THE MALE FERN. 195 
which are indusia of roundish outline with a sinus extending up- 
wards beyond the centre, so that the lobes look like saddle flaps. 
We have ascertained from a careful examination of Dr. Wallich’s 
specimens that this appearance of the indusia is merely the result of 
age. In the younger and perfect state the indusium is round, 
convex, with a posterior notch or sinus, and very much inflected 
margins, just as occurs in the British plant. As the spore-cases 
enlarge, they are unable to lift off the indusium, in consequence 
of its constricted margin, and the result is that the edge becomes 
split opposite the sinus. The indusium is then pushed up by the 
advancing spore-cases, the upper margin is apparently brought nearer 
the point of attachment, and the two halves assume the appear- 
ance which attracted the attention of Prof. Braun. Exactly the 
same structure of indusium occurs in the other species referred to 
this supposed genus—a Columbian plant collected by Hartweg. 
There are of this as of the var. incisa, numerous examples of 
monstrous development, which in this variety, commonly takes the 
form of a branching of the rachis, a forking of the apex, or a 
branching of the points of the pinne. Such growths are not 
usually permanent. The var. multifida of which the peculiarities 
are that the apex of the frond, and of more or fewer of the pinn® 
are bifid or multifid, and that the pinne are at the same time occa- 
sionally depauperated to a mere rib, is one of these monstrous 
forms, which is nearly permanent under cultivation. We have 
examples of these abnormal growths from Penryn, Cornwall; Barn- 
staple, Torquay, and Upeott, Devon; Tunbridge Wells, Kent; 
Settle and Castle Howard Woods, Yorkshire; Dublin county ; and 
from Guernsey. 
We have received from Mr. Jackson a broad leafy form, gathered. 
at Barnstaple, in which the pinnules, without being much changed 
in form, are irregularly and unequally laciniate-lobate. This, which 
belongs to paleacea, may if constant, be called fissum. 
10.. paleaceo-lobata (M.). This is a very remarkable and beautiful 
form of paleacea, in which the margins of the pinnules are lobate, 
and also somewhat undulated. The fronds are very large, and the 
pale or glaucous under-surface and rich coloured scales are well 
marked. The finest, because undulated form, was found at Tarbet, 
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