414 
ON THE VARIETIES OF BRITISH FERNS, ETC. 
near the rachis; undivided at the top, always barren. In the other the frond is 
divided at the top; it varies much as to the number of clefts. I have seen it 
once, twice, thrice, and so on, until they become innumerable, mostly (always ?) 
fertile. It also divides at the base of the lamina, and has the appearance of 
2, 3, or 4 much-cleft fronds arising from one stipe. This I have called ramosum. 
Hymenophyllum Tunbridgiense. 
Hook., Brit. Flo ., Edit. 3, p. 455; Edit. 4, p. 390. 
Bolt., Fil. Brit. ( Trichomanes Tunbridgiense ), p. 58, tab. 31. 
Francis’ Ferns , p. 49, pi. 4, fig. 4. 
With., Bot. (MacGilliv.), p. 386. 
The two species in this genus were until lately considered the same, but as it 
was easy for even the “ shallow courtier” to make the egg stand on its end after 
Columbus had done it, so in this case when the acute observation of one botanist 
has discovered their diagnostics, the others follow with ease, and express their 
surprise that “ it was so long unseen .” The ease with which they are now dis¬ 
tinguished is such as scarcely to warrant their insertion here. They are, however, 
allied species, and are thus distinguished:— 
In H. Tunbridgiense the fronds are tender, the pinnae pinnatifid, distichous, 
vertical; the involucrum sub-orbicular, compressed, spinuloso-serrate. 
In H. Wilsoni the fronds are rigid, the “ pinnae cuneate, lobed (not pinna¬ 
tifid),”* 4-6-lobed, recurved in a contrary direction to the fruit, involucrum ovate, 
entire, remarkably convex, the edges of the valves only coming in contact. 
I have always considered Bolton’s plate for Trichomanes pixidiferum as a 
barren frond of FI, Tunbridgiense , both from its appearance and the place whence 
it was gathered (Dolbadon Castle, Wales) ; respecting his engraving he says, “ I 
have been painfully correctand it is evident he was not acquainted with the 
plant he intended to figure, from what follows:—“No fruit ever found on this 
phenomenon of a plant.” Trichomanes is at once known from our present species 
by its thick, dark, very hairy roots, and 3—4 pinnatifid frond. 
Ophioglossum vulgatum is sometimes found with its frond more or less cleft at 
the top, but such variations are merely casual. 
Lycopodiaceal 
The species in this sub-order appear sufficiently allied to warrant our noticing 
each separately; the following diagnostics will be found easily to distinguish 
them. 
Wilson in MS. Not*. 
