LASTREA FILIX-MAS. 



257 



at High Force, Durham; Cromford, Derbyshire; and poor 

 examples at Ashton-on-Mersey. My thanks are due to the 

 Rev. Charles Padley, of Bulwell Hall, for fronds. There are 

 several forms of deorso-lobata, some approaching inctsa in 

 character. It is a large Fern, and known by the enlarged 

 posterior basal lobe of the pinnules -which are more or less 

 inciso-lobate with the lobes serrated. The other pinnules are 

 inciso-serrate. A form of this variety sent to me by Mr. F. 

 Clowes, of Windermere, is very interesting. Many of the 

 pinnae are furcate and bifurcate, and the pinnules also branched 

 in an irregular manner. The pinnules are mostly very large, 

 leafy, irregular in size, many depauperate or erose, occasionally 

 the costa alone, a decurrent portion without a costa, or even 

 wanting altogether. Some of the pinnae are brief, and these 

 are branched from close to the stipes. Colour vivid green. 

 Length of frond thirty-four inches. 



Fig. 207.— Middle pinna. 



PoLYDACTYLA, 3Iooi'e. (Fig 207.) — Found at Bromsgrove, 

 in Worcestershire, and made known by Mr. B. Maund. This 

 variety is figured on Plate XXXYII of Mr. T. Moore's 

 "Nature Printed British Ferns." The fronds and pinnae are 

 multifid, crisped at the apex. The pinnae do not narrow until 

 near the crispy tassel, where they suddenly become much 

 narrowed. The pinnae are not short, as is the case in the 

 variety cristata. The pinnules are divided almost to the rachis; 

 they are oblong-linear, some widened and some more or less 

 acute, the edges serrated. My thanks are due to Mr. R. Sim, 

 of Foot's Cray, for fronds. Length of frond eighteen to 



