6 4 
European Ferns. 
BLECHNUM. 
have here a genus of ferns which is generally regarded as sufficiently distinct 
for separate mention, but some members of which in many points — notably 
in general appearance — resemble so closely another genus, Lomaria, that its 
solitary European representative, B. Spicant, is often referred indiscriminately 
to both, some authors calling the plant Blechnum Spicant or B. boreale , while 
others style it Lomaria Spicant. It is one of those cases in which, if guided 
only by general resemblance, we should certainly place the two genera under 
one head ; the contraction of the fertile fronds, which is sometimes given 
as a characteristic of Lomaria, is certainly manifest enough in our common 
Hard Fern ; but the technical difference between the two must be sought 
Mr. Moore has put this so clearly that we cannot do better than avail our- 
selves of his observations on this point. He says :* “ The distinction between Lomaria and 
Blechnum becomes easy when full force is 
given to the technical characters assigned 
to each respectively. The peculiar charac- 
teristic of Lomaria is that the sori are 
produced at the margin ; whilst the 
characteristic of Blechnum is to have the 
sori distinctly within the margin, and near 
to the costa. Thus in technical and exact 
terms, the sori of Lomaria are marginal, 
and in Blechnum costal or intramarginal. 
The fructification of Lomaria is determined 
by the indusium being a continuation of the 
margin of the frond, which becomes mem- 
branaceous, and is inflected over the spore-cases. The fructification peculiar to Blechnum, on 
the other hand, is known by the indusium springing directly from the under surface of the 
frond, the margin extending beyond. This is a clear and intelligible difference, and the 
genera are only satisfactorily divided when these peculiarities are allowed to have full force.” 
The accompanying figures will show the technical distinction between the two genera. 
The “ Synopsis Filicum ” enumerates thirty-nine species of Lomaria, several of which are 
in cultivation. They are widely distributed, occurring principally in the South Temperate Zone, 
but having representatives in most parts of the world, although — unless we regard the Hard 
Fern as a Lomaria — finding no place in the European flora. L. attenuata is a widely-spread 
species, occurring in both the Old and the New Worlds — in the former in Polynesia, Norfolk 
Island, the continent of Africa (Fernando Po, Cape Colony, etc.), and in the Mascarene 
Islands ; in the latter from Guatemala southward to Brazil and Juan Fernandez, and in the 
West Indian Islands. It is a handsome evergreen plant, from a foot to two feet in height, 
having a somewhat climbing woody root-stock, which is thickly covered with dark brown hair- 
like scales. The barren fronds are rigid and rather leathery in texture, quite smooth on both 
* “Nature-printed British Ferns” (octavo edition), ii. 208. 
(a) PORTION OF FROND OF BLECHNUM (ENLARGED) SHOWING 
POSITION OF SORI. (t) DITTO OF LOMARIA. 
for elsewhere. 
