POLYPODIUM. 97 



was brought from Canlochen Glen, in Forfarshire. It has more recently been 

 found in Perthshire, in Aberdeenshire, and in one or two other places in the 

 Scottish Highlands, where it grows in quantity. Lowe, in his exhaustive 

 work, "Our Native Ferns" (vol. i., p. 13), states: "In 1852 Mr. T. 

 Westcombe and Mr. Backhouse, of York, procured it in great abundance in 

 Canlochen, Glen Prosen, Glen Fiadh, and on all the Dee-side mountains. Mr. 

 Backhouse remarks that at an elevation of from 2000ft. to 3000ft. this Fern 

 was found mingled with the Lady Fern ; above this height the Lady Fern 

 ceased, and left the Alpine Polypody in sole possession, flourishing most in 

 the more open situations." Referring to the Alpine Polypody, Eaton, in his 

 excellent work, "Ferns of North America" (vol. i., p. 172), says: "It grows 

 in a limited locality, so far as I know, near the summit of Mount Rose, near 

 Webber Lake, and, say, at an elevation of 7000ft., latitude 39Jdeg. N." He 

 also states that it is found growing amongst rocks at high elevations on 

 Lessen's Peak, Mount Shasta, Pyramid Peak, Mount Rose, and other points 

 in the Sierra of California ; and on the Cascade Mountains of British 

 Columbia. It is therefore thoroughly hardy, and grows readily in a well- 

 drained, loamy, porous compost. 



P. alpestre is a pretty, dehcate-looking Fern. Its oblong-spear-shaped 

 fronds, 2ft. or more in length, 6in. to Sin. broad, and borne on tufted stalks 

 4in. to Gin. long and scaly below, are disposed in circular tufts at the ends 

 of the rootstocks on which they are produced, and which in a wild state 

 are completely underground and much branched. The spear-shaped leaflets, 

 of a soft, papery texture, oin. to 4in. long, and lin. to liin. broad, are 

 again divided into spear-shaped leafits, which are in their turn deeply cleft 

 into toothed lobes, each bearing from one to four small spore masses.— 

 Hooker, British Ferns, t. 6. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, iii., p. 187. 

 Lowe, Our Native Ferns, i., t. 2. Eaton, Ferns of North America, i., t. 23. 



This interesting species has produced, either spontaneously or through 

 cultivation, several varieties, the most distinct of which are as follow : 



P. a. flexile— flex'-il-e (pliable), Moore. 



_We have in this variety, which is said to occur only on the Clova 

 Mountains, where it was found in Glen Prosen by Mr. Backhouse, a very 

 handsome and distinct form of the species, with fronds Sin. to 12in. long, 



H 

 VOL. III. 



