



68 THE BRITISH FERNS. 
themselves lobed, and in some instances, the lobules again divided or 
serrated. There are several slight variations: sometimes, especially 
in young or recently divided plants, the fronds are merely crenately- 
serrated, and they occurin various degrees of development. The 
fronds are irregularly bipinnatifid, from a foot to a foot and a-half in 
length, elongate-ovate in outline, pinnatifid, in the lower part almost 
pinnate. The primary lobes in the lower half of the frond are 
narrow and deeply serrate at the base and apex, deeply pinnatifid 
about the middle; the secondary lobes or lobules are linear, acute 
or bluntish, serrate, longest at the lower part of the frond, becoming 
shorter upwards. It is this lobed condition of the lower half of 
the frond which seems to have suggested the name. The veins 
from the principal midvein extend along the lobules, and become 
branched, the branches dividing into from two to three venules ; 
while in the less divided parts, the veins are arranged similarly 
to those in luxuriant examples of the normal form. The upper half 
of the frond is fertile, and in this fertile portion the lobes are 
scarcely subdivided, the uppermost ones being merely serrate or 
crenato-serrate ; the development of the lobules, and of the sori, are 
consequently not generally coincident on the same parts. Occa- 
sionally the whole frond, instead of the upper portion only, is 
merely crenato-serrate; it then agrees with the sinuatum of Mr. 
Francis. This -beautiful plant, in its best state, was found many 
years since in a wood near the Dargle in the county of Wicklow, 
Ireland. Other more or less, modified forms, of it have been met 
with—Cornwall, Rev. C. Trelawny. Devon: Berry Pomeroy Castle, 
Sir W. C. Trevelyan; Torquay; Sidmouth. Somerset: Cheddar; 
Nettlecombe, C. Elworthy. Isle of Wight: Bonchurch. Kent: 
Saltwood Castle, S. O. Gray. Norfolk: Postwick, Hb. Hooker. 
Monmouth: Tintern Abbey, and Chepstow Castle, R. Heward. 
Pembrokeshire: Castle Malgwyn, W. Hutchison. Carnarvon : 
Aberglaslyn, Dr. Allchin. Lancashire: Ulverstone, Miss E. Hodgson. ` 
Kerry: Killarney, J. Ball Dr. Allehin. Clare: Ballinahinch, 
J. R. Kinahan. Waterford: Blackwater, J. R. Kinahan. Antrim: 
Red Hall, Carrickfergus. Galway: Lough Coota, J. R. Kinahan. 
Arran Isles. Guernsey, Dr. Allchin. It-grows, moreover, in Ger- 
many; and at Cintra in Portugal. [Plate V.—Folio ed. t. II A.] 

