FILICES. 65 



vol. i. p. 234). Apparently his abbreviata in the * Phytologist ' 

 included the var. pumila, but in Lowe's ' Native Ferns' pumila is 

 arranged under pseudo-mas (Lowe, 1. c. p. 280). 



If we had merely the forms affinis, paleacea and abbreviata, I should 

 certainly have described them as subspecies, but with vars. genuina 

 and pumila the chief forms are so connected that I am unable to 

 separate them as subspecies. 



The present species is readily distinguished from L. Oreopteris by 

 having the frond much less tapered towards the base, and the sori 

 remote from the margins of the pinnules. The indusium is very 

 different, being firm, reniform, and persistent. 



L. Filix-mas is one of the Ferns which delight fern-growers, from the 

 number of abnormal forms of the fronds which occur. Some of these, 

 which have the ends of the pinnae and apex of the stem cleft, are 

 extremely beautiful, while others in which the pinnae are much 

 reduced are at least curious, if not beautiful. 



The caudex of the male fern has long had a reputation as an anthel- 

 mintic or vermifuge. The caudex must be gathered between the end 

 of May and the middle of September, and after being dried in the 

 shade, powdered and kept in well- closed bottles. The powder loses 

 its virtue if kept much longer than a year. 



Male-fern, or Male Shield-fern. 



SPECIES IV.— L ASTREA RIGID A. Pred. 



Plate 1851. 



Babenh. Crypt. Vase. Europ. Exsicc. No. 89. 



Nephrodiuni rigidum, Desv. Hook. fil. Stud. Fl. p. 465. Hook. & Bak. Syn. Fil. 



ed. ii. p. 275. 

 Aspidium rigidum, Swartz. Hook, in Suppl. Eng. Bot. No. 2724. Milde, Fil. Europ. 



p. 126. Fries, Summ. Veg. Scand. p. 82. Babenh. 1. c. No. 89. 

 A. fragrans, Gray, Nat. Ar. Brit. PI. p. 9. 

 Polystichum rigidum, DC. Koch, Syn. Fl. Germ, et Helv. ed. ii. p. 979. Gren. & 



Godr. Fl. de Fr. Vol. III. p. 632. 

 P. strigosum, Both. Tent. Fl. Germ. p. 86. 

 Polypodium rigidum, Hoffm. Deutschl. Fl. Vol. II. p. 6. 

 P. fragrans, Yillars, Hist. Plant. Dauph. Vol. III. p. 43, non Linn. 

 Lophodium fragrans, Neicm. Phyt. 1851, App. p. xxi. 

 L. rigidum, Newm. Hist. Brit. Ferns, ed. iii. p. 176. 



Caudex short, stout, thick, separating into numerous small divisions, 

 which are moderately thick, very short, and closely packed together, 

 closely covered by the imbricated bases of former fronds. Fronds 

 all similar ; several produced close together from the extremity of each 

 crown, erect or -ascending, deciduous. Stipes rather long (one-fifth as 



vol. xir. K 



