144 ASPIDIUM TRIANGUI.TI^r, A'AU. 1, \\UT\[. 



Aspidium— The Shield Fern. Tz-zan^'aZHm— Triangular. 

 Var. laxum — Lax variety. 



In the Section Polystichum of Authors. 



An exceedingly handsome, stove, very scaly Fern, introduced 

 into this- country in 1859, from spores, by Mr. Sim, of 

 Foot's Cray, from Jamaica. 



The habit is pretty, and tufted. The fronds are narrow, 

 linear, with small, sharp-pointed, triangular, or subtrapeziform 

 pinncT, and having a few large, spiny, recurved segments at 

 the base. 



It resembles Polystichum triangulum, but has more divided 

 fronds. 



Crown erect, stout, and fawny-scaled. 



Sparingly proliferous. 



Length of frond from fifteen to eighteen inches. Colour 

 rich green. Width in widest part an inch. 



The normal form of this Fern is figured on Plate XXXI — 

 B, Vol. VI, of my "Natural History of Ferns," under the 

 name of Aspidium mucronatum, Swartz. 



For fronds my thanks are due to Mr. R. Sim, of Foot's 

 Cray, Kent. 



