BRITTLE FERN. 
157 
E. Smith refers as having been found at Gordale, in Craven, still 
remains in his herbarium, and is figured on the preceding page. 
The fourth and last variety noticed by Smith, and one v^hich 
Professor Don considers distinct as a species, is called Cystea 
regia by Smith, who supposes it to be the Polypodium regium 
of Linneus. I have carefully examined the specimens preserved 
under this name in the Linnean herbarium ; these are three in 
number : — the first appears to be the normal form of fragilis, 
although the specimen is injured ; the second is the species 
known by our cultivators as Asplenium fontanum ; and the third 
is the Polypodium dentatum of Dickson. The grand habitat of 
this plant is a wall at Layton, near Walthamstow, in Essex. 
Cystea regia, “ Root tufted, scaly. Fronds several, from 
three to ten or twelve inches high, bright green, 
lanceolate, twice pinnate, pinnatifid, and finely 
cut, of a most elegant appearance, quite smooth 
in every part except a few membranous, tom, 
pointed, brown scales, at the very bottom of 
the stalk, which is less brittle and juicy than 
that of C, fragilis. Leaves and leaflets more 
generally alternate than opposite ; the former 
with a narrowly- winged or bordered midrib ; 
the latter ovate, obtuse, deeply pinnatifid, with 
elliptic, oblong, obtuse, partly cloven, or 
notched segments, but not elongated, linear, or 
wavy at the margin like C. august at a, neither 
are their ribs zigzag as in that species. Masses 
of capsules very copious, but small, pale, 
scattered, not crowded, nor do they appear ever 
to become confluent. In a young state each is 
wrapped up in a white membranous concave 
cover, terminating in a tapering, more or less 
jagged, point, nearly agreeing with C. fragilis, hui the masses are 
much smaller, and the capsules of a pale brown, never black.”* 
A sketch of a frond gathered from -the wall at Low Layton ac- 
companies the description. 
* Eng. Flor. iv. 290. 
