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 tenderest 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 Jacquin and 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, though the kindness of 
Mr. E. H. Bulton, who gathered it as lately as 1840, confirm to me the accuracy 
of Sir W. J. Hooker’s view 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. Forster, in Symon’s “ Synopsis,” published in 1793. 
Hab. — Wall at Low Layton, Essex, 1836, Mr. W. Pamplin. Caemarvonsh, 
Mr. J. E. Bowman. Cwm Idwel, Mr. Griffiths. On Snowdon, near the 
Copper Mine, Mr. Winch. Ben Lawers, Mr. Maughan. Rocks at the Dropping 
Well, Knaresborough, Mr. W. Christy. 
Geo. — Jena, Oldenburgh, and other parts of Germany, Italy, &c. 
A, pinnules of Aspulium lonchitis. B. portion of ditto, showing the fruit 
magnified. C, transerve 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 Nephro- 
dium of Brown, or else orbicular and peltate, which is the true character of 
Aspidium. The greater number of the British Aspidia somewhat differ from the 
* Mr. VV. Wilson writes me, that the Welch stations refer to Cistopteris fragilis. IhaVe also 
received Cistopteris dentata from Craig Breidden. under the name of Alpina. 
ASPIDIUM, Swz. SHIELD FERN. 
(aauri;, a shield ; the indusium being of this form.) 
