296 CRYPTOGAMIA— FILICES. Aspidium. 



Ger. Em. 1 130, nof. Raii Syn. 121. Plitk. Abnag. 151. Phyt. 

 t. 180./. 4. Moris, v. 3. b7^. sect, 14. ^3./. 8. 



F, mollis, sive glabra, vulgari mari non mraosae accedens. Bauh. 

 Hfs^.r.3.p. 2. 730./. 



In. wet shady situations, eommoR. 



Perennial. June, July. 



An elegant fern about afr tall as A. dilatatum, but narrower, and 

 more lanceolate, in its general outline, being broadest towards 

 the middle, quite smooth in every part, of a rie-h, rather deep, 

 green. The root is large and tufted. Naked part of the »t(ilk 

 very short j the whole destitute of scales. Primary divisions, 

 or leaves, about forty, alternate, taper-pointed. Leaflets in 

 each about as many, linear-oblong, bluntish, elegantly and 

 finely pinnatifid, sharply notched, without bristly points ; the 

 uppermost somewhat decurrent. Masses solitary toward.s the 

 base of each lobe, oblong, but finally becoming nearly round. 

 Cover lateral, at first oblongy with a broad ba.se ; subsequently 

 ^idney-.shaped, but not tumid j and finally, as the ends con- 

 verge, orbicular, with a broad notch at the base, assuming the 

 precise character of Asp'uVmni ; the outer edge rough or jagged. 

 Capsules rather numerous, brown. 



Other figures, besides those above indicated, are referred by va- 

 rious authors to this species,, but they are either doubtful or in- 

 accurate. 



Polypodium rhceticum of Linnaeus, preserved in the Linnsean her- 

 barium, is merely a badly-dried specimen of the Fllix fmn'ma. 

 U was sent by Sauvages from MontpeMier, with the synonym 

 of John Bauh'in, Filix rhcetica tenuissim^ d^nticulata, and a re- 

 ference to the tenth Pohjpodium of Haller's Enumeratio 140, an 

 obscure plant, whose description does not answer to this fern. 

 On the specimen of Sauvages however, and on nothing else, 

 Linnaeus founded his P. rhceticum, in both editions of Sp. PL, 

 and to this his specific character, and all he has said of the plant, 

 every where refers. His P. rhceticum therefore is a nonentity, 

 though that name may remain with John Bauhin's plant, which 

 seems to be different. P. rhcBticiim of other authors, having 

 nothing to do with either, cannot retain the name. Its history 

 will be found under the third species of the following genus. 



13. A. irngimm. Brook Shield-fern. 



Frond lanceolate, doubly pinnule ; leaflets oblong, deeply 

 serrated, pointless. iStalk quadrangular. Cover roimd- 

 isb-oblong, finally kidney-shaped, jagged. 



A. irriguum. Engl. Bot. v.2>\. t. 2 1 99. Comp. ed. 4. 1 72. Forst. 

 Tonbr. 119. 



