THE LADY TERN. 



apex of the fronds give them an appearance of peculiar abruptness. Sometimes the frond is narrower, 

 the apex lengthened out, and here and there the pinme are terminated by a somewhat elongated 

 pinnule set endwise, the rest terminating abruptly. Occasionally a normal frond is produced, which 

 may bo compared to those of moUc, but with the pinnule* narrower and more deeply lobed, whilst the 

 lobes are smaller and more finely notched. This was found by Dr. Allchin at Port Erin, in the Isle 

 of Man ; and in the same island nnothor somewhat larger plant, closely related to the normal frond 

 above described, was met with. 



23. inUrrruptum (AV.>. This form i>artakcs much of the characteristics of ramosum, but is sufticiently 

 distinct from it The fronds rarely branch, except near the summit, and there are only simply bi- 

 or tri-furcntc. The pinna? vary considerably in this respect being remarkably variable in length. 

 sha]>c. ami division ; their apices are almost always <livided simply or multifidly, and the serrntures 

 of the pinnules are generally deeply and acutely cut. There are two slight modiiications of 

 this variety ; one raised from seed by Mr. J. Young of Taunton, Somerset, and the other found 

 in a batch of seedling plants at Ambleside, Westmoreland, by -Mr. Wollaston. Both are rare and 

 curious. 



'24. ramosum (W.). This, unlike most of the other forms, is so densely covered with glands, as to 

 give to the stipes a bloom like that on a plum. The fronds are frequently branched, tho ramifica- 

 tions being very unequal. The pinna? are, so to speak, of every possible form and length, those on 

 one division of the frond being normal, whilst on another some are long, some short, incised, 

 interrupted, depauperated, laciniated. abortive, or often altogether wanting. Tho pinnules have tho 

 same kind of uusymmctrical development, their serraturcs being either one, two, or three-cleft on 

 the same pinnule. It is sparingly fertile, and permanent under cultivation. It was found by Mr. 

 W. W. Reeves, near Tunbridge Wells, Kent. 



25. eroswn (W.). This form differs from ptcomorntm in being of the usual size, and fertile ; and 

 the sori are so abundant and large, that they are almost coutluent. Tho outline of the frond is normal, 

 and the same may be said of the pinme, but they are somewhat depauperated. The pinnules are very 

 irregularly laciniated, and toothed, and (what is very unusual) are frequently bilid or multifid. It 

 was found near Tunbridge Wells, Kent, by Mr. Wollaston ; and a very similar form has been found by 

 Dr. Allchin at Calm- Conreo, in Ireland. Another plant, somewhat more regular and normal-looking, 

 with a tendency to dilatation at the points of the pinnules, was gathered hi 1855, by Dr. Allchin, in the 

 Isle of Man. 



2G. polydadm <M.). Under this head wo include several large much-divided ramoso forms found 

 in Devonshire and Guernsey. They arc undcseribable, no two fronds being alike in their divisions. 

 One before us from Devonshire, communicated by the Rev. J. M. Chanter, is three-branched, the 

 branches bipinnate dichotomous at tho end; tho pinna) unequal, sometimes bifid; the pinnules 

 irregular in size, shape, and division. Another from Guernsey, sent by Mr. C. Jackson, has tho pinna; 

 excessively developed, and becoming branch-like in tho middle of tho frond, while those at the base 

 as well as nj>cx appear as if arrested. The pinnules on the larger pinme are often an inch-and-a- 

 half long, quite again pinnate, the secondary pinnules pinnntifid with inciso-Iachuato lobes. 



27. polyihictyfon (M.). This is a monstrous plant of the incua typo, with Hat, ovate, lanceolate, 

 pinnatUid pinme. Its peculiarity consists in the apices of the pinmo being furcntcly divided into 

 about live or six normal-looking— not crisped— points ; in other words, they an plane, and bi-tri- 

 furcate at the tips. The apex of tho frond is also several times forked. It was found near 

 NottlecombO by Mr. C. Elworthy, to whom we are indebted for a frond. We learn from Mr. 

 Elworthy that he finds the fronds of this variety to perish six weeks earlier than those of the some- 

 what similar variety mtiUifidmn. 



28. fvrctdum (31.). This is a furcate monstrous fonu of one of the less divided types. Tho ends of 

 its pinme arc forked onee. twice, or more, will, a tendency to dilatation in the tips ; and the apex of the 



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