TEENY COMBES. 
93 
Var. PALE ACE A. — The Chaffy Male Fern. — 
Erond twice divided ; pinnules not stalked, over- 
lapping, or at least joining one another ; not ser- 
rated, except at the points of the pinnule, which 
are cut off square. The entire stem thickly covered 
with hair-like scales ; at first bright gold-coloured, 
afterwards dark brown : these scales are a mark by 
which L. paleacea may readily be distinguished 
from the ordinary Filioc-mas, which has not many 
scales, and those light-coloured. Filix-mas paleacea 
is also very rigid. The seeding is similar to the 
ordinary mas., but smaller. 
There is a variety of Filix-mas paleacea in which 
the pinnules are lobed and serrated, but not so deeply 
as incisa, from which it differs in its rigid habit 
and ferruginous scales. 
Filix-mas paleacea grows in great quantities both 
in Wales and Devon. In Wales it forms immense 
masses on the craggy hillsides, giving them a pecu- 
liar colouring before its fronds are fully developed, 
from the intense yellow of its scales. In Devon- 
shire it is found of like size, but generally in woods. 
Var. paleacea multijida has the apices of the 
frond and pinnules, and even the pinnae, irregularly 
divided ; the whole plant is not similarly affected, 
many of the fronds, especially the fertile ones, 
being of the normal form. 
