FERN GROWING 5 



Sir W. J. Hooker has thought otherwise, the author thinks 

 correctly. 



In " Our Native Ferns," Loinaria Spicant was adopted in 

 preference to Blechnum Spicant, although Moore, and more 

 recently Druery, have placed this Fern amongst the Blech- 

 nums. The sori in Lomaria are marginal, whilst in Blech- 

 num they are inter-marginal ; but we have in Lomaria con- 

 tracted fertile fronds, i.e., distinct from the Blechmtm, which 

 has only one kind of frond. The spreading or prostrate sterile 

 fronds and the erect fertile ones are a marked feature, so much 

 so that it seems preferable to follow Desvaux, Presl, Link, 

 Hooker, Fee, and others in considering our British species 

 Lomaria, to following an equal number of botanists who have 

 included it amongst Blechnum. 



With regard to the Asplenium Ceterach, which in " Our 

 Native Ferns " the author had followed Moore in calling Cete- 

 rach officinarum, even Mr. Moore considered there was a 

 very near relationship to Asplenium, though differing in the 

 indusium being obsolete, or only represented by a narrow 

 membranous ridge. In the extra-developed fronds of some 

 of the varieties found in County Clare, there is a very close 

 approach to the indusium of Asplenium, and therefore the 

 original name of Linneus has now been adopted. 



Asplenium Filix-foemina has been variously placed by our 

 best botanists. Roth, Presl, Fee, Babington, and Bory con- 

 sidered it an Athyrium; Bernhardt, Sprengel, R. Brown, 

 Koch, Hooker, Bentham, Kunze, Mettenius, Milde, and 

 Link, an Asplenium ; Linnseus, Bolton, Weis, Hoffmann, and 

 Bory, a Polypodium; Swartz, Schkuhr, Weber, Mohr, Will- 

 denow, and Smith, an Aspidium. The sorus of Asplenium is 

 linear ; in Athyrium it is shorter and curved, though varying 

 and approaching that of Asplenium. To me the deciduous 

 character of the fronds, their greater size, and more deltoid 

 character are greater differences than that of the sori ; but if we 



