SEPTEMBER. 281 



under the name of aculeatum in the Museum of Natural History at Paris, 

 of which we have *5een a sketch, quite accord with the acute pinnuled forms 

 of P. angulare). In Asia, it wouhl appear to have been found in Georgia 

 and in the Province of Guriel, at the eastern extremity of the Black Sea; 

 and thence it extends to India, where it is found in Kashmir (Hb. J. Smith), 

 Simla, Khasiya, Kumaon, in the valley of Indus at Balti, and in North 

 West India (Hb. Hooker) ; as well as in Nepal and Madras (Hb. J. Smith). 

 Singapore and Java yield cognate forms barely separable either from this species 

 or P. aculeatum, and the same appear common over India. In some of these 

 tropical forms, owing to the texture of the European aculeatum being found 

 associated with the same individual with the outline and aspect of the 

 European angulare, it is difficult, if not impracticable, to point out the 

 limits of the two. In Africa, a Fern, quite accordant with the British plant, 

 occurs in the Canary Islands, Madeira, and the Azores ; also, in Abyssinia 

 (Hb. Hooker), on the African coast of the Mediterranean according to Kunze, 

 and at Natal (Hb. Nost.). From America Dr. Gray reports it as occurring 

 in various parts of the United States ; it is found in New England, and has 

 also been gathered at Sitka (Hb. Hooker) ; and forms almost, if not quite, 

 identical occur in Guatemala (Hb. Hooker) ; in Mexico, New Granada, and 

 Caraccas (Hb. J. Smith)." 



" Although between P. angulare and P. aculeatum there is so close an 

 affinity that instances do occur in which it is difficult to determine between 

 them, yet, confining our view to the plants as found in Great Britain, such 

 instances are rare, at least to those who have made themselves familiar with 

 the aspects and characteristics of the plants. Extending the inquiry, how- 

 ever, so as to include the exotic Ferns of this affinity, the limits of the species 

 become obscure; and it is perhaps doubtful whether in this more compre- 

 hensive view they can be defined, at least by means of the mutilated examples 

 alone available for examination in herbaria, with sufficient clearness to be 

 kept permanently separate. The study of the living plants, may, indeed, 

 afford other distinctive marks than those derived from form and texture, 

 as in the case of Polypodium Dryopteris and its ally, which have a different 

 vernation, and in that of some forms of Lastrea Filix-mas, in which the same 

 kind of organic diffcrerce occur." 



" In the garden this Fern will be found very ornamental, and of very easy 

 management. It grows readily in free sand/ loam, either in shady parts of 

 the garden or shrubbery, on rock-work, or in the in-door Fernery ; and it is 

 increased with tolerable facility by division Some of the varieties, however, 

 propagate much more extensively by means of bulbils which form either at 

 the base of the stipes below or about the surface of the soil, or in the axils of 

 the lower pinnse, or in some instances on the veins of the fronds. This 

 remarkable proliferous or viviparous character has now been observed in 

 several of the British Ferns, including Polystichum Lonchitis, P. aculeatum, 

 with its variety lobatum ; P. angulare, three or four varieties ; Lastrea Filix- 

 mas, two varieties ; L. foenisecii, Asplenium lanceolatum, A. Ruta-muraria, 

 Scolopcndrium vulgare, several varieties ; and Blechnum Spicant. Besides 

 this bulbiliform mode of increase, Mr. Wollaston has observed a different 

 kind of development in a variety of Polypodium vulgare nenrly allied to 

 cambricum, communicated by Mr. E. T. Bennett. In this case the develop- 

 ment consisted of numerous prothalloid growths on the apices of the lobes, 

 which had every indication of being fertile, though unfortunately the frond 

 was broken off before they were observed, so that their vital energy could 

 not be tested. Although among exotic Ferns instances of viviparous growth 

 were known to occur frequently, yet our acquaintance with so many bulbil- 

 bearing British Ferns is due to the scrutiny of a few zealous cultivators, 

 especially Mr. Wollaston of Chislehurst, Dr. Allchin of Bayswater, Mr. 

 Clapham of Scarborough, and Mr. Baxter of Oxford, during the summer of 



