CRYPTOGAMIA— FILICES. Scolopendrium, 313 



Perennial. June — September. 



A most elegant little Fern, with a large tufted black root, of many 

 long smooth fibres, the crown slightly scaly. Fronds severalj 

 erect, from two to six inches high, very smooth, of a light, some- 

 what glaucous, green, linear-lanceolate, narrow, taper-pointed, 

 of a firm texture, doubly and copiously pinnate ; leaves alter- 

 nate, broadest at their base, pinnate, or in the smaller specimens 

 pinnatifid ; leaflets, or lobes, obovate, with from two to four 

 deep, broad, sharp, spreading, partially spinous, teeth, or lobes, 

 so as to be in some measure palmate ; their veins branching. 

 General and partial stalks all equally winged throughout ; the 

 former bearing a few narrow pointed scales at the very bottom 

 only. Masses mostly solitary on the ultimate lobes or leaflets, 

 short, roundish-oblong. Cover oblong, firm, white, durable, 

 broad at the base, originating from the midrib of the lobe, or 

 incomplete leaflet, separating towards the next principal rib, 

 and not towards the margin. Capsules numerous, prominent, 

 of a rusty brown. 



There is certainly a very strict relationship between this Fern and 

 the last, both belonging to the genus Asplenium on account of 

 the oblong shape of the cover, attached by its broad base to the 

 midrib of some leaflet or lobe, and remaining unaltered in shape, 

 as well as insertion. Whereas the cover of every Aspidium, 

 though sometimes oblong at first, soon becomes lunate, or even 

 orbicular, attached by a small or narrow point only, of which 

 Aspidium Filix fcemina is the most remarkable example. On this 

 subject, though long misled by the vague ideas of others, I have 

 endeavoured at last to be correct. The intelligent reader will 

 be able to trace my errors, and if any yet remain, will perhaps 

 still further correct me. Professor Willdenow, though by far 

 the best botanist in this department, appears to have made some 

 mistakes, nor can I discern the grounds on which his Aspidium 

 Halleri is separated from the fontanum, unless by the latter he 

 understood our Woodsia hyperhorea, as I once, but erroneously, 

 supposed Swartz had done. 



The naxae fontanum, taken from Tabernsemontanus, is perhaps not 

 very suitable to this species, which, though it grows in shady 

 spots, does not appear to be stationed near fountains or rivu- 

 lets ; nor may the synonym of that old writer be absolutely cer- 

 tain, though his figure is not unlike. Of the synonyms of Tourne- 

 fort and Haller there is no doubt, and whatever may be thought of 

 its genus, I tmst this species can never hereafter be mistaken. 



467. SCOLOPENDRIUM. Hart's-tongue. 



Sm. Act. Taurin. v. 5. 410. t. 9./. 2. Tracts 236. t. \.f. 2. Fl. 



Br. 1 1 33. Sw. Syn Fil. 89 Willd. Sp. PI. v. 5. 348. Spreng. 



Crypt. f. 2b. 

 Ceterach. Willd. Sp. PI. v. 5 . 136. 



