440 



Note on Athyrium Filix-foemina, var. latifoliura. 

 By F. J. A. HoRT, Esq * 



In the November number of the ' Phytologist ' Mr. Newman has 

 signified his present opinion that " three new species and three new 

 genera" ought to be added to our list of British ferns. One of the 

 former is a very singular plant from the neighbourhood of Keswick, 

 briefly noticed by both Hooker and Babington in their last editions 

 as a variety of Athyrium Filix-foemina, but now identified by Mr. 

 Newman with the Athyrium ovatum of Roth. As that eminent pte- 

 ridologist has merely published his results without elucidatory re- 

 marks, and has requested any observations which may assist him in 

 preparing the forthcoming edition of his ' British Ferns,' I wish to 

 state the reasons which have induced me, after seeing this plant 

 growing at Keswick, to decide against its distinctness from the com- 

 mon lady-fern. They have been already communicated to him pri- 

 vately, but some of the facts involved seem to deserve publication. 

 Mr. Babington informed me some months ago of his opinion that A. 

 ovatum, Rotli, is not identical with our plant, as he had formerly ima- 

 gined. Having obtained from him a reference to the necessarj' autho- 

 rities, I may conclude with a few remarks on the synonymy. 



In the first place, only two tufts of our plant have been discovered, 

 one on each side of the same hedge : and indeed there is but one now 

 remaining, as the Hon. Miss Bickersteth removed the other some time 

 ago. Miss Wright has repeatedly searched the disti-ict, but has not 

 (or at least had not in 1849, when I visited the spot) succeeded in 

 finding anything at all similar. Now Fries states that he has not ad- 

 mitted into his catalogue of Scandinavian plants any species of which 

 he has not seen at least a hundred living individuals. Such a rule 

 would be quite inapplicable to a fragmentary flora like that of Britain 

 in the case of plants already distinguished in other countries ; and, 

 even where an altogether new species is proposed, the number 

 required is perhaps excessive. But surely in this latter case a reason- 

 able and moderate standard ought to be set up ; and no one, I pre- 

 sume, would fix it so low as to admit a plant of which but two roots 

 are known to exist. Apart, however, from this abstract consideration, 

 there are some suspicious circumstances connected with the locality, 

 which ought to be taken into account in weighing the evidence. I 



* Reprinted from the ' Botanical Gazette' for December, 1851, 1)y tlie kind per- 

 mission of Mr. Henl'rey and Mr. Ilort. 



