THE LADY FERN. 
BRITISH SPECIES AND VARIETIES. 
A, Filiz-femina: a perennial, with pinnate-pinnatifid, twice pinnate, or thrice 
pinnate lanceolate fronds ; very prolific of varieties, 
(a) Fronds normal. ; 
(1) Fronds broad lanceolate ; pinmules flat. 
var. marinum: bipinnate; pinnules crowded, oblong-obtuse, connected. by 
the wing of rachis ; teeth mostly simple and even ; sori short, much 
curved, near the costa. 
var, latifolium: bipinnate ; pinnules short-stalked, flat, imbricate, ovate ; 
sori small, distant from the costa. 
var, acuminatum: bipinnate ; pinne with long acuminate apices ; pinnules 
distinct deeurrent linear-oblong ; sori numerous, near the costa. 
var, incisum : subtripinnate ; pinnules linear-lanceolate, deeply pinnatifid, 
the lobes with marginal and apical teeth ; sori numerous, near the 
costa, f 
var. plumosum: tripinnate ; pinnules ovate-acuminate, imbricate, cut into 
linear inciso-pinnatifid secondary pinnules ; segments narrow linear, 
unequally bifid or three-toothed ; sori imperfect, submarginal in the 
sinuses, 
var. gracile: bipinnate ; pinnæ caudately acuminate ; pinnules distant on 
the slender rachides, linear-oblong fringed with linear teeth ; sori 
crowded, near the costa. 
var, disseotum: bipinnate ; pinn® suddenly acuminate ; pinnules distant 
decurrent, irregularly ovate-oblong, pinnatifid ; lobes distant 
unequally toothed ; sori near the costa at the base of the sinuses. 
(2) Fronds narrow lanceolate ; pinnules convex. 
var. Yhestioum: pinnules distinct, becoming linear by the incurvation of 
the apices of their lobes ; sori numerous, near the costa. 
(b) Fronds monstrous, multifid. 
(1) Fronds tall, symmetrical. 4 
var, polydactylon: pinne flat, bi-tri-furcate, with flat not crispy tassels. 
var. multifidum: pinnules oblong acute, convex ; tassels crispy, of nume- 
rous narrow slightly divergent segments. 
var, multiceps: pinnules flat, oblong, unequal, inciso-serrate; tassels 
crispy, of numerous narrow lacerate spreading segments. 
var. corymbiferum: pinnules broad, flat, oblong-obtuse; tassels of broad 
spreading tapered segments, their rachides bordered with normal 
pinnules, P 
(2) Fronds dwarfish, unsymmetrical. 
vor. grandiceps: terminal tassel broad, multifid-crisped, dense; pinne 
indistinctly tasselled, 
var. depauperatum: terminal tassel loose, consisting of narrow lacerate 
segments ; pinne lacerate tasselled, 
(3) Fronds dwarf, ramose. j 
war. acrocladon: terminal tassels dense, multifid-crisped, with narrow 
projecting laciniately-toothed segments, 
var, crispum: terminal tassels dense, multifid-crisped, obtuse. 

