258 



I have already cited from the ' British Ferns' was incorrect, as com- 

 bined with the prior description of the frond of L. multiflora, and that 

 the glandulosity had been too hastily assumed to be a character of 

 the yet undeveloped frond, — a character to be lost as the frond pro- 

 gressed towards maturity. Still it appears necessary to state that 

 among a host of living examples, which through the kindness of 

 friends I have been . enabled to inspect, I find considerable discre- 

 pancy, both as to quantity of glands and also as to the distinctive 

 character of the palese ; yet in no instance has this discrepancy inter- 

 fered with my ability to place each individual with considerable con- 

 fidence either in the eglandulose species, which is generally called 

 multiflora, or the glandulose species, which I now propose to call 

 glandulosa. I trust that practical botanists, especially cultivators, 

 will give the subject their best attention. 



The rhizoma is decidedly tufted, the fronds radiating from a centre 

 as in L. multiflora. The figure of the frond is elongate-lanceolate, 

 presenting no appreciable difference from that of multiflora. 



These remarks, penned after due consideration, and after having 

 waited a reasonable time for all counter-evidence, I now offer to the 

 attention of botanists. I am unwilling to pronounce an opinion as to 

 the value of a character deduced from the presence or absence of 

 glands, seeing that there is no uniform usage as regards this matter. 

 And 1 must in candour remark that if we throw overboard this cha- 

 racter of glands, the new fern is most suspiciously intermediate 

 between multiflora and spinosa, having the habit, rhizoma, and cir- 

 cumscription of frond of the former, and the paleae being scarcely 

 distinguishable from those of the latter. The presence of such a fonn 

 must inevitably reopen what might be called the great dilatata ques- 

 tion, which I hoped was definitely settled among all practical men. 

 On the other hand, however, it must be admitted that if the glands 

 are to be ignored as a botanical character, we must ignore thera also 

 in Polypodium Robertianum (calcareum, Sm.), separated by Hoff- 

 mann almost exclusively on this character. 



Edward Newman. 



9, Devonshire St., Bishopsgate, 

 July 17, 1851. 



