THE COMMON HART'S-TONGUE FERN. 183 
a 
in Guernsey by Mr. James; and more recently at Nailsworth in 
Gloucestershire, by Mrs. Campbell. 
Here also may be included :—sagittato-crispum (8), sagittato- 
laceratum (9), Claphamié (13), and compositum (14). 
Variabile Series. 
107. variabile (Woll.) This curious form, which as its name 
implies, has fronds of various size and shape, is a vigorous growing 
coarse variety, constant to its peculiar characters. The fronds are 
sometimes nearly normal, with an unequal cordate base, just below 
which a stalked or sessile distinct reniform lobe or branch is produced. 
Some fronds are branched in the stipes or near the base, or towards 
the apex, but are otherwise normal. Others are abbreviated, the 
apex being either abruptly rounded off or separating into two subreni- 
form overlapping lobes: these abbreviated fronds being sometimes 
not more than one or two inches long. Sometimes the margin is 
very unequally divided—once or oftener—almost or quite to the 
midrib, the divisions forming bluntly rounded or subreniform lobes. 
The base is usually unequal, and very commonly has one of these 
lobes an inch or two in length formed there. Some plants have 
many of the fronds with the stipes divided and bearing two short 
equal kidney-shaped lobes: which state has been called bireniforme; 
in some fronds of this form sent by Mr. Chanter, the two reni- 
form lobes standing opposite with their sides incurved, produced a 
goblet-shaped frond. In other cases, the entire frond consists of one 
of these reniform lobes, dwarf and unequal-sided. Occasionally the 
fronds are branched, each branch bearing its reniform lobe or lobes. 
‘The plants always have the distinct reniform basal branch, sessile 
or stalked, or the few distant rounded subreniform marginal 
divisions, but are in other respects often normal, and abundantly 
fertile, though they are occasionally somewhat undulated, and rarely 
supralineate. It has been found in—Guernsey, Dr. Allchin, C. 
Jackson. Devonshire: Ilfracombe, Rev. J. M. Chanter, J. Dodds; 
Barnstaple, C. Jackson. Somersetshire: Nettlecombe, C. Elworthy. 
Sussex: Littlehampton, G. B. Wollaston. Isle of Wight. Lanca- 
shire: near Preston, A. Stansfield. [Plate LXXXVIII.] 

