FILICES. 159 



bipinnate, the pinnules being decurrent, at others almost tripin- 

 nate, the segments being divided nearly to the midvein ; the pinna3 

 are numerous and linear ; pinnules linear-oblong or lanceolate, 

 deeply serrate or pinnatifid ; the lobes variously toothed, but never 

 tipped with a bristle. The venation presents many irregularities, 

 but usually consists of a tortuous midvein giving off alternate 

 veins which again divide into venules, the anterior ones bearing 

 a sorus on their upper sides. Fructification occupying the whole 

 back of the frond ; the sori numerous, but very irregular in form, 

 sometimes straight, and in some cases so short as to appear nearly 

 round, but usually of a short, curved, oblong or semilunar out- 

 line, covered by a membranaceous iudusium, with a free margin 

 divided into capillary segments. Spore- cases dark brown. Side 

 of a brook running through the valley on the Paignton road. 

 Milber Down. Forde bog. Bradley woods. Berry Pomeroy 

 woods. Side of the stream at Lindridge. Sharpham woods, 

 on the Dart. Holne Chase. Ivy bridge. Banks of the Teign at 

 Chagford, etc. The variety molle I found in great plenty in 

 Forde bog, about the middle of June this year, 1859, with the 

 fructification considerably advanced. P. vi. Vil. 



ASPLENIUM. SPLEENWOKT. 



" Clusters long, straight. Indusium opening towards the cen- 

 tral vein or midrib, nearly flat." Sab. Manual. 



1. A. lanceolatum (lanceolate Spleemvort.) On rocks and 

 walls, not frequent. " Fronds lanceolate, bipinnate ; pinnules 

 ovate, deeply and sharply toothed or lobed ; clusters short, nearly 

 marginal" (Bab. Man. p. 425). (E. B. t. 240. Moore, Kat. 

 Print. Ferns, t. 35 B. Sowerby, Ferns, t. 27 : very incorrect. 

 Moore, Handbook, p. 167.) Caudex with many stout branching 

 roots, short, either upright or decumbent, covered with shining, 

 brown, awl-shaped scales. Stipes one-third, sometimes one-half, 

 as long as the w r hole frond, of a rich chestnut colour below, gra- 

 dually shading off into the greener rachis, slightly scaly; the 

 upper side of the rachis has a slightly raised margin, more or less 

 distinct in different specimens, and is sparsely supplied with 

 small slender hairs. Fronds from 2 or 3 to 12 or more inches 

 high, stiff, smooth, upright or drooping, lanceolate, bipinnate, of 

 a fresh, bright green colour. The lowest pair of pinna3 usually 

 much shorter than those immediately above, but sometimes they 

 spread out much wider than any of the rest, and impart to the 

 frond a deltoid or triangular, instead of a lanceolate outline. 

 Pinnae either nearly opposite or alternate, narrowing from the 



