THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, January 6, 1857. 231 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
D 
M 
D 
W 
JANUARY 6—12, 1857. 
Weather ni 
Barometer. 
sar Lon 
Thermo. 
DON IN 
Wind. 
1856. 
Rain in 
Inches. 
Sun 
Rises. 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon 
R.& S. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
Clock 
bf. Sun. 
Day of 
Year. 
6 
Tu 
Epiphany. Twelfth Day. 
29.310—29.174 
48—35 
E. 
12 
7 a. 8 
5 a. 4 
4 0 
10 
6 
15 
6 
7 
W 
Bearsfoot (Helleborus). 
29.066—28.970 
47-37 
N.E. 
— 
7 
6 
5 29 
11 
6 
41 
7 
8 
Tu 
Green Hellebore (Helleb.). 
29.146-29.021 
43—32 
N.E. 
02 
7 
8 
6 50 
12 
7 
6 
8 
9 
P 
Furze (Ulex). 
29.204—29.158 
38—34 
N.E. 
23 
6 
9 
7 56 
13 
7 
31 
9 
10 
S 
Germander (Veronica). 
29.622—29.317 
40—25 
N.E. 
— 
5 
11 
rises. 
© 
7 
55 
10 
11 
Sun 
1 Sunday after Epiphany. 
30.071—29.786 
36—28 
N.E. 
— 
5 
12 
5 a 19 
15 
8 
19 
11 
12 
M 
Crocus (C. vernus). 
30.522—30.291 
36—21 
N.E. 
— 
4 
13 
6 41 
16 
8 
42 
12 
Meteorology of the Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-eight years, the average highest and lowest 
temperatures of these days are 41.0°, and 30-7°, respectively. The greatest heat, 54°, occurred on the 7th, in 1845 ; and the lowest cold, 6°, 
on the 8th, in 1841. During the period 111 days were fine, and on 85 rain fell. 
POLYPO’DIUM VULGA'RE. 
I With but oue exception botanists have never called 
this Fern by any other name than Polypodium, a name 
derived from two Greek words, polys, many, and pous, 
I podos, a foot, and having reference, according to Theo¬ 
phrastus, to the resemblance borne by its numerous 
ootlets to the feelers of the polypus. Mr. Newman 
alone has described it under the name of Gtenopteris 
vulgaris. It is usually called the Common Polypody, 
Polypody of the Oalc, and Wall Fern. 
Root creeping horizontally, having very many stout, 
branched, somewhat woody, hairy rootlets; if left un¬ 
disturbed becoming very much twisted and matted 
densely clothed with membranous, brown, narrow 
| toothed, pointed, shining scales. Fronds from six to 
eighteen inches high; lowest third of their stalk naked, 
grooved in front, and smooth; narrow spear-head¬ 
shaped, deeply cut into many segments, often nearly 
to the stalk; the segments parallel, slightly distant, 
narrow oblong, blunt, and flat; seldom quite entire, 
but often wavy and even toothed, especially at the 
end. Each segment has a zigzag, prominent mid¬ 
vein, from which lateral veins issue alternately. The 
lowest side-vein, and next to the mid-vein, exclusively 
bears at its end, if fertile, a mass of fructification. These 
masses of fructification are thus in a row, and mid-way 
between the mid-vein and margin of the segment; each 
of the other side-veins terminates in a little knob, which 
looks like an abortive mass of fructification. Each 
mass is circular; depressed at first, but becoming pro¬ 
minent; without any cover ( indusium ), and often run¬ 
ning together when ripe. They are then shining, orange 
tawny coloured. The spores burst open when moistened. 
The upper part of each frond is usually fertile. 
There are three varieties of this Fern found in the 
British Islands. 
1. Polypodium vulgare Catnbricum, or Common Welsh 
Polypody. It has a broad, somewhat egg-shaped frond, 
with the segments irregularly toothed, and always barren. 
Linnaeus considered it a distinct species. This was first 
known as a British variety in 1686, being then men¬ 
tioned by Bay in his Historia Plantarum. He says 
that he received it from Sir Hans Sloane, and that it 
was first discovered near Dennis Powis Castle, three 
miles from Cardiff, in Glamorganshire. It has since 
been found at Chepstow, in Monmouthshire, near Dun- 
dry Church, in the vicinity of Bristol, and at Braid 
Hall, near Edinburgh. P. vulgare sinuatum is a very 
slight variation of this. 
2. Polypodium vulgare serratum, or Common toothed 
Polypody. The segments of this are very regularly, 
and often doubly toothed. It is first mentioned 
as a British variety in 1724 by Dillenius, in 
his edition of Ray’s "Synopsis of British Plants.” 
He says it was found on the walls of Windsor 
Castle by the Rev. Mr. Manningham. It has been 
found, also, near Bristol, in the Ashton Manor and 
Leigh Woods. P. vulgare acutum is a very slight 
variation of this, the segments being more pointed, 
and has been found on rocks in North Wales; iu 
Cobham Park, Kent; and in meadows near Malden 
and Ewell, in Surrey. P. vulgare Hibernicum is another 
No. CCCCXXXII. Vol. XVII. 
