THE COMMON HART'S-TONGUE FERN, 153 
three inches long, and trumpet-shaped at the base. The plant 
originally known in gardens was found in Yorkshire by Mr. Thorne. 
Somewhat similar forms have been recently found in Somersetshire 
by Mr. C. Elworthy, and in Yorkshire by Messrs. Stansfield; it has 
also been recorded from Dunglass Dean, Dumbartonshire, by Dr. W. 
Nichol. [Plate LXXXIV B.] 
16. mucronatum (Willd.). A very constant variety, raised by 
Mr. Clapham from spores of polyschides (21). The fronds are dwarf, 
the lamina from one to three inches in length, and scarcely 
an inch in breadth; they are subcordate at the base, of uniform 
width throughout, and bluntly rounded at the apex, the margin un- 
dulate and denticulate, and the costa excurrent, forming a horn pro- 
jecting from the upper surface. It is a very interesting sterile form. 
17. subeornutum (Tait). This handsome and distinct as well as 
constant variety is peculiar on account of its rigid coriaceous texture, 
and its upright habit. The fronds are six to eight inches high, 
rather narrow, crenate, or more or less deeply cleft into narrow 
rounded lobes; this small even toothing of the margin is sometimes 
remarkable. The fronds terminate abruptly in a rounded apex, 
and the costa occasionally becomes excurrent near the apex, and 
forms a horn or hook on the under side; they are also sometimes 
branched, either near the base, or towards the middle, or they are 
divided two or three times near the apex, each branch being blunt- 
ended; sometimes they branch several times on one side only. 
The sori are few and scattered. Mr. A. Tait of Edinburgh 
obtained this form under the name of polyschides, from the nursery 
of Mr. Sang, of Kirkaldy, Fifeshire. Mr. Clapham has raised some 
very interesting seedlings of this variety,* some of which are 
very ramose from about the middle of the frond, dividing and 
again dividing, so as to form in some fronds seven or eight divisions, 
which are of the usual crenate-toothed character, the horn being 
however wanting, and the fronds freely bulbiferous; they form 
dwarf elegant plants. Another seedling produces half of its fronds 
* It would appear from these and other instances known, that new forms of Ferns, 
such as have been discovered of late years in such abundance in wild habitats, are 
from time to time being produced as seedling sports from the parent plant, and may 
some of them be destined to become perpetuated, 

