THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, January 27, 1887. 285 
! 
WEEKLY CALENDAR 
D 
M 
D 
W 
JAN. 27—Feb. 2, 1857. 
Weather n 
Barometer. 
ear 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. 
V 
Tu 
29.811 — 2p. <536 
47—20 
N.W. 
02 
48 a. 7 
38 a. 4 
6 34 
2 
13 
6 
27 
28 
W 
Formica rufa. 
29.737—29.621 
42—24 
S.W. 
08 
47 
40 
8 1 
3 
13 
18 
28 
29 
Th 
Apis mellifica. 
29.696-29.694 
38—19 
N.W. 
— 
45 
42 
9 26 
4 
13 
29 
29 
30 
F 
Culex pipiens. 
30.031—29.730 
38—21 
N.W. 
— 
44 
44 
10 52 
5 
13 
38 
30 
31 
S 
Hilary Term ends. 
30.179—30.075 
37-19 
N.W. 
-■ 
42 
45 
morn. 
6 
13 
47 
31 
1 
Sun 
4 Sunday after Epiphany. 
30.135—30.051 
38—29 
W. 
— 
VII 
IV 
0m. 18 
35 
13 
55 
32 
2 
M 
Hare’s-tail Rush (Eriophor). 
30.001—29.908 
38—28 
W. 
— 
39 
49 
1 47 
8 
14 
3 
33 
Meteorology of the Week. —At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-eight years, the average highest and lowest 
temperatures of these days are 4-1.0°, and 31.4°, respectively. The greatest heat, 5/°, occurred on the 1st, in 1852 ; and the lowest cold, 13°, 
on the 2nd, in 1831. During the period 102 days were fine, and on 92 rain fell. 
POLY'STICHUM LOBA'TUM. 
This is considered by some botanists merely as a variety 
of Polystichum aculeatum, but from Ray downwards 
it has been admitted as a distinct species by many 
authorities. Ray in his Synopsis Siirpium Britan- 
nicarum describes it as Filix aculeata major, pinnulis 
auriculatis crebioribus, foliis integris angustioribus (larger 
prickly Fern, with closer and eared lealits, and with the 
whole fronds narrower). Sir J. E. Smith, after quoting 
this description, adds, “ Ray has well marked the dif¬ 
ferences between P. aculeatum and P. lobatum. Mr. 
Francis sums up the distinctions very effectively as 
follows:— 
“ This species is distinguished from aculeatum, for which 
alone it can be taken, by the decurrent lobes ; and as Sir J. 
E. Smith very rightly observes, ‘ by the much shorter, more 
crowded, and less scaly pinnae (leaflets).’ Added to which the 
pinnules (leafits) are more entire, being but slightly eared, 
very convex, thick, and of a glaucous colour, furnished with 
a less number of, and smaller, bristly serratures, sometimes 
wanting them entirely at the sides. The sori also are more 
confined to the top of the leaf, and larger than in aculeatum. 
The variety lonchitidoides is not very scaly, and in form and 
size exactly intermediate between this species and lonchitis.” 
It is the Polypodium lobatum of Hudson, and the 
Polypodium lonchitidoides of some other botanists. In 
English it was called by Ray Prickly Male Fern with 
narrower leaves, and by others Close-leaved Prickly Shield 
Fern. 
Main root large, tufted. Fronds evergreen, produced 
in a circle, from one foot to two feet high, stiff, narrow 
spear-head shaped in their general outline, milky green 
in colour, and surface very shining. Stem strong, very 
scaly, and leafleted almost to the base. Leaflets alter¬ 
nate, short, very gradually decreasing in length as they 
approach the top of the stem, curved upwards ; so close 
together near the bottom of the stem as to overlap each 
other. Leafits pointed egg-shaped, at their base run¬ 
ning much into each other; slightly saw-toothed; only 
the larger ones eared, and that but slightly; that next 
the stem, on the upper side of the leaflet, so broad as to 
overlap that next to it, and so long as to partly cover 
the under leafit on the leaflet next above it. Fructification 
only at the top of the frond; the masses somewhat ir¬ 
regular in size, home by the lowest branch of the side- 
veins, circular, with a cover depressed in the centre. 
It is found on shady hedge-banks, and is more common 
than P. aculeatum, which is some evidence that it is not 
a variety of that species. 
We extract from Mr. Francis’s “ Analysis of British 
Ferns ” the following list of the places where it is 
found:— 
“ Extremely common in Scotland and in the north of 
England, gradually losing itself towards the south, and 
becoming more and more intermingled with aculeatum, 
which in its turn is superseded still more southerly by angu¬ 
lar e. In the middle and south of England its recorded 
habitats are Leicestershire; common about Settle, Yorkshire ; 
Pottery Car, near Doncaster; Matlock, Derbyshire; at Stud- 
ley, Sambourne, Overley, and Weatherly, Warwickshire ; 
Lane leading to the Vach6 from Chalfont, Bucks; near 
Bristol; near Dorking, Surrey; in Hants, Ac.; near Yar¬ 
mouth; Sussex and S. Kent. Wales —near Wrexham, Den- 
No CCCCXXXY. Vol XVII. 
