516 FILICES. [Aspidium. 



Clefts of alpine rocks, &c, from Caithness to N. "Wales and York ; ascends 

 to 3,200 ft. in the Highlands ; Ireland ; frt. June-Ang.— Rootstoch densely 

 tufted, oblique, scaly. Fronds densely tufted, 6-18 in., coriaceous, bright 

 green, glabrous except the scaly short stout stipes and rachis and veins 

 beneath. Pinna, many, \-\ in., narrow-ovate, base auricled and obliquely 

 rhomboid, falcate, acuminate, spinulose-serrate. Sori in 2-3 rows on each 

 side the midrib. — Dist rib. Europe (Arctic), N. and W. Asia, Himalaya, 

 N. America. 



2. A. aculea turn, Sw. ; frond ovate-lanceolate 2-3-pinnate. 



"Woods, shaded hedgebanks, &c, from Orkney sonthd. ; ascends to 2,500 ft. in 

 Yorkshire ; Ireland ; Channel Islands ; frt. July-Aug. — RooUtock short, 

 stout, and stipes and rachis densely clothed with ferruginous scales. Frond 

 6-12 in., scaly beneath ; lower pinnae 4-6 in., close-set, lanceolate ; pinnules 

 obliquely rhomboid-ovate auricled, teeth mucronate or awned. Sori 1- 

 seriate on each side the midrib, dorsal on the veins. — Distrib. From Belgium 

 southd., "W. Asia, N. America, S. temp, regions. 



A. aculea'tum proper ; rather flaccid, pinnules sessile lower free, serratures 

 spinulose. 



Sub-sp. A. loba'tum, Sw. ; frond 2-pinnate, pinnules very rigid sessile decur- 

 rent confluent below, upper basal longest. — Var. lonchitidoi'des ; narrower, 

 approaching A. Lonchi'tis. 



Sub-sp. A. angula're, Willd. ; submembranous, pinnules small petioled lax 

 sometimes again pinnatifid, teeth large awned.— From the Clyde southd. 



12. NEPHRO'DIUM, Rich. 



Sori subglobose, dorsal or terminal on the venules ; involucre reniform, 

 superior, attached by the sinus. — Distrib. All regions ; species 224. 

 — Etym. ve<pp6s, from the kidney-shayed involucres. — The British species 

 all belong to the sub-genus Lastre'a, Presl, with free veins. 



1. N. Fi'lix-mas, Rich. ; rootstock tufted, stipes and rachis with 

 lanceolate scales, frond 1-2-pinnate, pinnules deeply obtusely lobed 

 contracted at the base, involucre convex eglandular. Male Fern. 

 "Woods and shaded places, N. to Ross ; ascends to 2,400 ft. in Yorkshire ; 



Ireland; Channel Islands; frt. July-Aug. -Rootstock sometimes 6-10 in., 

 solid and woody. Fronds 1-3 -ft., and stipes more or less scaly beneath, 

 oblong-lanceolate, rather rigid, rarely simply pinnate ; segments entire or 

 serrate at the tip ; veins simple or forked. Sori large, 1-seriate. Involucre 

 smooth, firm.— Distrib. N. temp, regions, India, Africa, Andes. 

 N. Fi'lix-mas proper; frond 2-pinnate, pinnse long crowded acuminate, 

 pinnules obtuse serrate, lower distinct. — Yar. affi'nis, Fisch. (var. inci'sa, 

 Newra.) ; pinnules oblong-lanceolate incised less crowded. — Var. Bomfri, 

 Newm. ; rachis very scaly, frond bright golden yellow, pinnules very obtuse 

 almost truncate less serrate.— Var. L. abbrevia'ta, DC. ; frond pinnate, 

 pinnae pinnatifid or crenate oblong obtuse with one row of sori along the 

 midrib. 



2. N. crista' turn, Rich. ; rootstock shortly creeping, stipes with 

 ovate or oblong scales, rachis naked, frond oblong-lanceolate sub-2-pin- 



