C4 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



characters relied on to distinguish the var. ahbreviata from ordinary 

 Filix-mas. But this is simply the effect of depauperisation. Starved 

 plants of vars. genuina and paleacea may he found in the same con- 

 dition : when such do produce sori, the difference can only he relied 

 on as an evidence that pumila and ahbreviata helong to a smaller form 

 or race than vars. <x, /3, and y ; for these three when so small as ordi- 

 nary wild specimens of vars. pumila and ahbreviata produce no sori at 

 all. The form called crispa by Mr. Moore seems the same as a plant 

 which I gatnered at Scalpa, and is much more robust than pumila, 

 being from 8 to 18 inches high. The 8-inch specimens have mostly 

 but 1 or 2 sori on each pinnule, while the larger examples have 6 or 

 8 on the basal ones. It has much the habit of paleacea, but has 

 scales like those of pumila, and glandular fronds and indusia. It is 

 remarkable for its crowded overlapping pinnules, which are imbricated 

 one over the other, the anterior edge of each being turned upwards. 

 Each pinnule has its edges reflexed, so that it is convex on the upper 

 side, but the apex is bent upwards, so that the pinna, taken as a 

 whole, is concave. 



Var. e agrees with pumila in its very short rachis and numerous 

 glandular scales with toothed margins, thicker and darker-coloured 

 than those of vars. genuina and qffinis, but thinner and less bristly 

 than those of paleacea. The fronds and the indusia have more nume- 

 rous glands than in var. 8. pumila; the pinnules, at least towards 

 the base of the pinnae, are separate from each other, and much less 

 twisted. The lower pair of pinnae are not so much shorter than the 

 succeeding pair, and the frond when fully developed is more parallel- 

 sided, and thinner in texture and of a yellower green. Indeed, 

 but for the short stipes and firmer indusium they might be mistaken 

 for those of L. rigida by a casual observer. A cultivated plant which 

 I had from Messrs. Sang, of Kirkcaldy (who got it from the late 

 Dr. Lyell, of Xewburgh) has the fronds 10 to 15 inches long by 3 

 to 5 inches broad, and the stipes 1 to 1\ inches long; but others 

 received from Mr. TTollaston, originally from Langdale, have the 

 fronds 3 feet 6 inches long and 7 inches broad ; and the stipes 5 or 

 6 inches long. Mr. Moore says (" Nat. Print. Brit. Ferns,' 8vo. ed., 

 vol. i. p. 129), "Indusium fringed with glands." But I have never 

 seen this ; they are dotted with glands, but not fringed. 



Mr. Lowe says of his ahbreviata that" specimens would have readily 

 divided into no less than 20 distinct plants, and this seemed to be 

 quite a character of the variety." I have not had the opportunity to 

 verify this record, which would make ahbreviata a multiceps form, 

 not a pauciceps form, as ordinary Filix-mas. 



Mr. G-. B. Wollaston, who has paid great attenlion to the Ferns 

 of the Filix-mas group, thinks there are 3 distinct species included 

 under this name: 1, L. Filix-mas, which includes vars. genuina and 

 a 'Wnis; 2. L. pseudo-mas, equivalent to var. paleacea; and 3, L. ahbre- 

 viata (Phyt. 1855, p. 172) or L. propinqua (Lowe, * Native Ferns y ' 



