24 PERNS OP GREAT BRITAIN. 



call this fern Le Polypode ; tlie Germans, Der Tipfel- 

 farren. It is the Boomvaren of the Dutch, the Polepodio 

 of the Spaniard and Italian, and is known in Russia by 

 the name of Osokor. 



2. P. Pheffopteris (Beech Fern). — Fronds pinnate, 

 the pinnae united at the base and pinnatifid, the lowest 

 pair turned downwards, and all the rest upwards ; 

 fructification marginal. This very beautiful plant is 

 called, also. Sun Fern and Mountain Fern. It has a 

 preference for mountainous locahties, where it often 

 occurs at a great elevation, and it grows also in shady 

 rocky woods. Though a local plant, it is often abundant 

 on particular spots. It is more frequent in Scotland 

 than in England, and is rare in Ireland. It is found in 

 the northern, western, and southern counties of England,-, 

 but is unknown in the midland and some of the eastern 

 counties. It flourishes particularly near waterfalls; 

 by the Falls of Lodore, celebrated both for their pic- 

 turesque beauty, and for the singular rhymes which 

 Southey composed on their rushing waters, this fern 

 is one of the most graceful and lovely objects, springing 

 up from among the rich green mosses which surround it, 

 and its pale green hairy fronds sometimes ghstening 

 with drops of the spray dashed from the fall. It is a 

 common fern in Cumberland, growing on the very sum- 

 mits of some of the mountains. It has no just claim to 

 its common name of Beech Fern ; for, though found in 

 moist, wooded places, it does not hang from the branches 

 of that noble tree, but its brown root-stocks creep over 

 the damp rock, or among the scattered leaves. The 

 frond rises in May, and may be found in fructification 



