136 FILICES 
from two or three inches to a foot long, narrow, and the small roundish egg- — 
shaped pinne rather tapering towards the base, and attached to the rachis 
by the narrow part, which becomes gradually narrower. The veining of the 
fern is distinct. A number of lateral veins arise alternately from the mid- 
vein, and are either simple or forked. The capsule clusters lie on the side 
nearest the top of the pinna ; they are oblong, and covered at first by oblong 
membranous indusia, jagged or notched, which soon fall. The fructification 
then forms a dark brown mass all over the middle of the under side of the 
fern, concealing the mid-vein. This fern, which is found in the mountainous 
districts of England, as far south as Derby and South Wales, also in the 
west of Ireland, occurs in similar moist rocky places throughout Europe. 
Linneus termed it the Branching Trichomanes, because its fronds have a 
tendency to divide into a branched form. 
9. Common Wall Spleenwort (A. trichémanes).—Fronds linear, 
pinnate ; pinnz roundish, egg-shaped, stalked, wedge-shaped below. This 
is one of our most common ferns ; and it is a, graceful plant when growing, 
as it often does, in large quantity. Now and then we find its deep green 
sprays making a light tracery over some sloping hedge-bank, on which the 
sunshine is not interrupted by overshadowing boughs. More often, how- 
ever, the old church tower or stone wall is enlivened by its clumps of slender 
fronds, or they give to the ruin a touch of verdure; and throughout the 
year we may gather it from some shady rock, its evergreen fronds, when in 
a thriving condition, becoming a foot in length. The stalk is throughout 
the frond of a purplish glossy black. The frond is dull green, its small 
pinne are of equal size, very numerous, and in some cases quite distinct, in 
others closely crowding on each other. They are of a roundish oblong shape, 
and are attached by a short stalk, wedge-shaped below, and formed as if a 
piece had been cut off. The pinnz are jointed at the main stalk of the 
frond, and when old, fall off and leave it naked, numbers of the black glossy 
hair-like stalks mingling with the green fronds. A mid-vein in the pinna 
gives rise on each side to forked veins; and the linear cluster of capsules is 
placed just within the margin of the pinna, on that vein of the fork which 
is nearest its upper part. These clusters are, when young, covered by a 
thin indusium, with its margin free and notched; but as they ripen, they 
sometimes run into one mass, covering with their dark brown hue almost all 
the under surface of the pinna, though more frequently lying in two distinct 
portions, and leaving the mid-rib uncovered. 
This fern is not subject to much variation, except that it differs greatly 
in the length of its fronds according to the place of its growth, and has the 
frond variously forked towards the apex. A form termed incisum has its 
pinne cut into narrow notched segments almost to the mid-rib, This fern 
is common, not only throughout this kingdom, but throughout Europe. A 
tea and syrup made of its fronds have long been used as a remedy in 
pulmonary affections. 
9. Lapy Fern (Athyrium). 
Lady Fern (Athgrium filia - fémina). — Frond lanceolate, twice 
pinnate ; pinnules deeply cut or pinnatifid; lobes sharply toothed. This 
