FILICES. 163 



p. 197.) Fronds from 5 or 6 inches to 2 feet long, borne on a 

 shortish, purplish-brown, scaly stipes, from a short tufted caudex : 

 they are long-lanceolate, broadly linear, or oblong strap-shaped, 

 entire or slightly wavy at the margin, and cordate at the base ; 

 the veins appear to spring from the midrib, forking two or three 

 times near the base, and running parallel to each other, send 

 venules to near the margin, where they terminate in little club- 

 shaped apices. Sori long and straight, set obliquely, growing two 

 together, at length running into each other, each one covered by 

 a narrow indusium, the two indusia opening towards each other 

 by parting down the middle of the twin sori. Spore-cases red- 

 dish-brown, numerous ; the fructification most abundant at the 

 upper part of the frond. The fronds of this Fern vary very much 

 in appearance, and frequently put on most fantastic shapes : many 

 of these abnormal forms are described as varieties, and Mr. Moore, 

 in his Handbook, gives some 60 of them under distinct Latin 

 names. I have this year found entire normally-shaped, crisped, 

 bifid and multifid fronds growing from one and the same caudex. 

 Very abundantly distributed throughout the whole district. P. 



CETERACH. SCALE-FEEN. 



" Lateral veins anastomosing, clusters attached to their middle 

 on the side next the midrib, except hi the lowest ; indusium (?) a 

 narrow nearly erect membrane on the back of the vein. Whole 

 back of the frond covered with chaffy scales." Sab. Man. p. 

 418. 



C. officinarum (common Scale-Fern) On old walls and 

 rocks. " Fronds coriaceous, narrow-lanceolate, sinuato-pinnati- 

 fid, often pinnate below ; segments oblong, obtuse, entire or sinu- 

 ately lobed, densely scaly beneath" (Moore, Handbook^ p. 213). 

 (Moore, Nat. Print. Ferns, t. 43 A. Sowerby, Ferns, t. 36. 

 Scolopendrium Ceterach, Sm. E. B. 1. 1244. Asplenium Ccterach, 

 Linn. Moore's Handbook, p. 214.) Caudex short, covered with 

 dark brown scales, and giving off fibrous roots ; stipes dark co- 

 loured below, very short, covered with broadly lanceolate scales. 

 Fronds from 1 to 8 or more inches long, dark green above, co- 

 vered entirely beneath with dense tawny scales, linear-lanceolate 

 and deeply pinnatifid ; the lobes are bluntly oblong, and are not 

 divided down to the rachis, but unite with each other at the base. 

 The venation is only to be distinguished at a very early stage of 

 the fructification : it consists of a wavy midvein giving oif lateral 

 veins, which are irregularly forked, and send anastomosing venules 

 which terminate near the margin. Sori oblong or linear, situated 



