ASPIDIUM. 



431 



and the very graceful habit of its fronds : they are 2ft. long and about Gin. 

 wide in the centre, gradually narrowed to a tapering, slender-spined point, 

 and furnished with pinnae (leaflets) disposed is an ascending manner. The 

 pinnules (leafits), which are closely set and much cut, though not deeply, 

 have their basal lobe and that immediately above it ending in a spine, or 

 rather in a double spine, so that each pinnule is furnished with from twelve 

 to twenty spines or bristles. — Lowe, Our Native Ferns, i., p. 173, fig. 151. 



A. a. COnflueilS — con'-flu-ens (joined). A synonym of A. a. lineare. 



A. a. cornutum— cor-nu'-tum (horned). 



This curious form, which in commerce is known under the name of 

 Polystichum angular e cornutum, is simply one of the numerous varieties of 

 A. a. grandidens. 



■ A. a. cristatum — cris-ta'-tum (crested), Moore. 



An exceedingly beautiful Fern, represented by several forms which have 



originally been found near Bristol, in Somersetshire, or in Devonshire, but 



all of which appear to retain the normal 



dimensions of the species, from which they 



differ by their crested character. In general 



outline it greatly resembles the normal form, 



but the point of each frond, as also that of 



each pinna, ends in short, densely-tufted 



and crispy crests or tassels (Fig. 63), those 



of the pinnae being much less developed 



than the terminal one, the whole forming 



. . , Fig. 63. Crest of Aspidium angulare cristatum 



a tasselled-margmed frond, such as is noticed (} nat size) 



in the much commoner crested forms of the 



Male and Lady Ferns.— Lo we, Our Native Ferns, i., p. 81, t. 16. 



A. a. cruciatum — cruc-i-a'-tuni (having pinnas disposed in the form of 

 a cross). Synonymous with A. a. Elworthii. 



A. a. Elworthii — El-wor'-thi-i (Elworthy's), Moore. 



This singularly striking variety, also known as Polystichum angulare 

 cruciatum, and originally found wild near Nettlecombe, is totally different 



