THE FE1LN PABADiSK. 



little cluster, and in the dark shadow of their 

 retreat we could not at first be sure that they 

 were not the beautiful but commoner Black 

 Maidenhair Spleenwort. We knew, however, that 

 from the position in which they were growing, it 

 was quite possible they might be Asplenium Ian- 

 ceolatum. With the aid of a long stick, we suc- 

 ceeded in digging them out ; and a close exami- 

 nation at once gave proof that the plants we had 

 discovered were what we had hoped they would 

 prove to be. The fronds of the Black Maidenhair 

 Spleenwort are always broadest at their base, 

 narrowing gradually towards their apex, the spores 

 being arranged in lines at the backs of the fronds. 

 The fronds of Lanceolatum taper at both ends 

 towards their apices and towards their bases, and 

 its spores, when ripe, are gathered in little round 

 clusters on the backs of its fronds. The distin- 

 guishing characteristics of this species were 

 present in our ' find.' We had previously hunted 

 in numerous places in South Devon for Asplenium 

 lanceotatum, and had carefully explored several 

 of its known habitats, but without being able to 

 find a single plant. Those who have experienced 





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