58 OAK FEEX. 



Lastrea Dryopteris, Bory, Diet. Class. d'Hist. Nat. ix. 232 ; 

 Netvm. N.A. 15, F. 13. 



Polypodium ? Dryopteris, Bab. 409. 



Gymnocarpium Dryopteris, Newm. Phytol. iv. 371, App. xxiv. 



The name of " oak fern," derived from "Drj'opteris," appears 

 as inapplicable to this species as that of " beech fern " to the 

 one last described, and is adopted in deference to the opinions 

 of others. The scientific name of Polypodium Dryopteris has 

 been employed by all authors of repute, except two : — Eoth, 

 who describes it as having an involucre nearly similar to that 

 which he assigns to Gymnocarpium Phegopteris, and who con- 

 sequently refers it to his genus Polystichum ; and Bory, who 

 refers it to his genus Lastrea, as already explained under G. 

 Phegopteris. 



The figures of this fern, like those of the one last described, 

 are less characteristic than its remarkable form would lead us 

 to expect : those in Bolton's ' Filices ' and ' English Botany ' 

 are better than most ; but that in Mr. Francis's ' Analysis ' is 

 incorrect as regards outline and position, the trij)le character of 

 the frond not being well expressed : that in ' Flora Danica ' is 

 also bad, and is supposed by some subsequent authors to have 

 been intended for the Lophodium multiflorum of this work. 



The geographical range of this species is very extensive. It 

 is recorded as a native of every country of Europe, except 

 Greece and Turkey, ranging from the North Cape to the rocks 

 of Gibraltar. It is to be regretted that Ledebour, whose admi- 

 rable summary of habitats adds so largely to our knowledge of 

 the geographical distribution of European plants, should have 

 united Dryopteris, Kobertianum, and a third but still more dis- 

 tinct form, the Polypodium disjunctum of Euprecht (in Beitr. 

 z. Pflanzenk. d. Russ. iii. 52), under the one specific name of 

 Dryopteris : I say regretted, not that I wish to j)ass any criti- 

 cism on the mere fact of this union, but that a vast number of 

 habitats are thus lost to those who consider the species distinct, 

 as they cannot be cited with any certainty, the habitats being 

 assigned exclusively to Dryopteris, although that name confess- 



