418 BRITISH FERNS 



the whole of the divided or multilobed varieties will drop into their 

 places very naturally. 



It may be said that this arrangement makes no provision for the 

 plumose forms, which are certainly divided forms, but Mr. Padley's 

 suggestion that plumosum is but the plumose form of decompositum 

 well deserves consideration — and it will probably be found that 

 between plumosum and the higher forms of decompositum there is 

 room for all the forms generally known as sub-plumose and foliose, 

 and such as struthio, Parsonsii {Moore), and others. 



No doubt the plumose class have other characters, so distinct as 

 to entitle them to a place of their own in any system of classification. 

 No more is attempted here than to draw attention to Mr. Padley's 

 views regarding their relationship to the decomposite forms, and to 

 point out that if these views be sound (and there is much to recom- 

 mend them) the whole of the divided forms may be very easily and 

 naturally connected. 



The expression " gentle blood " has been used here more than 

 once as expressive of that look of quality which seems to dis- 

 tinguish the finely-divided forms of angulare from all others. For 

 whoever has once seen a real acutilobe or divisilobe — well grown, — 

 half or two-thirds unfolded, with its wealth of feathery foliage 

 spreading from a centre, — so finely cut and yet so evenly crowded 

 together, the dark green of the unfolded part contrasting charm- 

 ingly with the clear white of the curled-up heads of the fronds that 

 turn gracefully back, crozierlike, — with the tips of the pinnae still 

 folded up, and standing out like rows of little frosted-silver balls 

 along the outer edge of the frond, — and the rich, thick, fox-coloured 

 scales that cover the stem, running right up the centre of the frond 

 like a bit of sable fur, — and the fine, hair-like spines standing out 

 from it everywhere, for the dew to rest on or the sun to shine 

 upon ; — whoever has once seen this mixture of form, detail, and 

 colour can hardly help regarding it ever afterwards as distinct 

 from other Polystichums. And it isn't cultivation only that does it, 

 for often has the eye of the fortunate angulare hunter been struck 

 by a similar contrast, — as, for instance, when Mr. Wollaston came 

 face to face with No. LXXVI, or when Mr. Wills (with that magical 

 hooked stick of his) uncovered his Sidbury divisilobe from the 

 common leaves that hid it ; — there they stood out, distinct among 

 their fellows, just like bits of china among earthenware, — clearly 

 enough Nature's gentlemen, — and we may be sure that it takes 



