ASPIDIUM. 



423 



Kingdom. In his " Analysis of British Ferns," Mr. Francis states that 

 "it is extremely common in Scotland and in the North of England, 

 gradually losing itself towards the South and becoming more and more 

 intermingled with Aspidium (Polystichum) aculeatum, which, in its turn, 

 is superseded still more southerly by Aspidium (Polystichum) angulare. 

 In the middle and South of England its recorded habitats are Leicestershire ; 

 Pottery Car, near Doncaster ; Matlock, Derbyshire ; Studley, Lambourne, 

 Overley, and Weatherly, in Warwickshire ; a lane leading to the Vache 

 from Chalfont, Bucks ; near Bristol ; near Dorking, Surrey ; in Hants, 

 &c. ; near Yarmouth ; in Sussex and Kent ; in Wales, near Wrexham, 

 Denbighshire ; and in Ireland, at Colin Glen, near Belfast ; Hermitage, 

 County Wicklow ; County of Derry ; Glen Fee, Clova Mountains. ; as also 

 in Braid Woods, near Edinburgh." The sori (spore masses) are more 

 confined to the upper part of the frond, and larger than in A. aculeatum. 

 — Lowe, Our Native Ferns, i., p. 198, fig. 157. 



A. a. 1. acutum — ac-u'-tum (sharp-pointed), Jervis. 



This form, found wild in Staffordshire and in Somersetshire, differs from 

 the foregoing plant principally through having the extremity of its attenuated 

 fronds narrowed out into a long point ; their pinnas (leaflets), nearly tapering 

 to a point, have their sub-divisions crowded, small, and very spiny-toothed. 

 — Lowe, Our Native Ferns, i., p. 199. 



A. a. multifidum — mul-tif -id-um (much-cleft), Wollaston. 



A very pretty and distinct variety, with fronds of dimensions equal 

 to those of the typical form, from which it essentially differs through their 

 extremity being divided into a spreading tuft of numerous deeply -laciniated 

 branches. It was found wild in Suffolk and also in Somersetshire. — Lowe, 

 Our Native Ferns, i., p. 199. 



A. a. plumosum — plu-mo'-sum (feathery), Lowe. 



This feathery-looking variety, which was found wild near Marwood, 

 is of normal size and outline, but it differs from the typical form in the 

 close and elegant character of its long, feathery fronds. — Lowe, Our Native 

 Ferns, i,, p. 206, fig. 165. 



