12 



BRITISH FERNS. 



Lomaria Spicant, usually called the Hard Fern, occurs on all 

 our commons, heaths and forests ; in the southern counties spar- 

 ingly ; in the northern counties, and in Wales, Scotland, and 

 Ireland more abundantly. Its roots are black, very tough, and 

 wiry; its rhizoma tufted and hairy. The young fronds make 

 their appearance in May, arrive at maturity in August and Sep- 

 \v, tember, and continue perfectly green and vigorous 



^k throughout the winter ; they are fertile (fig. c), and 



^/h barren (figs, e and/) : these figures represent them 



of half the natural size. The fertile frond is linear, 

 simply pinnatifid, and pointed at the apex ; the 

 lower half of the rachis is dark-purple, shining, 

 and naked ; the pinnae are linear, narrow, and 

 rounded at the apex. The lateral veins are few 

 in number; after leaving the midvein, each runs 

 half-way across the pinna towards the margin ; it 

 then turns at a right angle towards the apex of the 

 pinna, until it reaches the angle formed by the 

 previous vein : on this bent portion of each vein are 

 situated the thecae in a continuous line (see fig. a) : 

 the footstalks of the thecaB are represented at- 

 tached to the inside of the line of veins. Imme- 

 diately adjoining this attachment of the thecae is 

 a continuous linear indusium, opening towards the 

 midvein (fig. b) ; this indusium appears divided 

 into sections at the points where the lateral veins 

 terminate. The masses of 

 <vx^ thecae soon get beyond the in- 

 N^" dusium, and form a continuous 

 black line on each side the 

 midvein, as represented in the 

 figure. The exterior portion 

 of the pinna, left entirely un- 

 shaded, is without veins. The 

 veins in a barren pinna are m^ i 

 represented in ^g.d. \M J 





X 



