lOi 



LLOYD s rEE>;. 



doubly pinnate, pinnatifid ; pinnte approximate, the inferior 

 ones a little shorter than the following ; teeth of the leaflets 

 rather short, sharp-pointed, appressed. — Growing in the bog at 

 Freiburg, in company with A. cristatum," [Lophodium Calli- 

 pteris of this work.] 



The next notice of this fern, and the first of its occurrence 

 in England, is from my own j)en ; and, by a strange omission, 

 subsequently amended by myself, no allusion whatever is made 

 to the earlier description I have just cited. I proceed to quote 

 from the ' Phytologist.' 



" In describing Lastrea spinosa, I have said ' This fern is 

 closely allied to the preceding [Callipteris], and so much do 

 they resemble each other, that I have found it next to impos- 

 sible to fix on satisfactory diagnostics whereby to distinguish 

 them.' In fact, in the S]3lendid series of L. Callipteris received 

 by the Botanical Society from Bawsey Heath, there were spe- 

 cimens which I found myself unable to refer with confidence to 

 either species. About the same time I received from the Eev. 

 Geo. Pinder, specimens of a very singular fern from Wybun- 

 bury bog, in Cheshke ; these I referred, without much hesita- 

 tion, to L. spinosum : the Cheshire and Norfolk specimens 

 were so exceedingly dissimilar in general appearance, that it 

 never occurred to me to compare them together with a view of 

 ascertaining whether they possessed any characters in common. 



" Early in August last, Mr. Lloyd, a gardener who has paid 

 great attention to the British ferns, brought me a plant, well 

 established in a pot, of a fern which he considered new to Bri- 

 tain : he had previously shown it to several eminent botanists, 

 and especially those who have paid attention to ferns : others 

 have seen it since it has been in my possession, and although 

 I refrain from giving the names of six gentlemen who have 

 expressed opinions, however confidently, yet not intended for 

 publication, I may perhaps be allowed to record the opinions 

 without the names. I should premise that the plant is in per- 

 fect vigour, in full fructification, and without any symptom of 

 disease or malformation : these six gentlemen have pronounced 

 it — 



" 1. A form of Filix-mas. 



" -2. Lastrea rigida. 



" 0. Lastrea cristata. 



