ASPLENIUM. 129 



Filix-foemina. It was then transferred, to Aspidium, 

 under the name of Aspidium Filix-foemina ; and subse- 

 quently by other botanists it has been called Asplenium 

 Filix-foemina, which latter name is still generally given 

 to it by those who do not adopt the genus Athyrium. 



Genus VII. ASPLENIUM, or SPLEENWORT. 



The British Aspleniums are small evergreen Ferns, 

 with long narrow single sori lying in the direction of the 

 veins which traverse the fronds ; and by these marks they 

 may be known from all other indigenous Ferns, excepting 

 the Ceterach, which latter is readily distinguished from 

 them by having the back of its fronds coated with brown 

 scales, among which the sori are hidden. The genus is 

 the type of the tribe Aspleiiieca, which consists of Ferns 

 havino; the elongate masses of fructification attached along 

 the side of the veins, and covered by an indusium of the 

 same elongated form as the sori themselves. The Asple- 

 niums are known from their nearest allies, the Athyriums, 

 by the latter having hippocrepiform sori, and the free 



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