15 
[XVI] 
Cptffjjteis Jfragilis. 
BRITTLE EEEN. 
is one of the prettiest of the small ferns, and remarkable for its delicate and fragile 
ire. 
The fronds appear in spring, and die down towards the end of autumn. 
The rhizome is short and creeping. The stem is smooth, about one-third the length of the 
frond, which varies from six to eighteen inches. The fronds are bi-pinnate, the lower pinnules being 
deeply pinnatilid, and the upper ones serrated. The seed is produced in circular clusters on the 
under surface of the pinnules, rather nearer the mid-vein than the margin. 
pttfai 
Tolerably abundant in mountainous districts in rocky, shady situations. 
§mtm. 
This species is subject to considerable variation, many of the varieties being very interesting, 
and considered as distinct species by some authors; but I cannot regard them as other than varieties. 
Mint 
It is readily cultivated either out of doors or in a green-house, requiring moisture and shade. 
