





216 THE BRITISH FERNS. 
of both have never shown any constancy in this respect, although 
circumstanced alike. We consider this plant more closely allied to 
the type cristata than to spinulosa, because its vernation agrees more 
exactly with the former, and because neither its early barren fronds 
nor its later fertile ones can be certainly distinguished from analogous 
separated fronds of cristata, whilst, on the other hand, no such 
eristata-like fronds are produced by spinulosa. The special atten- 
tion of English botanists was drawn to this plant a few years since 
by Mr. John Lloyd, by whom it was found at Oxton Bog, Notting- 
hamshire. It has also been certainly gathered at Wybunbury Bog, 
Cheshire ; and at Bawsey Heath, Norfolk. There are beyond this 
records of its occurrence at Surlingham Broad and Wymondham, 
both in Norfolk; and we have seen specimens which are, we think, 
referrible here from Tunbridge Wells in Kent, from a bog near 
Newcastle-under-Lyne, in Staffordshire; and from Broseley in 
Shropshire. Mr. Newman himself reports it from Epping Forest, 
but all the so-called uliginosa we have seen from thence proved 
to be spinulosa. From Scotland there is no recorded station. In 
Ireland, Mucruss, Killarney, has been mentioned as a habitat, and 
Wager, a Fern-collector, reports that it is plentiful in Glen Flesk, 
near Kenmare, in Kerry. The same plant doubtless occurs in 
Rhenish Prussia. 
2. spinulosa (M.). This plant is variously considered as a form of 
Lastrea dilatata, as a distinct species, and as a form of Lastrea cristata 
which latter is the view we adopt. It is distinguished from Z. 
dilatata, by its creeping caudex, by the few broad pallid scales of its 
stipes, and by the absence of glands from the margin of its indusium. 
The connecting link between it and dilatata is the glandulosa of 
Newman, which latter has a decumbent and in some instances 
a slowly creeping caudex, but not the entire margined indusium 
of spinulosa, and differs also in the abundant glands which cover it— 
though this latter is a character of comparatively little value, for 
common forms of dilatata, in no other respect distinguishable, are 
found both covered with and free from glands. Though agreeing 
with cristata in the precise and import nt characters afforded by 
the caudex, the scales, and the indusia, itis perhaps more readily 
separated by the eye from that, than from imperfect specimens of 

