HEMESTHEUH THELYPTEHIS. 127 



what is called the " forest district : '' Alboume and Amberley are recorded 

 as stations on the authority of Mr. Borrer ; Tunbridge Wells, on that of 

 Mr. Jenner (and since verified by myself) ; Waterdown Forest, on that of 

 Mr. Pamplia ; and Ore, near Hastings, by Mr. Woods : I have seen spe- 

 cimens from all the Sussex stations. In Hampshire, it occurs in a single 

 station called Freshwater Gate, in the Isle of Wight, where, I believe, it 

 was discovered by the late truly estimable Dr. Bromfield; and also "in 

 one small spot near the city of Winchester,'' (Mr. R. Smith, in Phytol. iv. 

 376). In Somersetshire, my friend, Mr. Thomas Clark, has observed it 

 covering thousands of acres on Turf Moor, between Bridgewater and Glas- 

 tonbury ; Mr. T. B. Flower gives similar information ; and Mr. T. West- 

 combe also found it in abundance on Turf Moor, near Street, in this coun- 

 ty : aU these records probably refer to one locality. 



In Wales, it is recorded for three counties : — Llanberis, in Caernarvon- 

 shire ; Llwydiard lake, Pentraith, in Anglesea ; and Cwmbola and Sketty 

 bogs in Glamorganshire. I have not seen the specimens. 



In Ireland it seems equally uncommon. Through the kindness of the 

 late Mr. W. Thompson, I have received the following extract from the MSS. 

 of the late Mr. Templeton respecting this fern : — " Plentiful among woods 

 and bushes in the low part of Portmore Park, on the side of Lough Neath, 

 county Antrim." Mr. Moore informs me he has subsequently found it on 

 the same spot. " Near Lough Carra, county Mayo," Mr. J. Ball. " A 

 marsh near Mucruss," Mr. Mackay. Captain Jones informs me he subse- 

 quently found it at this station, but several botanists have lately sought di- 

 ligently without success. 



The radicles are black and fibrous ; the caudex a slender 

 but very tough rhizome, black, and rapidly creeping. The 

 fronds are of two kinds, barren and fertile ; the barren appear 

 in May, the fertile in July : the pinnules of the young frond 

 stand out at right angles with the rachis. The stipes of the 

 barren frond is long, smooth, and erect ; the frond lanceolate 

 and pinnate : the lowermost pinnae are rather shorter than the 

 second, third, or fourth pairs, stiU not materially shorter, and 

 always situate a long distance from the base of the stipes : the 

 pinnse ai'e generally nearly opposite, distant, linear, slightly 

 drooping, and pinnatifid ; the pinnules crowded, adnate, entire 

 and rounded at the extremity : the habit is slender, delicate. 



