ENDOGENS AND ACROGENS 



It recalls Cystopteris fragilis but the fronds are shorter 

 and smaller, 2-9 in. at most, dead green, with broad 

 almost entire lobes, bearing green hairs. On fructification 

 the underside of the edges is magnificently embroidered 

 by a pattern of brown points. 



Blechnum spicant : Hard-fern (PI. XCIX), spreads in 

 chance spots among wooded and hilly places its tufts, 

 which at times attain large dimensions. The numerous 

 horizontal sterile fronds are furnished with many 

 broad, entire, close-set segments of shining dark green; 

 the fertile are erect, narrow, elongate, with thick, 

 narrow, wide-set segments. Both are smooth. The 

 spore-cases are arranged in a long, narrow, continuous 

 line on each side of the mid-rib. 



Jlspidium Lonchitis* : Shield or Holly Fern : haunts 

 the upper woodlands, the "lappiaz", and rocks of the 

 alpine zone as far, sometimes, as 25oo m. It forms a 

 pretty tuft of dark verdure, with stiff, erect leaves, 

 enduring through winter. The divisions are close-set, 

 ovate-lanceolate, notched, sickle-shaped with an ear-Jike 

 lobe at the base. 



Jlspidium lobatum* differs by large, fine, glossy green 

 fronds, leathery in texture. So much, unhappily, is the 

 species in request for winter decoration that it is yearly 

 becoming rarer in the hills. The outline of the frond is 

 lanceolate; the leaflets rigid, spinosely toothed, almost 

 actually spinose, sickle-shaped with basal ear-lobe. They 

 decrease in size with the distance from the rhizome. This 

 is the best fern for cultivation. 



The Aspidiums are also known under the name Poly- 

 sHchum. 



Polypodium or Polypody supplies three saxatile species : 

 P. J{obertianum* (P. calcareum), (PL C) with frond of 

 broadly triangular outline, minutely glandular below ; a 



