THE OTHER BRITISH FERNS 



which may perhaps be of taxonomic importance. The first preparation, to give a chromo- 

 some number different from 126 was that of Figs. 1 14 and 115 which refer to C. Dickieana 

 Sim, a leaf of which is shown in Fig. 117a. There are 84 chromosomes only. 



C. Dickieana is a well-known horticultural 'variety' which was originally found wild 

 on the coast near Aberdeen and subsequently in a very few other parts of Scotland 



Fig. 1 1 7. Forms oi Cystopteris with verrucose spores from living leaves grown in cultivation. Natural size. 

 a. C. Dickieana Sim. b. Specimens from Greenland (see text). c. 'C BaenitzU' from the type 

 locality in Norway. 



(Druce, 19 19) though probably now exterminated there except in cultivation.* It was 

 described by Newman in 1854 as a probable species, and it has retained all its dis- 

 tinguishing marks with great constancy in cultivation, as comparison of Newman's 

 figure (Fig. 116) with my specimen (Fig. iiyfl) will perhaps indicate. Newman's 

 view that this might be a new species was not wholly based on the leaf morphology, in 



* Notes on the origin of C Dickieana will be found in vol. vi of the British Fern Gazette, notably pp. 18 

 and 19 (Rowlands, 1929). The original description will be found in Newman (1854). 



117 



