58 



BRITISH FERNS. 



BROAD FERN. 



LASTRJEA DILATATA. Presl. 



Aspidium dilatatum, spinulosum, and dumetorum. Smith. 

 Aspidium dilatatum and spinulosum. Galpine, Gray, Francis. 

 Aspidium spinulosum and dumetorum. Hooker, Mackay. 

 Polypodium cristatum. Hudson, Bolton, Lightfoot, Withering, 

 Berkenhout. 



LOCALITIES. 



ENGLAND. -\ 



SCOTL A N D f Universally distributed. 



IRELAND. J 



AN error appears to have crept into 

 our works as regards this ubiquitous 

 species. Hooker and Mackay have as- 

 signed to it the name spinulosa, and Smith, 

 Galpine, and others, have restricted the 

 same name to one of its varieties. Now 

 I must express my conviction that the 

 spinulosa of the continent, as described 

 by Willdenow, Swartz, Sadler, Schkuhr, 

 &c., and as figured by the latter author, 

 is not the normal dilatata of this country, 

 neither is it that linear, erect form of 

 dilatata figured in the margin, and to 

 which the name has usually been applied ; 

 but is a perfectly distinct species, and one 

 which may at once be distinguished from 

 any form of dilatata by the indusium, 

 which, in spinulosa, is covered with glan- 

 dulose spines or bristles, while in dilatata 

 it is perfectly smooth. 



Lastraea spinulosa is so abundant on 

 the continent of Europe, that it is per- 

 fectly reasonable to expect to find it here ; but we must not 



