CULTURE OF HARDY PERNS. 
551 
semilunateindusiate, placed on the side of the 
lateral veins ; indusium oblong-reniform, 
opening longitudinally towards the mid-vein, 
the free margin fringed with capillary seg- 
ments. Name derived from the Greek athyros 
(opened), in allusion to the mode of dehi- 
scence of the indusium, which at length be- 
comes elevated along one of its margins, 
opening like a door, so as not to enclose the 
spore cases. 
" This genus was constituted by Koth, for 
the reception of our indigenous Lady Fern, 
which, from ' the exquisite grace of its habit, 
the elegauce of its cutting, and the brilliant 
delicacy of its colour,' claims precedence in 
beauty over eveiy other British species. Roth's 
genus is not universally adopted, the species 
being by some still retained under Asplenium. 
Athyrium Filix-femina. 
'' 1. Athyrium Filix-femina, Roth (Lady 
Fern) ; Frond lanceolate bipinnate ; pinn^ 
linear -lanceolate ; pinnules linear - oblong, 
deeply serrate or pinnatifid. — Desg : Athy- 
rium Filix-femina, Roth. Newm, Brit. 
Ferns, 2 ed. 237. Bab. Manual. 2 ed. 413. 
Asplenium, Filix-femina, Bernhardi. Hook. 
Brit. Fl. 5 ed. 443. Franc. Anal. 3 ed. 50. 
AspicUum Filix-femina, Swartz. Sm. Eng. FL 
iv. 282. Polypodium Filix-femina, Linnjeus. 
— Fia : Newn. 237. Franc, pi. 5, fig. 4, Eng. 
Bot. 1459 (bad). — A very variable species, as 
regards size, outline, division, and density. 
The following forms, several of which are by 
some regarded as species, may be distinguished 
as varieties : — 
" a. incisum ; fronds broadly lanceolate, 
drooping ; pinnules linear, or ovate-lanceolate, 
distinct, deeply pinnatifid, with flat diverging 
sharply-toothed lobes ; sori distinct. — Desc : 
Newm. Brit. Ferns, 2 ed. 243. Bab. Manual, 
2 ed. 413. Athyrium Filix-femina, Roth, 
Polypodium incimm, Hoffman. — Fig: Newm. 
243. — Of this form I have examples gathered 
near Guildford, Surrey, the pinn^ and pin- 
nules of which are large, broad, and close set, 
the whole frond appearing densely leafy. 
"/3. convexum ; fronds linear - lanceolate, 
semi-erect ; pinnules distinct, very narrow, 
linear, convex with deflexed margins, bluntly 
toothed ; sori confluent. — Desc : Bab. Manual, 
1 ed. 388. Newm. Brit. Ferns, 2 ed. 245. 
Athyrium rhceticu7n, Roth. Polypodium rhce- 
ticum, Linnaeus. — Fig : A seedling, or starved 
form of this variety {Aspidium irriguum. 
Smith ; Athyrium rhceticum minus, Roth,) is 
represented in Newm. Brit. Ferns, 245. 
" y. trifidum; fronds ovate-lanceolate, semi- 
erect ; pinnules linear-lanceolate, sub-decur- 
rent, flat, deeply cut, the apices of the lobes 
generally trifid. — Desc : Newm. Brit. Ferns 
2 ed. 242. Atliyrinm trifidum, Roth, Poly- 
podium trifidxmn, Hoffman. 
" 3. molle; fronds ovate-lanceolate, semi- 
erect ; lower pair of pinnae distant, short, 
deflexed ; pinnules lanceolate, decurrent, 
united by wing of mid-rib, flat, toothed ; sori 
distinct. — Desc : Newm. Brit. Ferns, 2 ed. 
242. Bab. Manual, 2 ed. 413. Athyrium 
molle, Roth. Polypodium molle, Schreber. 
" e. multifidum.; fronds semi-erect, lanceo- 
late ; pinnae narrow lanceolate, their apex as 
well as the apex of the frond multifid or 
tasseled ; sori crowded. — Desc : Athyriwn 
Filix-femina vivipara, Steele, Handb. Field 
Bot. 215. Fig: Newm. 248. — A very 
curious and elegant monstrosity, retaining its 
peculiar characters under cultivation. Found 
in L-eland, where two forms, slightly differing, 
but possessing the same general characters, 
have been met with by Mr, J. T. Mackay, 
and Mr. D. Moore. 
" 4". crispurn; dwarf, (six to eight inches,) 
slender, delicate, crisped ; rachis variously 
forked, the apex of the divisions densely 
tufted or tasseled; barren. A very distinct 
form, discovered by Mr. A. Smith on the hill 
Orah, in the county Antrim, L-eland ; it 
proves constant under cultivation, and much 
resembles a tuft of curled parsley. 
" Mr. Dickie has favoured me with a sin- 
gular monstrosity, apparently referable to this 
species, but very different from either of the 
preceding forms. In this the pinnules are 
developed in a very irregular degree, their 
