BRISTLE FERN. 
811 
There is a good figure of this fern in Hooker’s ‘ Flora Londi- 
nensis,* under the name of Trichomanes alalum ; and another 
in ‘ English Botany ,’f under that of Hymenophyllum alatum. 
It has already been stated that this plant is supposed to be 
Filix humilis repens of Ray’s ‘ Synopsis.’ Passing over the 
synonyms of Hudson, Bolton, Withering, and Berkenhout, which, 
although usually supposed to be intended for the present plant, 
must be received with doubt, we come to the description by Brown 
in the ‘ Hortus Kewensis,’J who considered the species new, 
and gave it the name of Trichomanes hrevisetum, which has 
been adopted by most modern botanists. Smith, in Rees’ 
‘ Cyclopaedia,’^ described it as Trichomanes europcBum ; and 
Sprengel, in his ‘ Sy sterna Yegetabilium,’|| as Trichomanes hiber- 
nicum. In preparing this work for the press, I endeavoured, 
but without success, to find characters by which to distinguish 
it from the well-known Trichomanes speciosum of Willdenow, 
an inhabitant of Madeira, Teneriffe, &c., some beautiful speci- 
mens of which had been recently brought to England by my 
late lamented friend Mr. William Christy. Believing the Irish 
and Madeira plants to be identical as species, I consulted my 
kind adviser, the late Professor Don, and he quite agreed w'ith 
me in the propriety of restoring Willdenow’s name ; since wdiich 
the authors of the ‘ Edinburgh Catalogue,’ and Mr. Babington 
in his ‘ Manual,’ have followed my example, but Sir W. Hooker 
retains the name of T. brevisetum.% Willdenow’s description 
is quoted below,^* in order that those who may not happen to 
* Flor. bond. 53. f Eng. Bot. 1417. + Hort. Kew. v. 529 of 2nd ed. 
§ Rees’ Cycl. Art. Trichomanes. || Sprengel, Syst. Veg. iv. 130. 
f Brit. Flor. 445 of the 5th ed. 
Trichomanes speciosum, W. T. frondihus, &c. Caudex repens crassitie 
fili emporetici mediocris, setis paleaceis nigro-fuscis tomentosus. Stipes sex- 
pollicaris semiteres canaliculatus, tenuissime marginato-anceps, glaher. Frons 
quadri- vel quinque-pollicaris, circumscriptione subrotundo-ovata, triplicate 
pinnata. PinnsB primarise inferiores tripollicares, superiores sensim breviores. 
Pinnse secundariag semipollicares. Pinnulee tri- vel quadri-lineares confluentes, 
pinnatifidsB laciniis lineari-lanceolatis obtiisiusculis integerrimis, inferioribus 
interdum marginatis. Rachis primaria et secundaria margine foliaceo alata. 
Indusia cyathiformia turbinata, laciniis sub apice inserta. Receptaculum hli- 
forme trilineare indusio quadruplo longius. — W. Sp. PI. v. 514. 
