ASPLENIUM. 147 



fronds, the pinnsB being merely undulated and lobed, not 

 again pinnate. 



This is rather a local species, being found only in the 

 southern and western parts of England, and in Wales, 

 almost always near the coast. It is found very luxuriant 

 in the Channel Islands. 



This species has been named TaracMa lanceolata. 



Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum, Linnwus. 



The Black Maidenhair ^pleenwort. (Plate XII. fiw. 2.) 



This is a rather common evergreen Fern, and a very 

 conspicuous ornament of the situations where it occurs in 

 a vigorous state. The fronds grow in tufts, and vary 

 much in size, from a heiglit of three or four inches when 

 it occurs on walls, to a foot and a half, and even two feet, 

 including the stipes, when it occurs on shady hedge-banks 

 in congenial soil. They are triangular, more or less elon- 

 gated at the point, the shining dark purple stipes being 

 often as long as, or longer than, the leafy portion ; but in 

 stunted plants growing in sterile situations very much 

 shorter. They grow erect or drooping, according to the 

 situations in which they occur. They are bipinnate, or 

 sometimes tripinnate ; the pinnas pinnate, triangular-ovate 



L 2 



