166 



LLOYD S FERN. 



pinna being nearly vertical to that of the general frond, which 

 is not the case in L. spinosa. But I have seen precisely the 

 same condition in L. mviltiflora (concurrent with other modifi- 

 cations) in boggy soil, under particular circumstances.' " — Cyb. 

 Brit. iii. 266. And the learned author of the ' Cybele,' when 

 treating of L. uliginosum, adds : — " Perhaps the suggestion of 

 Mr. Hort, before quoted under L. cristata, may be the true 

 solution of the difficulty, by re-combining the three into one 

 species." — Id. 369. 



We have seen by the quotation from Doll, that this fern 

 occurs in Rhenish Prussia : I possess no other record of its 

 occurrence on the continent. 



In Britain it occurs only in exposed marshy situations, or on 

 moist heaths. Wybunbury bogs, Cheshire ; Oxton bogs, Not- 

 tinghamshire ; Bawsey Heath, Norfolk ; Epping Forest, Essex. 

 I have received fronds from all these stations, through the kiud- 

 ness of the Rev. Mr. Pinder, Mr. Lloyd, and Mr. Doubleday. 



(Of Mr. Lloyd's original plant). Caudex tufted. The fertile 

 fronds are arranged shuttlecock-fashion, spreading from a com- 

 mon centre ; in form they are linear, elongate-acuminate at 

 the apex, 80 inches long, 5 inches wide ; pinnate : vernation 

 simple, not twisted : the stipes is 9 inches in length, and, to- 

 gether with the rachis, is deeply grooved in front, flattened at 

 the sides, rounded behind, glabrous, bright green above, purple 

 at the base, slightly tinged with purple at the back : the scales 

 are somewhat sparingly distributed, obtusely ovate, with a 

 lengthened acute apex, which is generally twisted, and which 

 terminates in a setaceous point; pale brown, transparent, conco- 

 lorous : these larger scales are intermixed with others very slen- 

 der and hair-like : all the scales readily fall off, and leave small 

 black scars on the stipes. Pinnae elongate- deltoid, with acu- 

 minate deflexed apices and a winged midrib ; the first, second. 



