58 BRITISH FERNS. 



close together, in a narrow fan-shaped manner, in each of the 

 larger pinnas, the smaller ones haying a proportionately less 

 number. Two or three linear sori are produced on a pinna, 

 and these are covered by membranous indusia, the free 

 margin of which is entire, or slightly sinuous, but not jagged ; 

 the sori at length become confluent. 



It grows, but very rarely, in Scotland, and in the Lake 

 district ; and is found, but very sparingly, in other parts of 

 Europe. 



This kind is not only rare, but one of those which does 

 not fully yield to artificial culture. It grows tolerably freely 

 if potted in sandy peat-soil well-drained by an admixture of 

 rubbly matter, and kept under a bell-glass in a shaded frame, 

 or greenhouse ; but the plants are very liable to die in winter. 

 The safeguard is, not to allow any water to lodge about their 

 crowns, nor to keep the bell-glass too closely or too constantly 

 over them, especially in winter. 



KITE-LEAVED SPLEEN WORT, OR WAIL RUE. {Plate VI. Fig. 2.] 



This is Asplenium Ruta-muraria, with the following among 

 other synonyms: AmesiumEuta-muraria^ndiScolopendrium 

 Rida-muraria. 



A very diminutive plant and not very attractive, occurring 

 abundantly on old walls, often in such situations little more 

 than an inch high. It grows in tufts, insinuating its wiry 

 roots, as is the case with all the mural species, into the cre- 

 vices and joints of the masonry, and is not easily removed 

 from such places in a condition suitable for planting. The 

 fronds are numerous, of a glaucous-green, varying between 

 one and six inches long, with a stipes about half the entire 

 length, the leafy part usually triangular in outline, and bi- 

 pinnate. The pinnaa are alternate, with rhomboidal, or 

 roundish ovate, or obovate pinnules, sometimes wedge-shaped 

 with the apex abruptly cut off. The more luxuriant fronds 

 are once more divided, so as to become almost tripinnate, the 

 pinnules being deeply pinnatifid, and the lobes formed like 

 the ordinary pinnules. When the plants are quite young, the 

 fronds are simple and roundish kidney-shaped. At a later 

 stage of development, they are occasionally only once pin- 

 nate, with pinnatifid pinnaa. The upper margins of the pin- 

 nules are irregularly toothed. The veins are rather indis- 

 itnct, and there is no midvein, but a series of veins arise 

 from the base, becoming branched in their progress towards 

 the apex, the number of ultimate branches usually corre- 

 sponding with that of the marginal teeth. Several sori are 



