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to curl up and appear shrivelled, but it has marvellous 

 powers of recovery, and given a good soaking rain speedily 

 recovers and is none the worse. The only fern which can 

 be mistaken for this is the 



Green Spleenwort (Asplenium Viride). 



The growth, size, and general appearance of this is ver5r 

 similar, but it is clearly distinguished by the frond stalks 

 being of a bright green, as are the pinnse, which are more 

 firmly attached to the midrib. It is furthermore by no 

 means so common, and although equally a true rock species, 

 it affects moister situations and ascends to higher levels. 

 We have found it in quantity near the top of Ben Lawers 

 associated with the Holly Fern (Polystichnm lonchitls), but 

 also low down round the pits which form in weathered 

 Limestone, It is a much more difficult fern to cultivate 

 than Asp. tvichomanes, though we have seen it doing fairly 

 well in a London garden. The next and afar more common 

 species is the 



Black Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium 



Adiantum Nigrum). 



The common name is rather confusing in connection 

 with the Maidenhair Spleenwort {A. tvichomanes), but is a 

 translation of the botanical one. Visually, however, it 

 cannot possibly be confounded with it, being a much larger 

 Fern and very differently made. It has a jet black polished 

 stalk sometimes a foot or more long, frequents old walls in 

 a more or less stunted state, and stone dykes with a back- 

 ground of soil in a more vigorous one. Its fronds are a 

 dark lucent green, and it has large thrice-divided (tripinnate) 

 side divisions, which commence some distance up a longish 

 bare stalk, whose length is largely determined by the depth 

 of the chink in which it grows, and by the other vegeta- 

 tion it has to push through. Roughly the fronds are 

 triangularly shaped, about twice as long as the base is wide, 

 and are very handsome in vigorous specimens. The 



