FILICES. 631 



England, but said to occur also in western England and Ireland. Fr. sum- 

 mer and autumn. Some botanists are of opinion that this and the two 

 preceding species are but varieties of the male S., into which they certainly 

 appear (when seen growing in profusion) to pass, through numerous inter- 

 mediate forms. 



VIII. SFIiEENVtrORT. ASPLENIUM. 



Fronds (in the British species) once, twice, or tlirice pinnate or forked, 

 usually rather stiff, though slender, and often small. Sori oblong or linear, 

 on the under sui'face, usually diverging from near the centre of the seg- 

 ments, covered when young by a membrane or indusium, which opens out- 

 wards, being attached lengthwise along the outer side. 



Widely dispersed over the globe, and one of the most natural among the 

 large genera of Ferns, for although a few of the larger species are scarcely 

 to be distinguished from some species of Aspidium and Polypody, except 

 by the sori, the great majority have a pecuUar, dark green, smooth appear- 

 ance, which makes them easy to recognize. 



Fronds twice or fhrice pinnatej with numerous primary pinnas, the 

 loudest or several lower pairs decreasing in size. 

 Frond 3 or 3 feet high, the longer pinnas 3 to 6 inclies or more . . 1. Ladi/ S. 

 Frond not a foot high, the longer pinnus seldom 1^ inches. 



Broadest part of the frond above the middle. Ultimate seg- 

 ments 1 to H lines long 2. Socle S. 



Broadest part below the middle. Ultimate segments broad, 2 t o 



3 lines long 3. Lanceolate S. 



Fronds once pinnate^ with numerous segments, the lower pairs deci'eas- 

 ing in size. 

 Segments thick, ovate or lanceolate, ^ to 1 inch long or more . . 4. Sea S. 



Segments thin, ovate or orbicular, under 5 lines long 5. Maidenhair S. 



Fronds more or less divided, the lowest pinnas larger, on longer stalks, 

 or more divided than the others. 

 Frond 6 inches to a foot, shining green, with ntrmeroua lanceolate 



pinnas and sessile segments 6. BlacJc S. 



Frond 3 or 4 inches, with few small, stalked segments. 



Segments obovate 7. Wallrue 8. 



Segments narrow-oblong 8. Alternate S. 



Segments hnear 9. Forked S. 



1. Iiady Spleenwort. Aspleniam FiUx-foemina, Eemh. 

 {Aspidium, Eng. Bot. 1. 1459, not good. AtJiyrium, Bab. Man. Lady Fern.) 



A most elegant Fern, with the short, woody rootstock and circular tuft of 

 fronds of the male SMeldfern, but more divided, the stalk less scaly, and 

 the sori different. Fronds usually 2 to 3 feet high, broadly lanceolate, twice 

 pinnate, the lower pairs of pinnas decreasing in size, the segments oblong- 

 lanceolate and pinnatifid, with pointed teeth. Sori shortly oblong, diverg- 

 ing from the centre of the segments, with the indusium attached along one 

 side as in other Spleenworts, but shorter, and the lower ones of each seg- 

 ment often shghtly kidney-shaped, showing some approach to those of the 

 Shieldferns. 



In moist, sheltered woods, hedge-banks, and ravines, thi'oughout Europe 

 and central and northern Asia, from the Mediterranean to the Arctic 

 regions, and in northern and central America. Abundant in Britain. 

 Fr. summer and autumn. It varies much in size, and in the degree of 

 division of its fronds, and between 30 and 40 forms have received names as 

 varieties. 



