460 FILICES. [CRYPTOGRAMME. 



in age. DISTRIB. N. temp, and arctic regions, W. Asia, Himalaya ; 



species 1. ETYM. icpvinos and ypa.fj.fj.ij, from the concealed sori. 

 1. C. cris'pa, Br. ; fertile pinnules fusiform. Allosorus, Bernh. 



Loose stony places in mt. districts, from Harris and Sutherland to N. Devon ; 

 ascending to nearly 3,500 ft. in the Highlands ; E. and N. E. of Ireland, 

 very rare ; frt. June-July. Rootstock scaly, clothed with broken bases of 

 fronds. Stipes of barren fronds 1-2 in., of fertile 2-5 in., slender, naked, 

 pale brown. Fronds deltoid-ovate, submembranous ; barren 2-pinnate, 

 pinnules 2-3-pinnatind, cuneate or oblong, 2-3-toothed ; fertile 2-3-pinnate ; 

 pinnules fusiform or oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, entire, subpetioled. 



6. LOMA'RIA, Jf'illd. HARD-FERN. 



Rootstock usually short or creeping. Fronds tufted, of 2 kinds ; outer 

 barren or fertile below only ; inner fertile ; veins free, simple or forked. 

 Sori linear, close to the margin, continuous round the pinnule, often 

 covering its lower surface ; involucre linear, close to and parallel with the 

 margin, opening inwards, scarious. DISTRIB. Trop. and temp, chiefly 

 South regions ; species 40. ETYM. A<4/xa, from the marginal sori. 



1. Ii. Spi cant, De#v. ; barren fronds narrow-lanceolate pinnatifid above 



pinnate below. Elechnum boreale, Sw. 



Heaths, woods, banks, &c. ; ascending to nearly 2,000 ft. in the Highlands ; frt. 

 July- Aug. Rootstock stout, creeping, scaly. Stipes of barren fronds 2-3 in., 

 of fertile 6-9 in. , polished, red -brown. Fronds erect or spreading ; barren 

 6-9 in., narrowed to the base, coriaceous, green, glabrous ; pinnules -f in., 

 linear-oblong, sessile by a broad base, obtuse, quite entire, sinus narrow, 

 veins inconspicuous ; fertile pinnate, pinnse distant, falcate, narrow, obtuse, 

 dilated at the base, lower minute very distant. Involucre close to the 

 margin in a young state. DISTRIB. Europe (Arctic), Canaries, N.E. Asia, 

 Japan, N.W. America. 



7. ASPiE'NIUM, L. SPLEENWORT. 



Rootstock usually short, tufted. Fronds various. Sori dorsal on the 

 veins, linear or oblong, oblique, distant from the midrib, except when Ilir 

 frond is much divided ; involucre oblong or linear, membranous, laterally 

 attached to the vein, opening towards the midrib. DISTRIB. All climates 

 but very cold ; species 280. ETYM. a and 0-irA.rji/, having been a reputed 

 spleen medicine. 



SUB-GEN. 1. Asple'nium proper. Involucre straight, narrow, margin 

 entire or erose. Frond not scaly beneath. Veins free. 



* Ultimate pinnules without a distinct midrib. 



1. A. Rn'ta-mura'ria, L. ; frond oblong or ovate rigid irregularly 

 2-pinnate, pinnae 3-7 obovate-cuneate, tip rounded or truncate toothed 

 Walls and rocks ; ascending to nearly 2,000 ft. in the Highlands ; frt. June- 

 Oct. Rootstock stout, shortly creeping, without scales. Stipes tufted 2-4 in. , 

 wiry, black below. Fronds 1-2 in., recurved, often deltoid ; pinnae petioled, 

 upper entire, lower again pinnate ; pinnules \-^ in., often rhomboid ; midrib 

 obsolete ; veins flabellate, forked. Sori many, linear-oblong, 2-5 on rarli 

 pinnule; involucre entire or margins erose. DISTRIB. Europe (Arctic), N. 

 and S. Africa, Siberia, N. Asia to the N.W. Himalaya, N. America. 



