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peculiar aspect. The fronds are of triangular outline, not more 
than a foot high, including the stipes of about three inches, which 
latter is sparingly furnished with the dark-centred lanceolate scales 
belonging to the species. The fronds are not all alike, but the 
triangular outline with here and there a defect is maintained. The 
usual obliquity of the basal pinn® is sometimes but not always 
developed; and the pinne are here and there, but not often, 
wanting or much abbreviated. The pinnules are rather distant, 
narrow oblong, all pointing forwards, narrowed below, and more or 
less distinctly decurrent at the base; they are very distantly lobed, 
the basal lobes being generally short and depauperated, some of the 
more perfect upper ones having a few coarse spiny teeth. Some 
fronds are rather less decurrent, and the pinnules rather more deeply 
divided, the lobes being in this case more generally and equally 
developed, and all of them irregularly spine-toothed. In one frond 
before us, the apices of all the pinne are equally abortive, producing 
a narrow triangular frond with truncate pinns, and lobed as in the 
former. The most normal-looking fronds we have seen, are of the 
same small size, but with oblong pinnules, which are cuneate as 
well as decurrent at the base, the margin lobed, and the lobes irre- 
gularly mucronate-serrate; some of the pinnules, here and there, 
being abortive or depauperated. It is an interesting monstrosity, 
and seems constant. The root was gathered near Scarborough in 
Yorkshire, in 1855, by Mr. Clapham, and has since maintained the 
same character. 
19. minima (M.). This is a pigmy fern, the fronds being from 
about three and a half to seven inches in total stature. The fronds 
have an ovate outline, more or less affected by the parts becoming 
depauperated. The more normal parts resemble decurrens (18), only 
they are broader and more perfect, the pinnules in these portions 
being oblong, lobate-serrate, with acuminate teeth, often narrowed 
below and generally decurrent. The pinne near the base of the 
fronds are many of them depauperated; some reduced to the size 
of pinnules, with incised edges; some much shortened, with the pin- 
nules also reduced, and often consisting only of a few coarse lobe- 
like teeth. The pinne are either wholly affected in this Way, or 
some of the pinnules among the more perfect ones acquire this 

