94 Dickie's pern. 



Cystopteris Dickieana, Sim, Gard. Journ. p. 308 ; Newm. 

 Phytol. Afp. xxyi. 



Mr. Babington makes a second species of Cystopteris, under 

 the name of dentata, and places Dickieana as a variety thereof; 

 (Man. 412). Sir W. J. Hooker gives dentata as a variety of 

 fragilis, and angustata of Smith as a mere synonyme of that 

 variety; he makes no mention of Dickieana : (Sp. Fil. i. 198). 

 Mr. Watson heads his first species of Cystopteris thus : — 



" 1379. Cystopteris fragilis, Bernh. 

 1379, b. Cystopteris dentata, Hook. 

 1379, c. Cystopteris angustata, ' Sm.' 



Cystopteris Dickieana (Sim.) Neivm." 

 Mr. W. correctly adding, " opinions differ much as to whether 

 one species only, or several species are included under the 

 above quoted names : " (Cyb. Brit. iii. 258). The authors of 

 the ' London Catalogue ' give b. dentata as a variety of fragilis, 

 and do not mention Dickieana or angustata. Lastly, Mr. 

 Moore says, " I am inclined to think C. dentata to be suffi- 

 ciently distinct to take rank as a species, and to look upon C. 

 Dickieana as an extreme form of it; " (p. 77) : but he gives 

 only two species of Cystopteris, fragilis and montana; thus 

 appearing, in the same breath, to express and renounce an 

 opinion. My own judgment, improved, but by no means ma- 

 tured, by the observations of sixteen years, regards dentata 

 as a nonentity, angustata as a synonyme of that nonentity, and 

 Dickieana as a possible, but by no means established, species. 



t 



Scotland. — This fern is known to botanists from a single locality only, 

 a sea cave near Aberdeen, where it was found by Dr. Dickie, who has 

 kindly supplied me with wUd specimens. The three large fronds repre- 

 sented at page 93 are from this station, and not from a cultivated root. 



