€y6 CRYPTOGAMIA FILICES. 



rous broad fufcous membranes, and the rib and 

 nerves have a flight filmy down, of the lame co- 

 lour. The primary pima are longeft near the 

 middle of j^the rib, and from thence dccreafe 

 gradually toll^'ards the top and bafe, from 30 to 

 40 pair in number. Thefc are again pinnated 

 with about twenty pair of irregularly oval, acute, 

 nervous, auriculated pinnules, edged with (harp 

 prickly dents. The firft or loweil of thefc pin- 

 nules, on the upper fide, at the bafe of the 

 nerve, are larger than any of the reft ; and the . I 

 aur.cle or appendage of each pinnule is placed'.! 

 at its bafe on the off fide from the middle rib. | 

 The extreme pinnules are not diftindV, but flow 

 together. The frudifications are difpofed, as 

 ufual, in a double fcries ot circular dots upon 

 the back of each pinnule, and covered with pel- 

 tatcd fcales. Ten or more of the lowcft pair of 

 pnna are generally barren. 



We have fometimcs gathered a variety of this, in 

 which the inferior pinnules were pinnatifid or fe- 

 fnipinnate at their bafe, but in other refpeds 

 fimihr. 



The young leaves alfo put on a very different ap- 

 pearance from the full-grown ones. They vary 

 from fix inches to a foot in height, and are only 

 fimply pinnate, the pIma: of a lanceolate and 

 falcated form, fcm'pinnate, and edged with 

 prickly ferratures. The auricles at the bafe of 

 the pinna are conjoin'd at the top of the leaf, 

 but often feparate at the bottom of it. In this 



ftatc, 



