252 



FERA'S. 



forked. The hood-like indusia are of a pale colour : the stipe much 

 shorter than the frond, which is long and lanceolate ; the pinn^ are 

 distinct to the last pairs, which are very minute. One of the most 

 remarkable features in this fern is the presence of bulblets, (which I have 

 never seen on the true C. iragilis. ) These bulblets are of a deep green 

 colour — not thrice cleft and mitre form as in C. Indbifera, but more 

 like the swelled lobes of a bean — one being nearly twice as large and 

 overlapping, the other. These bulblets are partially covered with 

 broadish, thin white scales, which probably in an early stage enveloped 

 them, but now appear disrupted and scale-like. 



In C. bulbifera the thrice cleft bulblets stand upright, but in my 

 newly found fern they lie horizontally on the upper pinnules. 



The root is blackish, fibrous, wiry, imbedded in the crevices of the 

 limestone rock, above the river. The whole plant is from six to nine 

 inches high. I think that it is nearer to C. bulbifera than C. fragilis. 

 It is altogether a very graceful and interesting little plant, and would be 

 very suitable for rock or parlour cultivation. 



I'he larger fern, C. bulbifera, with the variety fiagellifori/iis, grows 

 in vast quantities in our damp woods, where it trails upon the ground 

 or climbs over fallen timber and brush-wood, sometimes stretching its 

 weak attenuated stalk to the length of three and even four feel, and in 

 several specimens I have detected delicate white fibrous rootlets put 

 forth at the extreme end of the frond, as if to clasp the bark or lay hold 

 ot the surface of the stump, or branch, that was nearest, for support. 



This fern might be called the Trailing Fern, from its lax habit, 

 \Vhen young it is broader at the basal pinna;, of a vivid green, but 

 becomes much lighter, almost yellowish-green, in the fertile state of the 

 frond. The stalk is red, smooth and brittle : the few loose scales that 

 appear early in the season soon drop off and disappear ; the lower 

 pinniTi are longer, wider at the base, and curve upwards, they are distant 

 from the next jxiir, and so continue till about the third or fourth pair, 

 when they are more horizontal on the rachis and opposite, continuing 

 distinct, however, to the end. The sori are whitish at first, but become 

 of a dark brown colour as the indusia shrivel up. In one foim, it may 

 be the variety named by Dr. Lawson, /lorizoutalis, the fertile frond 

 is almost folded together, the pinnules being contracted so as to show 

 but one side. There is a form of very frequent occurrence, the whole 

 frond being stiffer, more leathery in texture, and of a duller colour ; the 

 fruit dots very dark brown. Further observation may throw more light 

 upon this plant to determine whether this appearance is constant or 

 accidental. If distinct, it might be called vax'xciy rigidus ixom its stiff 

 rigid habit. The continual changes that are being effected on the face 



