
THE BRITISH FERNS. 
SYNOPSIS OF THE SPECIES. 
$ Hypopeltis.—Pinne and pinnules continuous with the rachis. 
* Fronds pinnate. 
1. P. Lonchitis: pinne rigid spinosely ciliato-serrate, falcate, auricled ; the 
upper ones usually overlapping. 
** Fronds bipinnate. 
+ Fronds rigid ; pinmules sessile, attached by the acute-angled wedge-shaped 
base, spiny-serrate. 
2. P. aculeatum: fronds broad lanceolate; pinnules ovate acute, sub-falcate, 
auricled ; sori infra-medial. 
vor. lobatum: fronds narrow lanceolate ; pinnules nearly all confluent, 
the lowest only auricled. 
var. argutum: fronds lanceolate ; pinnules distinct, long, narrow, 4. e. 
linear acute, auricled. 
var. eristatum: fronds lanceolate; apical lobes of the pinne confluent, 
forming a dilated somewhat crispy termination. 
++ Fronds lax ; pinnules (basal omes of lower pinne) with obtuse-angled 
base, attached by a slender pedicel, bristly serrate. 
3. P.angulare: fronds broad lanceolate; pinnules short oblong-ovate, subfalcate, 
auricled ; sori terminal or subterminal. 

(a) Fronds normal. 
var. imbricatum: fronds narrow lanceolate; pinnules roundish-oblong, 
imbricated, bristle-tipped ; rachis proliferous. 
var. rotundatum: fronds narrow lanceolate ; pinnules few, rotundate, flat, 
obscurely crenate, or sub-entire. 
r. alatum: fronds lanceolate ; pinnules decurrent, the pedicel obliterated 
by a wing to the rachis. 
r. confluens: fronds bipinnate below; pinnules (where perfect) linear, 
* acute, auricled, often depauperated or cuneate, the upper con- 
fluent into a linear lobato-serrate apex; upper pinne linear-falcate, 
auricled, serrated. 
. gracile: fronds bipinnate, ovate-caudate, lax ; pinnules narrow oblong 
or linear, acute, distinct, scarcely auricled, inciso-serrate. 
. grandidens: fronds bipinnate, narrow lanceolate; pinne irregularly 
abbreviated, their apex often flabellate ; pinnules variable, coarsely 
inciso-dentate or laciniate, the teeth subulate. 
. plumosum: fronds ovate-lanceolate, thin, chartaceous, bipinnate ; 
pinnules deeply inciso-lobate, all acutely aristate-serrate. 
. proliferum: fronds ovate-lanceolate, bi-tri-pinnate ; pinnules attenu- 
ated, distinct, distantly and attenuately lobed ; rachis proliferous. 
(b) Fronds monstrous or abnormal. á 
var. cristatum: fronds lanceolate, the apices of the fronds and pinne 
multifid-erisped. 
var. polydactylum: fronds narrow lanceolate, the apices of the fronds and 
pinne ramose or multifid, plane. 
var, Kitsonie: fronds ramose above, the branches corymbosely tufted ; 
pinne dilated-crisped at their apices ; pinnules setaceo-serrate. 


