THE BUCKLER FERNS. 



recognizable. There is further an unmistakable 

 mark of recognition in the form of its fronds. 

 About these there is a sort of general resemblance 

 to the Male Fern, except in one particular. In 

 the Male Fern the frond tapers to a point upwards ; 

 but not in the opposite direction, although the 

 branches at the base of the frond are usually 

 a little shorter than those in the centre. But the 

 branches of the frond in the Mountain Buckler 

 Fern taper downwards towards the base, almost 

 as much as they taper upwards ; the branches in 

 the lowest part being nothing more than the tiniest 

 leafy excrescences on each side of the rachis. 

 This continuation of the leafy portion of the frond 

 downwards necessarily leaves but a very short 

 stipes to the Mountain Buckler Fern ; and this short 

 stipes is covered with golden-coloured scales. On 

 the rachis of the frond in this Fern, the branches 

 are placed on each side in pairs. Each branch 

 has a row of lobes on its upper and under side, 

 learly divided from each other, but not divided 

 quite down to the mid-stem of the branch. The 

 branches, which are narrowly lance-shaped, have 

 thus the appearance of being very deeply notched 



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