ATHYRIUM FILIX-FCEMINA. 



Cyathea filix-famina, 

 Ci/stopteris fdix-faemiiia, 

 Tectaria filix-fcemina, 

 Nephrodium filix-fcemina, 

 Pvli/podium filix-fcemina, 



dentatum, 



ohlongo-dentatum, 



ovato-crenatum, 



hifidum, 



trifidum, 



molle, 



Icetum, 



revolutum, 



Leseblii, 



Beetoloni. 



COSSON AND GeEMAIN. 



Cavanilles. 



Stkempel. 



LiNN^us. Bolton. Hoffmann. 



PoiRET. Hudson. Weis. 



Hoffmann. 



Hoffmann. 



Hoffmann. 



hoffjiann. 



Hoffmann. 



schbebek. 



SaLISBU1{Y. 

 BORY. 



Meeat. 



Hoffmann. Poieet. 



Athyrium — From the Greek, athyros — opened. Filix-fcemina — Lady Fern. 



Caudex thick, occasionally with a trunk-like scaly crown. 



Scales nearly black in colour, and more or less lanceolate in 

 form. 



Venation circinate, the apex at one period of its development 

 curved downwards similar to a shepherd's crook. 



Stipes from a third to a fourth of the length of the entire 

 frond, terminal, stout, and thickened immediately above the base, 

 green in some varieties, and pinky purple in others. Thickly 

 scaly at the base. 



Rachis rounded behind and channeled in front, having a few 

 narrow scales. 



Fronds herbaceous, erect, spreading, or drooping, vivid green 

 in colour, varying much in size and outline; length from twelve 

 inches to forty inches, breadth from three inches to fourteen 

 inches. 



Lanceolate in form, bipinnate or sub-bipinnate. 



Pinnte pinnate, numerous, broadest at the base, and gradually 

 tapering to a point. 



Pinnules various. Veins forked or pinnately branched. 



Fructification covering the whole under surface of the frond. 



Sori numerous, short, medial, and indusiate. 



Indusiuni membranaceous and variable in outline, taking the 

 forms of the sori. 



The fronds spring up in May, and decay in early autumn. 



