600 87. FILICES. 
lobatum, it is conveniently treated here as the variety. Apart 
from aculeatwn there is now little confusion between lobatum and 
angulare in England; they are easily distinguished from each 
other, and can scarcely be confused if seen alive, mature, and full 
lengths ; though fragments in the dried state, especially from 
immature plants, may be difficult. P. aculeatum, with a rigid 
and perfectly evergreen frond like that of lobatum, still makes 
some approximation to anyulare in the cutting or divisions of the 
frond, especially of the pinnules ; and occasionally, when glued to 
paper in the herbarium, some specimens of it are not readily 
distinguished from the latter. Moreover, the name aculeatum 
is used for Smith’s angulare, by Milde and other continental 
botanists, as if the two ferns were absolutely identical; although 
in England we mean by it a different fern, one more closely akin 
to lobatum. The book localities for ‘“aculeatum” are divisible 
among the three; some few really going to angulare, more of them 
belonging to lobatum. I have seen no example of true angulare 
from Scotland; nor any which I should call aculeatum ; but both 
are included in the Clydesdale Flora, by Mr. Hennedy. A root of 
lobatum, brought from Glen Beg, in the Grampian mountains, in 
1844, has remained permanently different, by colour and form, as 
well as manner of growth, from the aculeatum of Surrey, growing 
by it in the garden for a quarter of a century; but 1 deem them 
too gradually united by intermediate forms from various localities, 
to be fairly separable as varietal segregates. Mr. Briggs sent me 
the aculeatum from Cornwall; and I have it from Northumber- 
land, sent by the late Mr. Storey. Briefly, aculeatum is that form 
of lobatum which comes nearest to angulare ; this latter being as 
distinct from lobatum, as an apple-tree is from a pear-tree. 
Lastrea (Filix mas) affinis, Newm. Hist. 
Provinces 12 3---7--101112--15. And others ? 
Syn. 1387. Mr. Newman figures single pinne of two extreme 
forms, to represent this variety and the other which he calls 
Borreri. Two extremes serve well to illustrate the range of 
variation; but Mr. Newman himself admits the occurrence of 
“connecting links” between them. In truth, anybody may find 
almost any number of such links; some of them so evenly mid- 
way between the extremes, as to render it optional which varietal 
name to bestow upon them ; — or, more correctly, to render both 
names alike non-applicable to them. 
Lastrea (Filia mas) Borreri, Newm. Hist. 
Provinces all? See the preceding. 
Syn. 1887. The “Filic mas” is usually represented by the 
fronds which in texture and cutting are more or less middle inter- 
mediates betwveen this and the preceding extreme. 
