32 HANDY BOOK OF 
The Concave type : when luxuriant, drooping ; "when 
otherwise, more erect ; triangular, bright beautiful green ; 
all the divisions concave. 
In every variety, the lateral veins are placed alternately 
on the mid- vein, after leaving which, each one sends out an 
anterior branch, which bears a nearly circular mass of thecte 
half-way between its commencement and extremity. All 
the veins terminate before reaching the margin, which is 
attached on one side, but is soon lost among the growing 
theese, or sheaths. 
The engraving represents the triangular or normal form, 
which gives a peculiar grace to this interesting species. Few 
among the brotherhood of Ferns are more widely-diffused 
throughout England, "Wales, Scotland, and Ireland ; grow- 
ing not unfrequently on decayed trees, or on old stumps in 
hedgerows, on rocks and among stones; and is then, on 
account of its black, iibrous, and tenacious roots, extremely 
difficult to obtain entire ; but when affecting woods and 
forests abounding with dead leaves, finding neither stones 
nor prostrate trees wherein to fix itself, the Broad fern may 
be readily removed. 
APRIL. 
" OH ! I have loved where thou wast rear'd in greenest strength to 
stray, 
And mark thy feathery stem upraised o'er lichen' d ruin grey; 
Or in the fairy moonlight bent, to meet the silvering hue ; 
Or glistening yet, when noon was high, with morn's unvanish'd 
dew." 
FEW plants are' more locally restricted than such as com- 
pose the Fern tribe; and yet this restriction cannot be 
ascribed to the want of shade or moisture. We remember 
a well-wooded park in Northamptonshire, watered by an 
