LASTREA. 103 



cess of drying-, before they yield up tlieir vitality. These 

 covers are at first little white scales. 



The veins of this species are also readily seen, and each 

 pinnule uill be found to have a flexuous midvein, ^vith 

 alternate venules, which are simple or forked, or sometimes 

 three-branched in different parts of the pinnule, the three- 

 branched ones, if present, occurring at the base, and the 

 unbranched ones at the apex. The sori are borne on the 

 branch towards the apex of the pinnule, and form a line of 

 dots at a little distance on each side of the midvcin. 



The variety of this Fern we have called incisa in our 

 '•' Handbook of British Ferns," has been named Lastrea 

 ercsa, and L. Filiv-mas erosa, by others, in the belief of 

 its being identical with a plant called Aspidiiim erosum 

 by Schkuhr, — a belief to which we do not conform. It has 

 also been called Lastrea affinis. It is a magnificent Fern, 

 much larger than the commoner form of the plant, growing 

 four or five feet or more in heioht, and havins; the same" 

 general features as those already described, only that it is 

 larger in every part, and its pinnules are more elongated 

 and tapering towards the point, more deeply cut along the 

 margin, the branches of the venules more numerous, and 

 the sori ])roduced over a larger proportion of the surface 



