178 



2. Plants producing {in autumn) a tuft of spreading leaves about 

 the root. Achenes large. Hairs of the pappus unequal. 



3. H. *villosum, L. (not E. B. t. 2379) : 4. alpinum, L. : 5. ni- 

 grescens, Willd. = pulmonarium, Stn. E. B. t. 2307 : 4. pallidum, 

 Biv.= Halleri, Hook. Fl. Lond. t. 215; Lawsoni, Bah.; villosum, 

 E. B. t. 237.9 ; Anglicnm, Fr. ; Sternbergii, Froel. : 7. ranrorura, L. : 

 8. sylvaticum, Sm. = vulgatum, Fr. ; var. /3. = maculatum, Sin. E. B. 

 t. 2121: 9. Gothicum, Fr. Symb. p. 121: 10. cerinthoides, Z. = 

 Lawsoni, Sm. (not Vill.) E. B. t. 2083; Lapeyrousii, Bab. E. B. S. 

 t. 2915; Iricum, Fr. I. c. p. 60: 11. *amplexicaule, Z. : 12. Do- 

 vrense, Fr. I. c. 



3. Vlauts producing {before winter) leaf buds at the base, which 



next year become leafy stems without radical leaves. Achenes 



of moderate size, truncated upwards. Hairs of the pappus 



nnequal. 



13. H. prenantboides, Vill. = denliculatura, Sm. E. B. t. 2122 : 



14. strictura, Fr. I. c. p. 164 = denticulatura, Bab.? 15. boreale, 



Fr. = Sabaudum, E. B. t. 349; inuloides, Bab.? 16. rigidum, 



Hartm. {Fr. I. c. p. 173) : 17. liidentatum, Fr. I. c. p. 171 : 18. um- 



bellatum, L. 



We have space for but one more reference, and that is to the much- 

 contested question of a group of ferns which, by some authors, are all 

 included under the genus Aspidium, while by others they are divided 

 into two genera— Polystichum and Nephrodium or Lastrea. In the 

 present edition of the ' British Flora,' the genus Aspidium is retained 

 intact, as in the previous editions, being merely divided, as in them, 

 into two sections, characterized by the form of the involucre. Under 

 Aspidium spinulosum of Willdenow, four varieties are given, viz: — 



A. spinulosum, Willd. = A. dilatatum. Hook. Fl. Scot. ii. 154 : 

 — var. a. = spinulosum, E. B. t. 1460:— var. 0. = dilatatum, Willd. 

 E. B. t. 1461; dumetorum, Sm.; Polypodiura dilatatum, Hoffm.; 

 Lastrea, Presl: — var. y. = dilatatum var. recurvum, Bree ; Lastrea 

 recurva, Newm.; L. Foenisecii, Bab.; Nephrodium Fenisoecii [s<c], 

 Lowe ? {in part) : — var. ^. is an unnamed supposed monstrosity. 



This fern is said by the editors to be " an extremely sportive plant, 

 it must be confessed ; but an attentive observer of Nature will not find 

 it difficult to trace the different states passing into each other, so that 

 we cannot in our herbarium bring all our numerous specimens under 

 the heads even of our own forms." The following editorial foot-note 

 contains further remarks on some of these protean forms : — 



" On the qu(cslio cexala of the differences, specific or otherwise. 



