1036 



the appearance of two fronds on the one stalk ; and, second, the ends 

 of the pinnae divided, as well as the apex of the frond. These will 

 include of described forms : — Common polypody, subvar. multifidum 

 and bifidum, Newm. (Clare and Dublin) ; male shield-fern, v^x./iirca- 

 Uim {multifida), Moore (England) ; lady-fern, var. ramosum or crisptim, 

 Auct. (Ulster and Scotland) ; also {2)^furcatum viviparmn, Steele, 

 multifida, Moore (Killarney, Ogilby; Wicklow, Newm.; Clare, mihi, 

 Chatsworth, J. Bain), and (3), nodosum, mihi; green-stalked spleen- 

 wort, subvar. ramosum, Auct. (Ireland) ; hart's-tongue, var. ramosum 

 or crispum, Auct., doidalea, Koch, subvar. multijidum or lohattim, 

 Auct. (common in Ireland) ; northern hard fern, subvar. multijidum, 

 described by Deakin (common in Ireland), var. ramosum, mihi, 

 described before this Society, in February, 1858 (Lough Breagh, 

 county Wicklow) ; adder's - tongue, subvar. ramosum, Auct. ; moon- 

 wort, subvar. ramosum of authors. The subvariety is found in 

 a great many species which are unrecorded. I have, in addition to 

 the above, met with it, in this country, in the male. Roth's, and Bree's 

 ferns, Polystichura angulare and P. aculeatum, lady-fern, wall-rue, 

 black-stalked, sea-side, and maiden-hair spleenworts, Grammitis, com- 

 mon brake, and Killarney bristle-fern. In some it is very common ; 

 in others, rare. I found it also in cultivated specimens of Asplenium 

 fontanum, and in many foreign species. Next, the variety which, 

 taking the common polypody, var. Camhricum, as the type, I propose 

 to call Cambricum ; it will include the varieties called incisum, poly- 

 stichoides, and strictum. The allied subvariety, taking the analogous 

 subvariety of the same fern, sinuatum, I propose to call sinuatum ; it 

 includes sinuatum, proliferum, &c. These two I define as follows : — 

 Cambricum variety : Frond either smaller or larger than original 

 type ; pinnee serrated, or irregularly lobed at their edges ; outline 

 rounded ; segments rounded and confluent. This includes two almost 

 distinct types, in one of which we find the parts of the original type 

 in excess; in the other, we find them contracted. This last corre- 

 sponds to strictum. Sinuatum : Pinnae serrated, and irregularly lobed ; 

 segments pointed and distinct ; frond generally more luxuriant than 

 normal. Under these heads are included the following described 

 forms: — Polypody of oak, var. Camhricum, Linn, (said to have been 

 found in Wicklow and Wales), and the subvar. bifidum,' A^ew;;^., ser- 

 ratum and sinuatum of other authors (common in Ireland) ; maiden- 

 hair spleenwort, var. incisum, Newm. (Yorkshire) ; hart's-tongue, var. 

 polystichoides, Ray (England) ; northern hardy fern, var. strictum^ 

 Francis (England, and Glenmacross, county Wicklow) ; and the 



