634 THE FEEN FAMILY. 



surface except the narrow pointed extremity. Some fronds have but a 

 single entire or 3-lobed terminal segment, and a few have 3 distinct seg- 

 ments. 



On rocks and old walls, in the mountainous districts of the greater part of 

 Europe and central and Russian Asia, from Spain to Scandinavia, and in 

 the mountains of North America. In Britain, in several of the western and 

 northern counties of England and in southern Scotland, but not in Ireland. 

 Fi\ Slimmer and autu/mn. 



IX. HART'S-TONGUE:. SCOLOPENDRIUM. 



Fronds entire or lobed, with linear diverging sori as in Spleenwort, but 

 the indusium is attached along both sides, opening in two valves by a longi- 

 tudinal fissm-e along the centre. 



The few species associated with our British one are from the tropics or 

 the Mediterranean region. 



1. Common Hsirf s-tongue. Scolopendrium vulgare, Sm. 



(Eug. Bot. t. 1150.) 



Fronds tufted, undivided (except m monstrous forms), broadly Hnear or 

 narrow-oblong, cordate at the base, with rounded auricles, usually about a 

 foot long and 1^ to 2 inches in the broadest part, of a firm consistence, 

 smooth and shining on the upper surface, with a brown or greenish foot- 

 stalk of about 2 to 4 or 5 inches. Sori numerous and parallel, in 2 rows, 

 one on each side of the midrib, usually of very different lengths, but never 

 reaching either to the midrib or to the edge of the frond. 



On shady banks, rocks and walls, in ravines, etc., in temperate and 

 southern Europe and west-central Asia, extending from the Mediterranean 

 to the Baltic. Common in Britain. Fr. the tvhole season. It varies much 

 in size, sometimes not 6 inches and occasionally attaining near 2 feet, and 

 in the fantastic forms assumed by the barren fronds when monstrous, espe- 

 cially under cultivation. No less than 58 of these forms are enumerated 

 under Latin names in Moore's Handbook. 



X. CETERACH. CETERACH. 



Fronds pinnatifid or pmnate. Sori Hnear and diverging as in Spleenwort, 

 but without any distinct indusium, and usually almost concealed under the 

 scales of the under surface of the frond. 



The genus is nosv l i mi ted to the Em-opean species and a second larger one 

 from the Canary Islands. 



1. Scaly Ceterach. Ceterach officinaram, Willd. 

 (Scolopendrium Ceterach, Eng. Bot. t. 1244.) 

 Fronds tufted, spreading, about 2 to 6 inches long, deeply pinnatifid or 

 pinnate, with broadly oblong or rounded lobes or segments attached by their 

 broad base, green and glabrous on the upper side, but the under side thickly 

 covered with brown soarious scales, which completely conceal the sori until 

 they become very old. 



On rocks and old walls, in central and southern Europe and west central 



