lobecl or pinnatifid, usually alternate; mar¬ 
gins serrated. Texture leathery. Sori situ¬ 
ated towards the middle of the pinnules, 
frequently covering the entire back of the 
frond when mature. Stipes black and shiny, 
and about as long as the leafy portion of the 
frond. 
Growth. Erect when young; lax and drooping when 
mature. 
Height. Very variable; from two to eighteen inches. 
Colour. Young fronds bright green. Mature fronds 
dark, dull green. 
* 
Habitats. Hedgerows, rocks and old walls. Gene- 
# 
rally distributed. 
(See also page 53.) 
GROUP I; GENUS III; SPECIES II. 
ASPLENIUM ALTERNIFOLIUM. (Alternate- 
leaved Splecnwort.) 
Plate IV. 
Fronds. Linear and narrow, pinnate. Pinnae dis¬ 
tant, wedge-shaped, lobed or notched at the 
extremities, and all pointing upwards. The 
pinna at the apex of the frond larger than the 
rest, resembling a widening of the rachis. 
Stipes green, and usually short. 
