LADY FERN. 
241 
We next come to the talented but too concise Hoffmann, who 
increases the number of species to five, but omits Polypodium 
rhcRticum. I proceed to translate his specific characters. 
No. 10. Polypodium Filix-femina* “ Frond bipinnate, with 
ovate serrated and rather obtuse pinnules ; their serratures bifid 
or trifid.” 
No. 11. Polypodium dentatum. Frond bipinnate, with 
ovate-lanceolate, incised, toothed, pinnules; clusters of capsules 
crowded, ranged in two series.” t 
No. 12. Polypodium incisum. “ Frond bipinnate, with nar- 
row linear- or ovate-lanceolate pinnules, whose margin is sharp! j 
inciso-dentate : clusters of capsules ranged in two series, crowded, 
at length confluent.” X 
No. 13. Polypodium trijidum. “ Frond bipinnate, with li- 
near-lanceolate incised pinnules : their lobes being connivent- 
trifid, and the clusters of capsules distant.” § 
No. 14. Polypodium molle. Of this Schreber’s description, 
already given, will suffice. 
These descriptions, like those of Linneus, are deficient in de- ’ 
tail, and we shall scarcely be able to employ them in distin- 
guishing ferns among which so close a similarity prevails. 
In 1800 Roth published the third volume of his ^ Flora Ger- 
manica,’ and in this we not only find Hoffmann’s views as to the 
separation of the various forms of Filix-femina fully adopted, 
but the forms themselves carefully and elaborately described. 
Hoffmann’s nomenclature is however only partially adopted. 
Roth’s species and synonyms are as follow : — ■ 
No. 3. Atkyrium molle. 
Polypodium molle of Schreber, Hoffmann, &c. 
* Poly podium Filix-femina^ frondebipiniiata : pinnulis ovatis serratis obtusi- 
iisculis; serraturis 2-3 fidis. — Hoff. Deutsch. Flor., ii. 6. The wMmim cor- 
respond with those employed by the author. 
■\ Polypodium dentatum^ fronde bipinnata: pinnulis ovato-lanceolatis incisis 
dentatis ; fructificationibus biseriatis crassis. — 1. c. p. 7. 
I Polypodium incisum, fronde bipinnata: pinnulis angustis,lineari- vel ovato- 
lanceolatis, margine argute inciso-dentatis, fructificationibus biseriatis crassis, 
demum confluentibus. — 1. c. 
§ Polypodium trijidum, fronde bipinnata : pinnulis lineari-lanceolatis, incisis : 
laciniis apice conniventi-trifidis, fructificationibus sparsis. — 1. c. 
R 
