38(5 CRYPTOGAMIA — FILICES. [Cistopteris. 



insertion of the pinnje on the rachis, so that they lie in verj' different 

 planes, but differs essentially in not having the lower pinnic gradually 

 diminished ; so that the frond in cireumscription is like that of A. cris- 

 tainm. In the shape of the pinnules and mode of toothinsr and subdi- 

 vision it more resembles some states of Asplen. Filix frcmina. {Mr 

 Wilson ; — to whom I am indebted also for the specific character.) 



10. A. spinulosum, WiWd. (pric/{Ii/-toothed Sfiield-fern); fronds 

 subtripinnate, pinnules oblong- distinct inciso-piiinatifid, segments 

 mucronato-serrate, stipes cliafFy, involucre tootbed evanescent. 

 A. dilatatum. Hook. Scot. u.p. 154. — a. fronds triangulari-ovatc, 

 lower primary pinnae only once pinnate. A. spinulosum, E. Bot. 



1460, E. Fl. V. iv. p. 292 Polijpod. spinuhsum.^ Retz. — /3. 



fronds triangulari-ovate, lower primary pinnae bipinnate, pinnules 

 often convex. A. dilatatum, Willd. — E. Bot. t. 1461. E.Fl.v. >J 



iv. p. 293 A. dumetorum, Sm. E. FL v. iv. p. 294. — Poly- ^ 



podium dilatatum, Hoffm, — y. pinnules and segments very un- 

 equal in size and in their spinulose serratures, — (a monstrosity?) .*i 



Moist woods, Alder-cars, and shady and rocky places, abundant. — «. 

 most frequent in rocky and subalpine countries. — /3. generally in moist „ 



woods. — y. Bingley Wood, near Halifax, Mr W. Wilson. About Nor- ^ 



wich, 3Ir R. Wigham. Glen Falloch, Scotland. — This is an extremely 

 variable plant, it must be confessed ; but an attentive observer of nature 

 will not find it difficult to trace the different states passing into each 

 other. The texture o^ {\\e frond, too, is highly variable. It is the most 

 compound of all our British Aspidia. In stony places on the Scottish 

 mountains, especially the Breadalbane and Cairngorum ranges, i\\e frond 

 is almost ovate, but with nearl)^ parallel sides, the whole compact in its 

 ramification and loaded with fructifications. 



5. Cistopteris. Bernhardi. Bladder-fern. (Cystea, Sm.) 



1. C. dentdta, (toothed Bladder-Fern); fronds bipinnate, 

 pinnse ovato-lanceolate, pinnules ovate obtuse bluntly and un- 

 equally toothed rarely pinnatifid, rachis winged a. fronds ob- 



longo-lanceolate. Cystea, E. Fl. v. iv.p. 300. — Aspidium, Siv.' — 

 Cyathea, E. Bot. t. 1388. — Polypodium, Dicks. — ;3. fronds ob- 

 longo-ovate. Cystea angustata, E. Fl. v. iv. jw. 301. — Polypo- 

 dium RhcEticum, Dicks. — Cyathea fragilis, ;3. Sm. 



North of England and Wales, abundant. Scotland, Mr Dickson. Ben 



1 It is but justice to ray valued and accurate friend Mr E. Forster to say, 

 that he considers tlie A. sphiu/osum and dilatatum to be quite distinct, tlie for- 

 mer being " a much more elegant plant, witii tiie pinnules more iiiiely divided, 

 flat, the nerves deeply indented, and therefore visible at a much greater distance: 

 while in A. dilatatum, the pimudcs are always convex, or liave atetxleiicy to be 

 so, and the nerves are much less conspicuous, not being so deeply indented. I 

 should not say 'always convex,' for in Cornwall I found a monstrous t}ar., 

 where the pinnules ai)peared to be turned inside outwards; the npjier surface 

 concave, and vice versa." 'I'his latter is accurately tigured by !\]r Bree in the 

 Nat. Hist. Mag. r. iv. p. 162. That gentleman finds it at Penzance and in 

 Ireland ; Mr S. Murray in Arran and other ]»arts of Scotland Mr W. Wil- 

 son also observes in a letter dated Nov. 4, 1837, ''Asp. spinulosuyn, I now con- 

 sider as distinct from dilatatum ; the frond being much narrower ; pinnules not 

 auricled at the anterior base; midrib zigzag dark-colomed ; involucre very 

 small entire in the margin." 



