an involucre: and certainly the sori are globose, not oblong. 
Mettenius, in his work on Phegopteris , places it there, as he had 
done previously in his Eil. Hort. Lips.; but in his monograph 
on Asplenium he refers it to that genus, and remarks, “ J. 
Duval-Jouve (Etudes sur le Petiole des Eougeres) indusium 
tenerrimum, soros juveniles obtegens, propriis observationibus 
confirmans, A. alpestre , crescendi modo, vernatione, petiolorum 
basi fasciculisque vasorum, nec minus paleis omnino cum A. Fi- 
lix-fcemina congruere exponit, ergoque formam A. Filicis-fcemirue 
‘soris subrotundis, indusiis aut nullis aut rudimentariis insignem’ 
sistere putat.” The figures however of these supposed indusia 
given by Mettenius (Asplen. t. 6. f. 1-6), are very unlike any 
true indusium known to us, and no two seem to be alike; nor 
have I been able to see such upon any of my specimens. 
On the continent of Europe, _P. alpestre seems to be found 
chiefly in the north, Norway, Lapland, Russia, Germany; and 
on the Alps in the south. It probably passes from Russia into 
Siberia; for it again appears in North-west America, at Sitka, 
whence I possess the plant from Barclay. It is singular that 
from the same respective persons and localities I have received 
true Asplenium (Athyrium) Filix-feemina, and more recently 
from the Cascade Mountains, British Columbia, 49° N. lat., ga¬ 
thered by Dr. Lyall, R.N., of the Oregon Boundary Commission. 
Plate 6. Pig. 1. Portion of a stipes, with scales, etc. 2. Portion of a frond 
of Polypodium (Phegopteris) alpestre, Hoppe,— nat . size. 3. Portion of a pin¬ 
nule, with sori,— magnified. 4. Single sorus ,—more magnified. 5. Small portion 
of a frond of var .flexile,—natural size. 
