POLYPODIUM. 



245 



divisions more acute and more regular than those of that variety. This form 

 is constant under cultivation. While young, the leaflets are sharply and 

 deeply toothed — exceedingly saw-edge-like : when stronger, these teeth lengthen 

 into slender lobes, which are again a little torn, or toothed. — Lowe, Our 

 Native Ferns, i., t. 7b. Druery, Choice British Ferns, p. 122. Nicholson, 

 Dictionary of Gardening, hi., p. 195. 



P. Y. OYatum — o-va'-tum (egg-shaped), Moore. 



Originally discovered at Ballyvaghan, in the West of Ireland, and 

 found to be common in Madeira and the Azores, this variety is allied to 

 P. v. denticulatum ; the fronds, however, vary in size, are egg-shaped rather 

 than oblong, and are also of a much more leathery texture, with leaflets 

 more obscurely toothed, the lowest being horizontal, and the upper ones 

 decreasing in size. — Moore, Nature- printed British Ferns. Loiue, Our Native 

 Ferns, i., p. 46. 



P. Y. pulcherrimum — pul-cher'-rim-um (very beautiful), Moore. 



In this variety, which was originally found near Milnthorpe, we have 

 a truly handsome and distinct Fern, equal in beauty to, if not even surpassing, 

 P. v. omnilacerum and P. v. cambricum. It may indeed be considered as 

 intermediate between these two lovely varieties, showing to a great extent 

 the beautiful bipinnatifid character of the latter ; but its fronds seldom attain 

 more than 1ft. in length, though they possess the same divisions of the 

 leaflets and the imbricated pinnules (overlapping leafits). On the other hand, 

 instead of being constantly barren, they are abundantly fertile, like those of 

 P. v. omnilacerum, and, also like them, are of a thicker and much firmer 

 texture than those of the " Welsh Polypody." It may also be remarked 

 that the leaflets and leafits are blunt and rounded at their extremity, instead 

 of being sharp-pointed like those of P. v. omnilacerum. — Lowe, Our Native 

 Ferns, i., fig. 28. 



P. Y. ramosum — ra-mo'-sum (branched), Moore. 



This may be described as a more developed form of P. v. bijidum, 

 frequently branched in the stalk of the leafy portion, and again divided. It 

 is furnished with variously-bifid leaflets, which, when the process of forking 



