TEENY COMBES. 
93 
Var. paleacea. — The Chaffy Male Fern. — 
Frond 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 Filix-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. 
Yar. paleacea multifida 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. 
