THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, January 20, 1857. 267 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
H 
M 
D 
W 
JANUARY 20—26, 1857. 
Weather ni 
Barometer. 
5ar 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. 
20 
Tu 
Groundsel (Senecio). 
29.103—29.034 
50—42 
S. 
06 
57 a. 7 
26 a. 4 
3 14 
24 
11 
24 
20 
21 
W 
White Archangel (Laurn). 
29 . 071 — 29.026 
51—37 
s.w. 
36 
56 
28 
4 29 
25 
11 
41 
21 
22 
Th 
29 . 515 - 29.296 
42—37 
N.E. 
14 
55 
30 
5 41 
26 
11 
5 7 
22 
23 
F 
29 . 344 — 29.220 
54—45 
S.W. 
12 
53 
31 
6 45 
27 
12 
12 
23 
24 
s 
28.992—28.928 
52—39 
s.w. 
13 
52 
33 
7 36 
28 
12 
27 
24 
25 
Son 
3 Sunday after Epiph. Conv. 
29.432—28.993 
50—35 
w. 
— 
51 
35 
sets 
12 
41 
25 
26 
M 
[St. Paul. 
29.473—29.398 
51—36 
s.w. 
14 
49 
36 
5 a* 5 
1 
12 
54 
26 
Meteorology of the Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-eight years, the average highest and lowest 
temperatures of these days are 43.3°, and 32.4°, respectively. The greatest heat, 58°, occurred on the 23rd, in 1834 ; and the lowest cold, 7°, 
on the 20th, in 1838. During the period 110 days were fine, and on 8fi rain fell. 
POLY'STICHUM ANGULA'RE. 
i This is tlio Aspidium aculeatiim of the botanist Kunze. 
Indeed, there is much disagreement among authorities 
as to the differences between Polystichum aculeatum and 
P. angulare and their varieties. As there are sufficient 
points of distinction we have avoided, by retaining them 
as separate species, any attempt to reconcile the dissen¬ 
tients. That now under our consideration is the Aspi. 
dium angulare of some botanists. In English it has 
been called Angular-leaved Shield Fern, Soft Prickly 
Shield Fern, and Angular Prickly Shield Fern. 
Its main root is large, tufted, often upright and trunk¬ 
like when old. It sends forth many creeping side-shoots, 
which produce crowns, and the whole are furnished with 
many coarse, wiry rootlets. The fronds — spear-head 
shaped in general outline — vary in height from two to 
four, and even moro, feet. They are more soft and deli¬ 
cate in their texture than those of P. aculeatum, con¬ 
sequently they are more flexible, drooping, and elegant 
in their habit of growth; they are also more shaggy. 
Of the stem about one-fourth is unleafleted, and is, as 
well as the stalks of the leaflets, very thickly covered 
with reddish-brown chaff-liko scales. Towards the ex¬ 
treme ends of the leaflets the scales gradually are finer 
until they really become hairs. The leaflets are alternate 
and narrow spear-head in outline. The leafits are alter¬ 
nate, flat, stalked, and would be pointed-egg-shaped if 
the upper side did not produce near its base an irregular¬ 
toothed lobe; all are saw-edged. The lowest leafit on 
the upper edge of the leaflet’s stalk, and next the stem of 
the frond, is larger than the other leafits, though not so 
markedly larger or regular in its position up the stem as 
in P. aculeatum. All the lobes and teeth end in hairs, 
softer and less bristle-like than in P. aculeatum, and on 
their under surface are many hair-like scales. The mid¬ 
vein of each leafit is straight, emitting side-veins in oppo¬ 
site pairs, and the side-veins are branched. On the 
lowest of the upper branches of these side-veins is the 
fructification. It is in circular masses, each having a 
cover ( indusium ), slightly depressed in the centre, and 
usually entire. 
There are two varieties. Subtripinnatum (almost 
doubly-leafited), with the lower leafits very deeply 
cut, and the sections or lobes sometimes distinct. An- 
gustatum (narrow-leafited), all the leafits being very 
narrow, and much more pointed than are those of the 
species. 
It is found in similar situations as P. aculeatum, and 
is plentiful in England, Wales, and Ireland, but less 
abundant in Scotland. Wherever aculeatum occurs this 
species is likely to be found. 
There is little doubt that this species was known to 
Ray in 1696, when he published the second edition of 
his Synopsis Stirpium Britannicarum. After particular¬ 
ising the Fern we have previously described as Poly¬ 
stichum aculeatum, Ray next mentions Filix Lonchitidi 
affinis (Fern related to Lonchitis), adding, “ Under this 
title was sent to me, by Mr. Lloyd, a plant like to the 
preceding, but with rounder leafits, and covered all over 
No. CCCCXXXIV. Vol. XVII. 
