26 
FERNS. 
\Aspidium . 
the Highland valleys and the declivities of the mountains. Scarce in England, 
nor have I ever seen it here. Craig Chailleach, Perths., andClova mountains, 
Forfarsh., Mr. H. C.Watson. Falcon Clints, near Cauldron Spout, Teesdale, 
Mr. R. B. Bowman. Glen Isla, Forfarsh., Mr. W Brand. Clogwyn-y-Garnedd, 
Snowdon, Mr. C. C. Babington. Aberdeenshire, Dr. Murray. Moray and 
Rossliire, Rev. G. Gordon. Higher part of the Tees, Mr. J. Hogg. Common 
about Settle, Yorks , Mr. J. Tatham. Base of Benmore, Sutherland, Dr. 
Johnston. Very large in Glen Fee, Mr. W. Wilson. — Ire. : In a glen E. of 
Lough Eske, Donegal ; and on Glenade Mountain, Leitrim, Mr. E. Mac/cay. 
Brandon Mountain, Mr. W. Wilson. 
Geo. — Silesia, Bavaria, the Tyrol, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, and the 
Aleutian Islands. 
2. — ASPIDIUM LOBATUM. 
CLOSE-LEAVED, PRICKLY SHIELD-FERN. 
(Plate 2, fig. 2.) 
Ciia. — F rond bipinnate. Lobes decurrent, spinulose, elliptical, 
that next the rachis very large. 
Syn. — Aspidium lobatum, Swz., Gray , Willd., Schlc., Smith, Hook, in Bn. 
FI., not in Flo. Scot., Forst., Gulp., Mack. — Polypodium lobatum, 
Huds. — Polypodium aculeatum, Bolt., With. 
Fig. — E. B 1563. — Bolt. 26, /. 1, (a full-grown) /. 2 (a young plant). 
Des. — Boot tufted. Fronds growing from a circle, rigid, glaucous 
green, from 15 inches to 2 feet high, evergreen, perfectly ovate. 
Lower pinnae crowded, so as to overlap each other ; sometimes, 
however, the frond is elongated at the lower part, when the pinnae 
are proportionably distant. Kachis stout, scaly, and having pinnae 
to the very base. Pinnae short, alternate, lanceolate, pointed, and 
curved upward, therefore somewhat lunate. Smaller pinnules 
running much into each other, the larger slightly auricled, decurrent, 
and that next the rachis so much larger than the rest as to project 
over its next neighbour, and also partly to conceal the base of the 
pinna next abovp it, the inner edge of all the larger lobes running 
parallel to the rachis and at a little distance from it, so that if held 
up, a line of light will appear on each side of it, except near the 
base, where the first lobes are set very close to the main stem, 
hence perhaps its name of close-leaved. Sori large, in single rows, 
confined to the top of the frond. Cover orbicular, fixed by the 
centre, persistent, but easily knocked off. 
This species is distinguished from the following, for which alone it can be 
taken, by the decurrcnt lobes, and, as Sir J. E. Smith very rightly observes, 
the much shorter, more crowded, and less scaly pinnae ; added to which the 
lobes are more entire, being but slightly auricled, very convex, thick, and of a 
glaucous colour, furnished with a less number of and smaller bristly serraturcs, 
sometimes wanting them entirely at the sides. The sori also are more confined 
to the top and larger than in Aculeatum. 
