and his later figure in Flora Danica (1777), where he names it Potypodium 

 spinulomm, is an exact representation of our A spintdos*, and not of L. cristata. Wo therefore 

 can neither subscribe to the assumption that MUlIcr's name is a misprint nor can we allow the 

 claim made on behalf of Weiss' name; while Miillcr has by many years the precedence over Roth- 

 Equally, as we believe, are those writers in error, who deny that this plant is the Lasltm spinulosa of 

 PrcsL Aspidinm spinulosum as defined by Swartx in' his Synopsis Filicttm (p. 420) is the plant of 

 Midler's figures ; and Swartz moreover quotes Schkuhr's t 48, which admirably depicts L. spinulosa, 

 excepting in the detached figures of indusia, d and e r these latter being evidently erroneous, for 

 glandular indusia have, we believe, never been found on the true spinulosa, which the figure otherwise so 

 perfectly represents, that it must bo L. spinulosa and cannot l>c L. dilatata. Swartz's plant, therefore, 

 we maintain, is L. spimdosa (our Plate XXL), not Z-. dilaUda, and Prcsl's is simply Swart&'s with 

 a new generic name. We thus arrive at the conclusion, that our English plant, the most divided of 

 the three forms wo refer to L. cristata, is the L. spinulosa of Presl, tho Aspidinm spinulosum of 

 Swartz, and the Polypodium spinulosum of Midler, and we reject the far less appropriate name of 

 spinosa, for which there is no admissible authority antecedent to that of Roth— nor even subsequent, 

 for it has been all but universally rejected since his day. 



The cultivation of this Fern accords precisely with that of L t cristata, and uliyinosa ; and though, 

 like them, not ranking among the most graceful of our large-growing Ferns, it has like tliem a certain 

 degree of character, and is not inelegant, 



Mr. Wollaston notices two variations of this plant : 1. multijida, in which the fronds are occasionally 

 simply forked at tho a|iex ; it is not permanent under cultivation. % tacinutta ; in which the fronds 

 are curiously jagged. 





