100 VII. LASTRF.A. 
When vigorous it is nevertheless an elegant and delicate 
looking species. Probably its want of fertility under such 
circumstances may be in consequence of its extensively 
creeping stems being too much restricted within a garden 
pot, and a wide shallow pan would be more congenial to 
its habits. When introduced about rock-work it should be 
at the base where its natural boggy habitat may be imi- 
tated. It propagates readily by division of the caudex. 
2. Lastrea Oreopteris, Presl. Mountain Buckler 
Fern. Fronds lanceolate narrowed below, pinnate, glan- 
dular beneath ; pinnae linear-lanceolate, widest at the base, 
deeply pinnatifid ; lobes oblong flat 
LASTREA OREOPTEKIS, Presl: Bab. Man. 410: Newm. 188: 
Florigr. Brit iv. 98. LASTREA MONTANA, T. M. 3/S. ASPIDFCM 
OREOPTEKIS, Swartz: 8m. Eng. Fl. iv. 273: Eng. Bot. 1019: 
Hook and Arn. Fl. 669: Franc. 36. POI.YPODIUM OREOPTERIS, 
Ehrhart. - PoLYPODitJM MOSTAJJUM, Vogler. POI/ISTICHUM MON- 
TANCM, Rotb. HEMESTHEUM MONTANCM, Newm. App. xxii. 
The Mountain Buckler Fern has a large tufted scaly 
caudex, from which spread in all directions strong en- 
tangled fibres. The fronds appear in May, and are nu- 
merous, semi-erect, terminal, adherent, rising up around 
the caudex, to the height of two or three feet. They are 
lanceolate, pinnate, leafy nearly to the base, and remark- 
ably narrowed there, the pinnae gradually decreasing in 
size from about the middle of the frond. The stipes is very 
short, and covered with pale brown scales, and when in a 
young state small hair-like scales are numerous on the 
rachis among the lower pinnae. The pinnae are usually 
opposite, the lower ones short deltoid obtuse, gradually 
lengthening upwards to the middle of the frond, where 
they are linear-lanceolate, three to nearly six inches long, 
broadest at the base, and tapering to a long narrow point ; 
the upper ones decrease in length and also in breadth ; all 
are deeply pinnatifid, the lobes fat, obtuse, and entire, 
