62 



from the sun and furnished with a copious supply of water during 

 the growing season. In order to avoid the effect of drought, a 

 larger proportion of yellow loam may be added to the ordinary 

 compost to render it more retentive of moisture, but it will grow 

 in almost any kind of soil that is not too stiif for its roots to 

 penetrate. 



It was formerly in repute medicinally as an astringent and vul- 

 nerary, and an ointment prepared from the bruised leaves is still 

 used in some parts of the country as a dressing for wounds, espe- 

 cially burns and scalds. 



Genus 9. CETERACH. 



GEN. CHAR. Lateral veins alternate, irregularly branched, the 

 branches anastomosing towards the margin. Sori oblong or 

 linear, attached to the upper side of the anterior principal 

 branches, except the lowest, which is on the opposite side of 

 the lower or posterior branch. Indusium obsolete. Whole back 

 of the frond covered with densely imbricated chaffy scales. 



The apparent want of indusium and the anastomosing veins are 

 the chief features that separate this genus from Asplenium or 

 Scolopendrium, to both of which it has been referred. The indu- 

 sium is however present in the British plant, partly covering the 

 sorus in an early stage of development, and subsequently as a nar- 

 row nearly erect membrane attached to the back of the vein. The 

 Arabian and Persian physicians, by whom the normal species has 

 been long esteemed for its supposed medicinal qualities, call it 

 Chetherak. 



CETERACH OFFICINARUM. Scaly Spleenwort. TAB. XXXVI. 



Fronds linear-lanceolate, deeply pinnatifid; segments oblong- 

 obtuse, waved or slightly lobed on the margin. 



Ceterach officinarum, Willdenow. Hooker and Arnott. Babington. 

 Moore. Scolopendrium Ceterach, Symons. Smith. E. B. 1244. 

 Grammitis Ceterach, Swartz. Hooker. E. B. ed. 2, 1408. 

 Asplenium Ceterach, Linnaeus. Notolepeum Ceterach, New- 

 man, Hist. Brit. Ferns, 277. 



The countries bordering on the basin of the Mediterranean and 

 the islands and eastern shores of the North Atlantic appear to have 

 been the original stations of this remarkable fern. In the British 

 islands its distribution is too partial to admit of its being regarded 

 as strictly indigenous, though probably naturalized here at a period 

 little subsequent to the arrival of Asplenium marinum. It occurs 

 here on limestone rocks, but more frequently on old walls and 



