46 BRITISH FERNS. 



The Male Fern is found abundantly all over the country 

 in shady situations ; the larger varieties are met with here 

 and there in similar places ; the other varieties are rare. 



This is one of the most easy of Ferns to cultivate, and is 

 very suitable for cool, shady rockwork, or for shady walks 

 in woody scenery. 



RIGID BUCKLER FERN. 



This Fern is called by botanists Lastrea rigida. It has also 

 been named, at various times, Polypodium rigidum, Aspidium 

 rigidum, Polystichum rigidum, and Lophodium rigidum. 

 _ This very elegant Fern is of moderate size, growing up- 

 right or spreading, and from one to two feet in height. The 

 fronds issue from the crown of a comparatively thick stem, 

 and are annual in their duration, greeting the approach of 

 summer with the fresh green of youth, and shrinking dead 

 and shrivelled from the icy touch of winter. The fronds are 

 narrowly triangular, and bipinnate, with narrow tapering 

 pinnaa and oblong blunt pinnules, which are _cut into broad 

 rounded segments, again notched into a varying number of 

 pointed but not spinulose teeth. The stipes is densely scaly. 

 The veining is very similar to that of the large variety of 

 Filix-mas; the pinnules having a flexuous midvein. with 

 alternate venules again pinnately branched. The clusters 

 of spore-cases are borne on the lowest anterior branch of each 

 venule, that is, on the lowest veinlet on the side towards the 

 apex of the pinnule, and they are covered by a kidney- 

 shaped indusium, which does not fall away. Over the fronds 

 are scattered numerous small sessile glands, which, when 

 slightly bruised, give out a faint and not unpleasant odour. 



This Fern seems confined to the limestone districts of the 

 north of England growing at considerable elevations. It 

 was first found at Ingleborough, in Yorkshir-2, and has been 

 since met with on the limestone ranges oi' Westmoreland 

 and Lancashire. 



In cultivation, this is usually a free-growing plant, more 

 lax than in the wild state, and among the more elegant of 

 the larger kinds. 



CRESTED BUCKLER FERN. 



This is the Lastrea cristata of botanists ; and has besides 

 received the following among other names ; Polypodium 

 cristatum, Aspidiwn cristatum, Polystichum cristatum, Dryo- 

 pteris cristata, and Lwhodium Callipteris. 



This Fern is not a very elegant plant, but is of consider- 



