94 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



the pinnae, and frond confluent. Fronds of a darker green than in 

 var. a. 



On rocks, hedgebanks, and woods ; rather sparingly but widely 

 distributed over England and Scotland, north to Skye, Ross-shire ; 

 Hoy, Orkney (Dr. H. H. Johnston). Local, but widely distributed 

 iu Ireland. 



Var. B apparently much rarer, and probably not extending north 

 to Scotland : but the authors of the ' Cybele Hibernica ' speak of the 

 form A. lobatum, Sm., as being rare in Ireland, so that we may infer 

 that the var. /3 is the commoner in that island. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer. 



Caudex 1^ inch or more in diameter, breaking into a few crowns 

 when old, which remain close together, so that the plant becomes 

 tufted. Stipes short and thick, from 2 to 5 inches, closely covered 

 with large scales, intermixed with minute ones. Fronds 1 to 2 feet 

 long, 3 to 7 inches broad, more parallel-sided when large than when 

 small, at first with scattered hair-like scales beneath ; appearing in 

 May, and not perishing until the young fronds of the succeeding 

 year. 



Var. /3 has larger more rigid and more divided fronds (2 to 3 feet 

 long) ; and, except in being more rigid than in var. a, it has the 

 frond more resembling that of P. anguJare; its caudex takes a longer 

 time to form new crowns. 



Young seedling plants of P. lobatum bear a very close resemblance 

 to P. Lonchitis, being simply pinnate ; they may always be dis- 

 tinguished, however, by their more parallel-sided fronds of much 

 thinner texture, and having no fructification upon them : by the 

 time they are sufficiently developed to have sori, the pinnae have 

 become at least deeply pinnatifid or pinnatipartite at the base ; this 

 form, which is sometimes called var. lonchitidoides, cannot be 

 considered a true variety, because, if cultivated, it always develops 

 into unmistakeable P. lobatum. On the other hand, when P. 

 lobatum is weakened or starved, it tends to revert to the form 

 lonchitidoides. On this account it is impossible to agree with Bernhardi 

 in uniting P. Lonchitis and P. aculeatum as forms of one species, 

 though they are certainly very closely allied. P. lobatum, var. a, 

 becomes more developed, stronger, and more divided, but does not 

 change into /3. aculeatum, though it is often impossible to distinguish 

 dried specimens of vars. a and ft from each other. 



Hard Holly -fern. 



