withering’s fern. 
211 
more nearly resembles that than the present species ; I cannot 
therefore consent to separate the spmulosa of Muller from the 
cristata of Linneus. Like Linneus, he probably included both 
the plants, but neither in his figure nor description do I find 
any reason for supposing he restricted his spimilosa to the pre- 
sent species. 
Berkenhout^ adopts the Linnean name, describing the habitat 
as ‘^woods &c.” and restricting the fruit to the superior pinnae. He 
appears quite ignorant of the rarer species, and confines the name 
to the present only. Withering, on the contrary, adopts Muller’s 
name, but also appears to restrict it to a single species. These 
authors’ descriptions were published almost simultaneously, but 
Withering has the merit of distinguishing the following species 
from the present, an attempt in which every other British author 
has failed. It is, however, but an act of justice to four of our 
best botanists — Mr. Wilson of Warrington, Mr. Borrer of Hen- 
field, Mr. Jenner of Lewes, and Mr. Forster of London- — to say 
that they have always maintained that the two plants were distinct 
as species ; and I am indebted to all these gentlemen for valu- 
able communications on this interesting and intricate subject. 
The confusion among continental authors is quite as great as 
in this country, and Roth is the only one, as far as my infor- 
mation extends, who has properly distinguished between them : 
his description 1 have quoted below ; t and though I cannot 
but regret that his name of spinosa should so nearly resemble 
* Berk. Syn. ii. 307. 
f PoLystichum spinosum. P. frondibus subtripinnatis : pinnulis oblongis pin- 
natifidis; laciniis pinnulamra inferioribus inciso-serratis ; serraturis spinulosis, 
stipite siibpaleaceo. Perquam simile antecedent! (P. multijtoro) et cauta tantiim 
[ inspectione rite distinguendum est. DifFert tamen ab illo. 1. Fronde plerum- 
I que minore laxiore. 2. Stipite tenuiore, debiliore ; paleis rarioribus adsperso, 
i ad ramificationes non dilatato. 3, Pinnis remotioribus, per paria approximatis 
I et suboppositis. 4. Pinnulis pinnatifidis, foliolis vel laciniis ala foliacea con- 
fluentibus; nec pinnatis. 5. Foliolis pinnularum inferiorum margine plerum- 
que integris ad apicem dentibus spinulosis, conniventibus, tribus vel quatuor 
incisis ; superiorum, excepto uno vel altero infimo, mucrone spinuloso, simplici, 
j incurvo terminatis. 6. Capsularum glomerulis ad basin cujusvis folioli vel la- 
' cinise solitariis paulo miiioribus et ita in quavis pinnula biseriatis tantum. — ■ 
^ Roth, Flor. Germ. iii. 91. 
1 P 2 
