286 CRYPTOGAMIA— FILICES. Cystea. 



Cyathea fragilis. Sm. Act. Taurin. v. 5. 417. Tracts 253. FL Br. 

 1139. Engl Bot. v. 23. t. 1587, Roth Germ. v. 3. 94. 



Cystopteris fragilis. Bernh. in Schrad. New Journ. v. \.p. 2. 27. 

 L].f.9. 



Aspidium fragile. Sw. Syn. Fil. 58. mild. Sp. PL v. 5. 280. Hook. 

 Scot. p. 2. 155. 



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

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



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

 Moris. V.3. 58]. sect. 14. t. 4./. 28. 



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

 Pin, 358 J according to his herbarium, examined by Haller. 



F, altera, Segu. Veron. v. 1, 70, t. \.f. 1. 



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



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



Dryopteris alba. Ger. Em. 1135./; but scarcely of Dodonctus. 



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, smooth, 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 ; leaflets 

 mostly alternate, ovate, acute, or pointed, in barren fronds 

 sometimes blunter j their base always tapering and decurrent ; 

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

 wavy, but copiously, deeply and sharply 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 pale, 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 point, but soon 

 turned back, and obliterated, or forced oft', by the swelling 

 shining capsules, which, in an early state, are often quite black, 

 though subsequently browner. 



The application of Bauhin's synonym, adopted by Morison, as 

 above, is strongly justified by the peculiar blackness of the cap- 

 sules, contrasted, in an early state, with the white cotjer ,• though 

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

 Withering to his Polypodium rhcsticum, hereafter described. 

 His citation of/. 8, instead of 28, caused me no little perplexity, 

 but an examination of the plate may excuse liim. 



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

 Henry Shepherd of Liverpool, see Trans, of the Hortic. Soc. 



