THE CRESTED BUCKLER FERN. 215 
truth, being that its earlier fertile fronds have the pinnules more 
acute, and more conspicuously lobed and toothed, and that the 
discrepancy in size between the anterior and posterior basal pinnules 
of the lower pinne, is a trifle more manifest. Caudex stout decum- 
bent, branching sparingly. Fronds erect linear-lanceolate, from two 
to four feet high, bipinnate at the base of the pinne ; of three kinds, 
but not all simultaneous in their appearance, nor constantly pro- 
duced, and though different not strikingly dissimilar like the barren 
and fertile fronds of some other Ferns:—(1) The spring or early 
fronds of strong crowns, which are fertile ; (2) with these sometimes, 
but not always, appear others which are shorter and barren, the latter 
being often produced from small lateral crowns, but also sometimes 
from the same crown which produces the fertile ones ; (3) summer 
or later fronds, which have broader and blunter pinnules more like 
the early barren ones, and being sometimes fertile, and sometimes 
barren. The early barren fronds (2) are small, spreading, pinnate, 
with decurrent oblong obtuse pinnules, and resemble small barren 
fronds of cristata. The summer fronds (3) are also like cristata, but 
perhaps broader, with decurrent oblong obtuse pinnules, and they 
are very frequently fertile. The fertile fronds produced in spring (1) 
are more like spinulosa; they. grow quite erect, and are linear- 
lanceolate, bipinnate, the basal pinnules distinct, all the pinne 
stalked, and set on so that their upper surface is turned towards 
the point of the frond. Pinne elongate triangular, the lower ones 
being shorter, broader, and more oblique than those above them, 
their first posterior pinnule being an inch, and the opposite anterior 
pinnule three-fourths of an inch long. The basal pinnules of the 
middle pinne are distinct, oblong, acute, pinnatifidly lobed, the 
lobes sharply serrate with longish spinulose or aristate teeth ; the 
upper pinnules are adnate and sharply and deeply serrate. Fructi- — 
fication extending over the whole frond, but most copious towards 
the top, where it forms two lines near the midrib on the smaller 
pinnules, being confined to the anterior basal venules; whilst it 
becomes confused on the larger pinnules in consequence of being 
produced in two series on the lobes, both anterior and posterior 
venules being there fertile. The fronds are said to appear several 
days earlier than those of Lastrea cristata, but our cultivated plants 

