CRYPTOGAMIA— FILICES. Cystea. 299 



Cyatbea fragilis. Sm. Act. Taurin. u. 5. 4 1 7. Tracts 253. Fl. JBr. 

 1 139. E7igl. Dot. V. 23. t. loH?. Roth. Genu. v. 3. 94. 



Cystopteris fragilis. Bernk. in Schrad. New Journ. v. 1. p. 2. 27. 

 t.\.f.9. 



Aspidiuin fragile. Sw. Syn. FiL 58. frUld. Sp. Pl.v. 5.280. Hook. 

 Scot. p. 2. \55. 



Filix saxatilis, caule tenui fragili. Rail Syn. cd.2. 50. cd.3. 125. 

 Pluk. Almag. 150. Phyt. t. 180./. 5. 



F. saxatilis non ramosa, nigris maculis punctata. Bauh. Pin. 358. 

 Moris. V. 3. 581. sect. M. t. 4.f. 28. 



Filicula fontana major, sive Adiantum album filicis folio. Bauh. 

 Pin. 358 ; according to his herbarium, examined by Hatler. 



F. altera. Segu. Feron. v. 1. 70. t. 1 ./. 1. 



Adiantum album. Lob. Ic.8\0.f. 



A. filicinum aquaticum mollius minimum. Barrel. Ic. t.432.f. 2. 



Dryopteris alba. Ger.Em. 1 135./,- but scarcely of Dodonceus. 



On wet shady rocks, or old buildings, in the mountainous parts 

 of Britain, abundantly. 



Perennial. June, July. 



Root tufted, scaly, with black fibres. Fronds several together from 

 4 to 10 or 12 inches high, lanceolate, pointed, smootli, of a full, 

 though bright, green, doubly, or almost triply, pinnate. Stalk 

 brown, or blackish, very brittle and juicy, occupying one-third, 

 or nearly half, of the length of the whole, destitute of scales, 

 except at its very base. The primary divisions, or leaves, are 

 usually nearly opposite, acute, of a moderate length ; leajiets 

 mostly alternate, ovate, acute, or ))ointcd, in barren fronds 

 sometimes blunter ; their base always tapering and decurrent ; 

 they are by no means linear or oblong, nor is their margin 

 wavy, but copiously, deeply and shar))ly toothed, and their 

 substance is firm ; the larger and lower ones are deeply pinna- 

 tifid, their lobes resembling the upper leaflets. Masses nu- 

 merous and crowded, globular ; at first i)ale, but finally black- 

 ish and confluent, covering the whole back of the frond. Cover 

 white, flaccid, membranous, concave, irregularly jagged and 

 torn, sometimes lengthened out into an oblong |)oint, but soon 

 turned back, and obliterated, or forced oft", by the .swelling 

 shining capsules, which, in an early state, are often (juilc black, 

 though subse(juently browner. 



Tlie a])j)licati()n of Ikiuhin's synonym, adopted by Morison, as 

 above, is strongly justified by the peculiar blackness of the caj>- 

 sul(s, contrasted, in an early state, with the white cover ; though 

 Morison's figure, which best agrees herewith, is referred by Dr. 

 Withering to his Poly podium rliuiirum, hereafter describid. 

 His citation of/'. S, instead of 2S, caused me no little perplexity, 

 but an examination of t lie plate may excuse him. 



This Fern, raised from seed, according to the (liteclions of Mr. 

 Henry Shephenl of Liverpool, see Trans, nj the I lor tic. Sue. 



