26o 



similar. It is, however, easily distinguished on closer 

 inspection by the fronds having hardly any naked stalk at 

 the base, the side divisions beginning close to the caudex 

 as rounded lobes which gradually lengthen as they ascend, 

 until the upper two- thirds of the frond assume the form of 

 the Male Fern frond, the tapering base therefore is the 

 sign of L. montana. In addition to this, the fronds are of 

 a yellowish green, and when drawn through the hands a 

 distinct lemon-like scent is perceptible owing to the rupture 

 of innumerable tiny glands on its surface, which contain 

 an essential oil of that odour. The spore heaps are very 

 small and dot-like, and finally when the fronds are un- 

 coiling they do not form a hook but a ball-like mass,, 

 whence the tops of the subdivisions protrude like little 

 spikes so as to resemble the spiky ball such as we see at 

 the end of a pole in the hands of Magog in the Guildhall,. 

 London. If, too, we examine the caudex we shall find it 

 to be a mass of white knobs and not so definite in shape 

 as that of the Male Fern, the persistent bases of old 

 fronds being less in evidence, while no shuttlecock plan is 

 perceptible. This fern, too, is truly deciduous in the sense 

 that the fronds wither right down in the autumn, and do not 

 merely fall outwards and subsequently decay. L. montana,. 

 as its name indicates, prevails on mountain sides, where it 

 grows with full exposure to wind and sun, but attains per- 

 fection only in more sheltered and moist habitats in the 

 vicinity of streams. It is, however, by no means confined 

 to the hills, but occurs, sometimes plentifully, in damp 

 lowland lanes and woods. We have found it ourselves in 

 Epping Forest, and in the Sussex Forests it exists in 

 abundance. It cannot stand drought or lime in the soil, 

 but otherwise is not very dainty. 



L. DILATATA. 



The Broad Buckler Fern. 



As indicated by both names, the fronds of this species 

 are very broad and quite unlike those already described. 



