20 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



Var. a. genuina. 

 Plate 1835. 



Frond solitary, very rarely with a second frond or a barren frond 

 from the same caudex. Barren segment or barren frond generally 

 widest below the middle, more or less rounded at the base, or at least 

 not greatly attenuated, even in fronds which have no fertile spike. 

 Plant 4 to 15 inches high ; spike f to If inches long. 



Var. /3. polyphyllum. A. Br. 



A Braun in Seubert's Flora Azorica, p. 17. Milde, Fil. Europ. p. 189. 



O. vulgatum, var. niicrostichum, " Acharius," T. Moore, Nat. Print. Brit. Ferns, 8vo. ed. 



Vol. II. p. 336. 

 O. vulgatum, var. ambiguum, Coss. & Germ. Fl. des Env. de Paris, ed. ii. p. 874. Bab. 



Man. Brit. Bot. ed. vii. 455. 

 0. vulgatum, polyphyllum, a. intermedium, Vigineix, and b. cuspidatum, Milde, Fil. 



Europ. pp. 188-189. 

 0. Azoricum, Presl, Suppl. Tent. Pterid. p. 309, teste Milde. 



Fronds often with a second frond, or 1 or even 2 barren fronds 

 from the same caudex. Barren segment or barren frond generally 

 widest at or even above the middle, attenuated at the base, at least 

 in those fronds which have no fertile spike. Plant 1 to 7 inches 

 high ; spike i to f inch long. 



In meadows and pastures, rather common, and generally dis- 

 tributed throughout England, rather rare in Scotland extending 

 north to Aberdeen, Elgin, Perth, and Argyle ; possibly the Burn of 

 Sandybank, Scalloway, Shetland, may be a locality for var. a, but 

 more probably it produces var. ft. Frequently throughout Ireland. 



Var. /3 in elevated sandy ground, Scilly Islands, St. Agnes (Mr. 

 F. Townsend), St. Martin's (Mr. I. Ralfs). Between Barmouth and 

 Harlech, Merioneth (Mr. C. Bailey). In Orkney it is found at 

 Barnorie (Swanbister), and Voeness Point, Smoogrow, both in Orphir, 

 seen by myself; Black Craig, Stromness (Miss P. Duchar) ; Calf of 

 Flotta (Mr. W. Irvine Fortescue), Calf of Cava (Dr. H. Halcro 

 Johnston), Fara (Mr. J, Johnston), Hunda and Rysay Little (Miss 

 Fortescue), all in Scalpa Flow. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer. (Var. ft in 



Orkney. Autumn.) 



Caudex fusiform, yellowish, marked with transverse pits producing 

 fleshy fibres about the thickness of a darning-needle, which are 

 brittle, some of them forming buds on their upper surface close to 



