MAY 21 1909 



FEMS ASD MOSSES OF THE ALFORD DISTRICT- 



By Mrs. Farquh arson, F.R.M.S. 



Ferns. 



HE results of personal observation and of information 



X kindly supplied to me by friends show that in this district 

 there occur 19 species of Ferns, some of which afford more or 

 less constant varieties of considerable interest. The list is as 

 follows : — 



Polypodium vulgar e. Common. 

 P. Phegopteris. Littlewood, &c. 

 P. Dryopteris. Haughton, and other localities. 

 Allosums crispus. Base of Hill of Noth, and elsewhere. 

 Polystichum Lonchitis. Hills above Tough. 

 P. aculeatum. Lately added to our local flora by Mr. Adam 

 Reid, who discovered it near Keig. 

 Var. lobatum. Terpersie. 

 Lastrea Oreopteris. Haughton, and elsewhere. 

 L. Filix-mas. Common. 



1. Var. cristata (Murray). This variety was discovered at 



Haughton, in 1866, by Mr. John Murray, forester at that 

 time on the estate. It has but recently been thoroughly 

 examined by Mr. Wollaston, Chiselhurst, who pronounces 

 it to be a previously unknown variety, and suggests the 

 above name for it. 



2. Var. Borreri (pa/eacea of some authors, pseudomas of 



others). This is a very marked form, with long tapering 

 golden-brown scales, giving a woolly appearance to the 

 stipes and rachis. It is commonly distributed. 

 L. dilatata. Very common. 



L. cristata var. spinulosa. Haughton, Whitehaugh, and else- 

 where. With regard to the constancy of spinulosa as a 

 form, I have watched plants of it for upwards of twenty 



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