Aspidium .] 
FERNS. 
31 
ovate, or wedge-shaped, repeatedly cut into broad linear segments. 
Sori small, scattered, seated nearly at the apex of the segments. 
Margin of the indusium entire. 
These marks clearly indicate this to be a distinct species, far removed from 
both the others, and in cultivation instead of approaching the fragilis or dentata, 
it becomes yet more different, as the pinnules increase in length, but scarcely in 
width, as in the former cases. In general habit our present species is by far the 
tcnderest and most numerously cleft, with a shorter and less brittle rachis than 
Cistopteris dentata or fragilis. 
The late Professor Don thought the Cistopteris regia and Cistopteris alpina to 
be essentially different, but Sir W. J. Hooker speaks confidently of the Layton 
plant being precisely the same as that represented by Jacquinand Schkuhr, which 
are the same as the alpina of Don ; and as our plant at the present time has the 
wedge-shaped pinnules, said by Mr. Don to be peculiar to the Cistopteris regia, 
we are bound to conclude that formerly, when the plant was vigorous, it took one 
character, and now that it is but struggling for existence it assumes the other. 
Indeed luxuriant plants lately received from Low Layton, through the kindness of 
Mr. E. II. Bolton, w r ko gathered it as lately as 1840, confirm to me the accuracy 
of Sir W. J. Hooker’s views upon the subject. Mr. W. Pamplin, of Queen street, 
Soho, an indefatigable botanist, is the re-discoverer of this plant, and kindly 
furnished me with specimens gathered in 1835. The first account we have of the 
plant as British is by Mr. Foster, in Symon’s ‘ Synopsis,’ published in 1793. 
FI ab. — W all at Low Layton, Essex, 1836, Mr. W. Pamplin. Caernarvonsh., 
Mr. J. E. Bowman. Cwm Idwel, Mr. Griffiths: On Snowdon, near the Copper 
Mine, Mr. Winch. Ben Lawers, Mr. Maugham. Rocks at the Dropping Well, 
Knaresborough, Mr. W. Christy. 
Geo. — Jena, Oldenburgh, and other parts of Germany, Italy, &c. 
ASPIDIUM, Swz. SHIELD-FERN. 
( Aff7rt(, - , a shield; the indusium being of this form.) 
A, pinnules of Aspidium lonchitis. B, portion of ditto, showing the fruit 
magnified. C, transverse section of a sorus. D, ditto of the stem. E, scale 
magnified. F, theca and spore. ... 
A widely -distributed and extensive genus, of not less than from 160 to 170 
species, all of them herbaceous, some evergreen, others deciduous. The indusium is 
either reniform and fixed at the sinus, when they belong to the genus Neplirodium 
of Brown, or else orbicular and peltate, which is the true character of Aspidium. 
The greater number of the British Aspidia someivhat differ from the true character 
* Mr. W. Wilson writes me, that the Welsh stations refer lo Cistopteris fragilis. I have 
also received Cistopteiis dentata from Craig Breiddcn, under the name of Alpina. 
