ASPLENIUM. 
147 
fronds, the pinnae being merely undulated and lobed, not 
again pinnate. 
This is rather a local species, being found only in the 
southern and western parts of England, and in Wales, 
almost always near the coast. It is found very luxuriant 
in the Channel Islands. 
This species has been named Tarachia lanceolata. 
Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum, Linnaeus. 
The Black Maidenhair Spleenwort. (Plate XII. fig. 2.) 
This is a rather common evergreen Fern, and a very 
conspicuous ornament of the situations where it occurs in 
a vigorous state. The fronds grow in tufts, and vary 
much in size, from a height of three or four inches when 
it occurs on walls, to a foot and a half, and even two feet, 
including the stipes, when it occurs on shady hedge-hanks 
in congenial soil. They are triangular, more or less elon¬ 
gated at the point, the shining dark purple stipes being 
often as long as, or longer than, the leafy portion ; but in 
stunted plants growing in sterile situations very much 
shorter. They grow erect or drooping, according to the 
situations in which they occur. They are bipinnate, or 
sometimes tripinnate; the pinnae pinnate, triangular-ovate 
L 2 
