PILICES. 129 



records specimens of parallelum (which is here included under var. /3) 

 " from Guernsey, gathered by Mons. Boistel, measuring 34 inches 

 in length, of which 24 inches were occupied by about 30 pairs of 

 pinnae, the largest being about 2^ inches long and J- inch wide ; 

 larger specimens were produced on the same plant, which was 

 growing in the same soil, but on a damp rock." Moore, Nat. Print. 

 Brit. Ferns, 8vo ed. vol. ii. p. 93. 



Although the extreme forms of vars. a and /3 are much unlike, they 

 are so connected by intermediate forms, that they scarcely deserve to 

 be separated even as varieties ; the shape of the base of the pinnae, or 

 the degree to which their margins are crenate, serrate, or lobed, are 

 too variable to be sufficient to separate the various forms, as even in 

 fronds on the same tuft they often vary to a considerable extent. 



This cannot well be confounded with any other British Fern. The 

 only one which looks at all like it is Asplenium lanceolatum, var. 

 microdon, but from it A. marinum differs by its larger scales, thicker 

 stipes, much more coriaceous or cartilaginous lamina, glabrous rachis, 

 and elongated generally median sori. The fronds present sometimes 

 a slight resemblance to those of Polypodium vulgare, but in that the 

 pinnae are adnate to the rachis by their whole base, while in 

 A. marinum not even the lower ones are connected by their whole 

 base, and it is almost needless to remark that the difference in their 

 generic characters will prevent their being mistaken the one for the 

 other. 



Sea Spleenwort. 



SPECIES V.-ASPLENIUM VIRIDE. Huds. 

 Plate 1877. 

 Eabenh. Crypt. Vase. Europ. Exsicc. No. 34. 



Caudex rather elongated and creeping, divided into several 

 sparsely scaly crowns or shortly creeping branches ; scales linear- 

 lanceolate, denticulate in the lower portion, tapering into short seta- 

 ceous points, usually concolorous. Fronds several from each crown, 

 spreading or ascending. Stipes slender, not wiry, from one-eighth 

 to nearly half the length of the lamina, purplish-brown at the base, 

 green above, with scattered hair-like deciduous brown scales. Lamina 

 thin, flaccid, translucent, glabrous, dim, evergreen, linear or more 

 rarely elliptical-linear, tapering slightly at the base and apex, 

 pinnate ; lowest pair of pinnae smaller than or equalling the suc- 

 ceeding pair, very shortly stalked or subsessile, spreading, rhombic- 

 ovate or ovate or rhombic-suborbicular or deltoid-ovate, entire and 

 truncate or inversely deltoid at the base (which is commonly equal- 

 sided), obtuse, crenate or inciso-crenate ; middle pinnae similar to the 



VOL. XIT. S 



