FILTCES. 119 



Stipes } to 1 the length of the lamina. Lamina 1\ inches long by 

 % inch wide, to 9 inches long by 1^ inch wide, decreasing gradually 

 towards the base as in Athyrium. Filix-fcemina, var. genuinum and 

 Lastrea Oreopteris, a character which distinguishes it from all the 

 other British species of Asplenium. The texture of the fronds though 

 firm, is not coriaceous, they are of a bright deep-green colour, and not 

 shining. 



Koch makes two varieties of this plant, viz. a. pedicularifolium, and 

 j3. angustatum. The latter differs merely in its smaller size and less 

 divided pinnae, which are scarcely again pinnate. These varieties 

 seem mainly to be dependent on situation, which causes one form to 

 be more luxuriant than the other. 



Smooth Bock Spleenwort. 



SPECIES II.-ASPLENIUM LANCEOLATUM. Suds. 



Plate 1873. 

 Babenh. Crypt. Vase. Europ. Exsicc. Nos. 113 and 114. 



Caudex short, dividing into several scaly crowns ; scales subulate, 

 dentate, with setaceous points. Fronds several from each crown, 

 ascending or spreading or pendent. Stipes wiry, shorter than the 

 lamina, purplish-brown throughout, or rarely green in the upper part, 

 faintly channelled above, with a few scattered hair-like dark-brown 

 scales. Lamina firm but not coriaceous, glabrous, dim, evergreen, 

 lanceolate or strapshaped-lanceolate, more rarely strapshaped, scarcely 

 attenuated towards the abrupt base, acuminate towards the apex, 

 bipinnate or rarely only once pinnate ; lowest pair of pinna3 a little 

 smaller than the succeeding pair, oblong or oblong-triangular, sub- 

 sessile or very shortly stalked, spreading or occasionally deflexed ; 

 middle pinnae similar to the basal ones, but usually a little longer ; 

 pinnules or ultimate segments obovate or oblanceolate or ovate- 

 rhombic, wedgeshaped at the base, dentate or crenate-dentate, with 

 mucronate teeth towards the apex, the larger ones often inciso-pin- 

 natifid. Rachis mostly purplish at the base, especially on the under- 

 side, green on the upper part, margined, with hair-like scales ; partial 

 rachides narrowly winged, sometimes often connecting the bases of 

 the pinnules. Pinnules with a Uexuous mid-vein which gives off 

 forked or simple branches running to the teeth. Sori shortly oblong, 

 straight, attached to the ultimate veins, nearer to the margin of the 

 pinnules than to the midrib. Indusium entire. Spores brown, muri- 

 cate-tuberculate, with rather large pointed tubercles. 



