POLYPODIUM. — ASP7DIUM. 247 



ACOTYLEDONES. 

 I. FiLicES = ;ljftvni. 



1. PoL\PODiUM VULGARE. Polypody. Common in rocky aud 

 stony spots in deans and moors, on the shaded side of old moss-grown 

 dikes, on picturesque ledges and detached rocks by burns and linns, 

 and at and on the roots of old trees. In thickly wooded deans this 

 fern may be occasionally seen climbing the mossy trunk of some 

 decaying tree to the height of 20 feet and more ; and again it may be 

 seen, indifferent to the exposure, covering in dark green patches the 

 face of a moss-grown rock that fronts our stormy sea. It is very 

 elegant everywhere, and not least so in the last localities, such as we 

 have them below the Pigeon's Cove. The green of the fronds is 

 darkest in the first months of winter. 



2. P. PHEGOPTERis = Lastrea phegopteris. " By mountain rills 

 and waterfalls," rare. N. On shaded rocks by the burn below 

 Langley-ford. — B. Base of Cockburn Law, Dr. Hood. In Blackburn- 

 rigg dean, confined to the north exposure, but abundant, J. Hardy. 

 It occurs, however, only in one place, where it grows intermingled 

 with P. dryopteris and vulgare, other fine ferns, the wood-rush, with 

 arching briers and roses ; and I would not give a snap of my finger 

 for the botanist who would not leap for joy at the sight of such an 

 enchanting group. The bank is very steep, and, if not a little 

 careful, you may, perhaps, topple into the little brattling burn 

 underneath. 



3. P. DRYOPTERis=Lastrea dryopteris. This, the most beautiful, 

 and the most delicate of our ferns, grows in many of our rocky and 

 heathery deans, and on shaded rocks by our burn sides ; and where- 

 ever it grows it is abundant. B. In Edmond's dean ; in the deans 

 of Penmanshiel, Birchy-bank, Kitchen-cleugh, and Blackhurn-rigg, 

 almost always on their northern exposures. Banks of the Whiteadder 

 between the Retreat and Elmford ; and of the Dye above Long- 

 formacus. Lamington dean, G. Henderson. — N. Sides of the burn 

 below Langley-ford : Yevering Bell, &c. 



4. AspiDiuM ACULEATXJM, Sm. Bot. Gazcttc, i. 38.=Polystichum 

 aculeatum. In deans, but of rare occurrence. I have specimens 

 from Dunglass dean; and Mr. Hardy finds it sparingly in Ked-Clues 

 cleugh. (R. In the beautiful dean at Linthaughlee.) 



5. A. LOBATUM = A. aculeatum, Moug. and Nest. Stirp. Crypt, 

 iii. no. 206. Bot. Gazette, i. 10. — Common "under ebon shades 

 and low-brow'd rocks " in deans, and sometimes in hedge bottoms. 

 Small specimens sometimes stimulate Asp. lonchitis. Such I have 

 found on the wall which bounds the road above the Pease-bridge. 



6. A. ANGULARE = Polystichum angulare. See Arnott in Edin. 

 Journ. Nat. and Geogr, Sc. ii. 243. Fries Sum. Scand. i. 252. — B. 

 In Dunglass and the Tower deans ; and very abundant in the Pease- 



