THE FERN PARADISE. 



or toothed the points of the lobes being bluntish 

 or rounded and their bases being run to- 

 gether give the appearance of a leafy wing on each 

 side of the mid-stem of the branch. Towards the 

 point of the frond the branches dimmish in length, 

 and become less in breadth, the lobes becoming 

 gradually less and less deeply cut in, until they are 

 finally mere serratures. These, in turn, disappear 

 as the branches merge in the point of the frond, 

 which then itself becomes notched, finally ending 

 in a point. A perfectly grown specimen of the 

 Mountain Buckler Fern has an extremely elegant 

 aspect. It is although in some of its features 

 like the Male Fern more delicate in its general 

 appearance than that species : there is a more 

 delicate tint of a lighter, more golden green about 

 its fronds, and the more regular arrangement of 

 its branches gives to it greater symmetry, grace 

 and beauty. . 



The Mountain Buckler Fern, as its name indi- 

 cates, is found sometimes in great abundance 

 chiefly in mountainous districts; sometimes in 

 woods, where it grows in a state of great luxu- 

 riance ; and sometimes fringing the banks of 



356 



