THE HART'S TONGUE FERN. 137 
The name is derived from that of Scolopendra, a genus of myria- 
pods, and is applied in allusion to the lines of fructification, which 
resemble the many legs of these crawling animals. 
BRITISH SPECIES "AND VARIETIES. 
$. vulgare: a perennial, with simple strap-shaped fronds, cordate at the base ; 
very prolific of varieties. 
(a) Fronds strap-shaped. 
var. gymnosorum: fronds narrow, truncate at the base, the apex lobate, 
the margin repand and toothed; sori and veins very oblique ; 
indusium usually abortive. 
. sagittifolium : fronds oblong, attenuate or lobate at the apex, the base 
sagittate. 
. cornutum: fronds crenate or lobate on the margin, usually obtuse, the 
midrib exeurrent below the apex, forming a horn ; fertile. 
. polyschides: fronds narrow, the base sub-truncate, the margin lobed 
and irregularly crenate ; fertile. 
. marginatum: fronds narrowish, the base truncate, the margin inciso- 
lobate, producing an excurrent lobed fertile free membrane on the 
under surface ; fertile. 
, muricatum : fronds oblong, slightly sinuous or lobed, the upper surface 
ridgy, with raised points. 
. crispum : fronds broad-oblong, the base strongly auriculate-cordate, 
the margin much undulated ; usually barren. 
. variabile: fronds oblong, rounded or lobate at the apex, the margin 
sometimes with one or more rounded lobes; stipes often bearing a 
distinct reniform lobe. 
(b) Fronds multifid or ramose. 
var. multifidum : fronds irregular, fureately multifid-erisped at the apex ; 
stipes undivided ; very variable and including numerous sub varieties ; 
fertile. 
var. ramosum: fronds irregular, the apex densely multifid-crisped ; stipes 
branched. 
var. laceratum: fronds broadly ovate, sometimes strap-shaped, subundu- 
late, deeply ineiso-lobate, the lobes prolonged, the apex and some- 
times also the pair of enlarged basal lobes multifid-erisped. 

