68 ASPIDTUM ANGULAHE. 



Ireland. Rare in Scotland. It is known as the "Soft Prickly 

 Shield Fern." 



A hardy species, easily cultivated. 



Closely allied to Aspidium aculeatwn, but having characters 

 sufficiently distinct to keep them divided. 



Found in Sweden, Norway, Scotland, Ireland, England, 

 Wales, Jersey, Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Greece, 

 Coast of the Black Sea, Asia, India, Madeira, Canary Islands, 

 Azores, Abyssinia, African Coast of the Mediterranean, Natal, 

 United States, Sitka, Guatemala, Mexico, Caraccas, and New 

 Granada. 



Fronds bipinnate or tripinnate, with numerous nearly linear 

 pinnee, broadest at the base, and tapering gradually to the 

 apex; alternate. Pinnules ovate-falcate, with an anterior auricle, 

 serrated deeply on the margins. Beneath the pinnules there 

 are hair-like scales. Yeins two or three times branched. 



Length of frond from two to five feet; width from seven to 

 ten inches; brilliant green above, paler beneath. 



Fronds spreading, and arranged in a circlet around the 

 crown. 



Stipes from four to eight inches long, densely scaly. Rachis 

 prominent, slightly channeled above, and rounded beneath, and 

 covered with hair-like scales. 



Sori small, numerous, circular, indusiate, occupying the upper 

 two-thirds of the frond. Indusium orbicular, membranaceous. 



There are many varieties of A. angulare. The following are 

 enumerated in Mr. Moore's excellent work, "The Nature- 

 printed Ferns:" — 



1. — Hastulatum, Moore. Found near St. Martha's Hill, 

 Surrey. It is known by the small size of the acute pinnules, 

 and their distinct and slender footstalks. 



2. — Acutum, Wollaston. Found in Sussex and Hampshire. 

 Pinnules rather longer than in Hastulatum, narrow, falcate, and 

 strongly auricled. It approaches the normal form of ^. aculeatum. 



3. — Aristatum, Wollaston. Found in Sussex by Mr. Wol- 

 laston. The points of the serratures are aristate, and the long 

 hair-like points give the plant a bristly appearance. It bears 

 bulbils on the stipes. 



4. — MuUiJidum, Wollaston. Apex of frond tufted, and the 

 pinnae sometimes divided. 



