70 BRITISH FERNS 
this species of leaves rubbed down to dust with plenty of coarse 
silver ne Its fronds us from a tufted rootstock, and have a 
black, shiny stalk, whence 
the name.. Its subdivisions 
vary considerably in the 
direction of greater obtuse- 
ness or  acuteness, the 
latter appearing to de- 
pend to some extent on 
7 climate. The imported 
Fern fronds sold in our 
markets as the “French 
Fern" are of this species, 
and are always of the 
acute variety (Fig. 23). 
Several marked varieties 
have been found. 
GRANDICEPS (Fig. 24).— 
Heavily crested at frond · 
tip, and with fan-shaped, 
serrate pinne. Found in 
Ireland ру Wars Кет R 
Travers Smith. A similar 
Fig. 24. Asp. ad. "ig. grandiceps. form was found in Devon. 







LINEARE.—A form found by the writer in Cornwall, with very 
narrow fronds and linear subdivisions. 
ов NV 
Fig. 25. Asp. ad. nig. microdon. 
Micropon (Fig. 25).—Found in Guernsey ; is a counterpart of 
the variety of Asp. lanceolatum similarly named ; it is presumably 
a plumose form, and is, we believe, barren, the spores, though 
apparently plentiful, being aborted. 



