THE HAY-SCENTED BUCKLER FERN. 251 
surface. Sori round, numerous, indusiate, forming two rows along 
each of the pinnules and pinnulets, placed near to the midvein, often 
becoming confluent. Indusium reniform, its margin jagged and 
uneven, and sparingly furnished with sessile glands. Spore-cases 
numerous, brown, obovate. Spores oblong, granulated. 
Duration. The caudex is perennial. The fronds of one season 
endure until after the earlier ones of the following year are produced, 
so that the plant is evergreen. The growth takes place in succes- 
sion from the month of May onwards till autumn. 
This beautiful plant is quite distinct both in character and aspect 
from Lastrea dilatata with which it is sometimes associated. Its 
fragrance, which is a remarkable characteristic, is powerful, resembling 
that of new hay, becoming too, like that, developed by the desicca- 
tion of the plant, and retaining its strength for a length of time 
_in the dried specimens of the herbarium. The scales of the stipites 
differ from those of Lastrea dilatata, both in size, form, and number, 
being in Lastrea emula fewer, narrower, and for the most part either 
fringed or lacerate at the margin, pale brown, and concolorous. The 
fronds too are much more decidedly evergreen than in L. dilatata ; 
and, as already mentioned, they have this peculiarity, that they 
decay from above downwards, and not from the base of the stipes 
upwards as dilatata does. The indusium, moreover, is bordered with 
sessile, not with stalked glands. In ordinary cases, the triangular 
outline and concave crispy surface of the fronds will suffice to dis- 
tinguish the plant, without recourse to the more minute characters 
residing in the scales and indusia. The plant varies with more 
elongated fronds, approaching to ovate in outline; while it is to be 
remembered some forms of dilatata are decidedly triangular in outline, - 
so that the form of the frond alone must not be implicitly relied on. 
This Fern is found plentifully in the Peninsula formed by the coun- 
ties of Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset; and it also occurs in several 
parts of Sussex. It has not been seen in the south-eastern portion 
of England, but has been gathered in several parts of Wales, in the 
Isle of Man, in North Lancashire, in Cumberland and Northumber- 
land, and both on the eastern and western sides of Yorkshire. In 

