170 
ASPIDIACE^. 
i 
and ascends the Pyrenees to the height of 2500 feet. It is found j 
in Asia, Northern and Southern Africa, and North America : in | 
the latter country it is extremely rare, but perfectly identical j 
with our British plant. 
I pass over the figures of this species, since a reference to 1 
them is rather likely to mislead under our present doubts with 
regard to the limits of the species. 
There can be no doubt that our plant is the Folypodimn acu~ 
leatum of Linneus, and the Polypodium lohatum of Hudson, ^ 
notwithstanding that Sir J. E. Smith separates these two by the 
introduction of Aspidium angulare of Willdenow between them ; ; 
he also cites Ray, apparently in defence of his third species, i 
but I am inclined to think that both Hudson and Ray intended i 
to describe the two species now given as distinct, Ray’s ‘ Filix \ 
mas non ramosa pinnulis latis auriculatis spinosis ’ being ! 
Hudson’s Polypodium aculeatum;\ and his ^ Filix aculeata I 
major pinnulis auriculatis crehrioribus foliis integris an- I 
gustiorihus'* X being Hudson’s lohatum.^ Ray’s I 
description of the latter species is excellent, and the admirable | 
comparison between the two clearly shows the plants intended, I 
although the description of the first, it must be confessed, is | 
somewhat meagre. | 
The roots are unusually long, strong and tough, often taking I 
so firm a hold of the soil — especially when the plant is growing f 
in hedge-banks, among the roots of whitethorn or hazel — as to 
require great labour in removing. The rhizoma is very large, i 
apparently increasing slowly with age, and enduring for very | 
many years. I observe that large plants which I removed in ; 
1837 have remained almost stationary in size, and exhibit no I 
symptoms of incipient decay. The young fronds make their E 
appearance in April, the circinate apex being bent backwards, ^ 
and remarkably graceful in its appearance : the pinnae of the k 
young frond are also circinate : I have attempted, in the vignette [J 
at page 172, to give an idea of this character. The fronds attain _ j 
their full expansion in July, and the seed appears to have reached fl 
*Syn. 121. 
f Flora Aiiglica, ii. 459. 
§ Flora Anglica, 1. c. 
Syn, 1. c. 
