126 HISTORY OF BRITISH FERNS. 



LASTREA PILIX-MAS, PresL The Male Pern. (Plate 

 VIII.) 



The Male Pern is so called from its robust appearance in 

 contrast with the more delicate, though similar, Lady Pern 

 or FUiiV-fcemina. It is one of the species which grow up 

 annually, the fronds being destroyed by the frosts of winter, 

 unless the situation be very sheltered, when the old fronds 

 often remain green until the young ones are produced in 

 spring. It is a robust-growing plant, producing its fronds 

 in a tuft around a central crown, and when vigorous and 

 perfectly developed is a very striking object, though its 

 ornamental qualities are often unheeded, we suppose, on ac- 

 count of its commonness. Surely, however, it is not wise 

 that objects imbued with that mystery vitality, and being 

 intrinsically graceful and beautiful, should be despised be- 

 cause a beneficent Creator has scattered them about our path 

 with a lavish hand ; they ought the rather, one would think, 

 to lead us to admire and adore ! 



The stipes of this Pern is densely scaly. The fronds 

 average about a couple of feet in height, and are of a broad 

 lance-shaped figure, and what is called bipinnate, though 

 less decidedly so than occurs in some other species, for here 

 it is those pinnules only which are nearest to the main rachis 



