1046 



THE FERN FAMILY. 



frond much narrower, the segments much 

 broader and much less divided. Sori 

 large, with conspicuous indusiums as in 

 the male S. 



In moist or boggy places, in tempe- 

 rate Europe and western Asia, from the 

 Pyrenees and northern Italy to Scandi- 

 navia, and in North America, but not ge- 

 nerally common. In Britain, very local, 

 but has been found in Norfolk and Suf- 

 folk, Nottingham shire and Cheshire, and 

 in North Wales. Fr. summer and au- 

 tumn. Some specimens appear almost 

 to connect it with the male S., whilst 

 others are difficult to distinguish from 

 the broad S. 



Fig. 1272. 



7. Broad Shieldfern. Aspidmm spinulosum, Sw. 

 (Fig. 1273.) 



(Eng. Bot. 1. 1460. A. dilatatum, 1. 1461. Lastrea spinulosa, L. dllatata, 

 and L.famisecii, Bab. ManJ 



The most variable of all our Shield- 

 ferns, allied to the male S., but gene- 

 rally not so tall, of a paler green, and 

 very much broader ; the general outline 

 nearly ovate, 1 to 2 feet long or rarely 

 more, the lowest pair of pinnas not much 

 shorter, or even longer than the others. 

 The frond is also more divided, either 

 twice pinnate, with the segments of the 

 pinnas oblong-lanceolate and deeply 

 toothed, or pinnatifid, or thrice pinnate ; 

 it then closely resembles the lady Spleen- 

 wort and the alpine Polypody, but may 

 be generally distinguished by the lower 

 pinnas not decreasing so much in size, 

 and more accurately by the sori, which 

 are circular, with a kidney-shaped in- 

 dusium as in the male S., although 

 much smaller, and when mature the in- 

 dusium often disappears. 

 In sheltered, shady places, on moist banks, in open, moist woods, etc., 



Fig. 1273. 



