156 SCOLOPENDRIUM VULGARE. 



Exceedingly common in England, Scotland, and Ireland. 



Found also in the Orkney and Shetland Islands, the Chan- 

 nel Islands, throughout Europe, Greece, Italy, Spain, Algiers, 

 in the Azores, Madeira, Persia, Asia Minor, and the United 

 States. 



Known in England as the Common Hart's-tongue Fern. 



Fronds simple, glabrous, and broadly linear, with an attenu- 

 ated apex and a cordate base; margin entire. Stipes and rachis 

 scaly. Terminal; adherent to a somewhat creeping rhizoma. 



Yeins forked; venules free, terminating in club-shaped apices. 

 Caudex short and stout. Stipes covered with membranous 

 scales. 



Sori linear and indusiate. 



Length from six to twenty-four inches ; colour bright green. 



Some of the varieties are exceedingly handsome. To Mr. 

 Moore we are greatly indebted for giving to the public so 

 interesting a Catalogue of the forms of Scolopendrium vulgare. 

 From his account the following are extracted : — 



1. — Polyschides. Fronds narrower, margin deeply crenately- 

 lobed, and sori short: found in the West of England. 



2. — Cornutum. The apex in the form of a hook: found in 

 Yorkshire. 



3. — Marginatum. Having a lobed margin below the frond 

 as well as above: Found in the West of England. Very 

 distinct. 



4. — Crispum. A frilled form. Very distinct, and mostly 

 barren. 



5. — Multifidum. Multifid near the apex. 



6. — Ramosum. Multifid, dwarf, and the stem below the 

 leafy portion of the frond branched. 



7. — Laceratum. Very variable, profoundly irregularly-lobed, 

 apex dilated, multifid, and crisped. Found at Taunton, by 

 Mr. Young. 



8. — Macrosorum. j 15. — Rimosum. 



9. — Fissum. l6.-^Inops. 



10. — Ohtusidentatum. 

 1 1 . — Crenato-lohatum, 

 12. — Resectum. 

 13. — Sinuatwn. 

 14. — Incequale. 



1 7 . — Irregular e . 

 18. — Spirale. 

 19. — Compositum. 

 20. — Nudicaule. 

 2 1 . — Ahr upturn . 



