332 THE BRITISH FERNS. 
plants, succeeded in tracing any connection between the plants; so 
that this must, Ï fear, be for the present classed among those botanical 
puzzles which have baffled all our efforts for their unravelling.” 
The virtues of the Moonwort are doubtless more imaginary than 
real, but they have been held in high estimation, and the plant 
gathered by the light of the moon, was said to “doo wonders.” 
According to Gerarde it is “singular to heale fresh wounds ;” 
and both Gerarde and Ray regarded it as a remedy for dysentery. 
Besides these, the most wonderful magical properties were assigned 
toit. It is now, however, quite neglected as a remedial agent. 
The Botrychium is not subject to much variation, but one or two 
tolerably distinct forms sometimes occur :— 
1. rutaceum (M.). This plant, which is perhaps entitled to specific 
rank, differs in having a broad triangular twice-divided barren 
branch, which appears in fact as though it were a fertile branch of 
the common sort accidentally become barren and leafy, and also by 
the narrow elongate linear or oblong form of the secondary divisions, 
of which there are about three or four pairs. It has been found, 
very sparingly, on the sands of Barry near Dundee, and is also 
reported to have been found in Westmoreland. We have not seen : 
a native specimen, but that from Dundee figured by Mr. Newman 
tolerably well agrees with the European B. rutaceum, which is by no 
means an unlikely plant to occur in Great Britain. We must how- 
ever at present be content to regard it as a doubtful member of our 
Flora. The figure of Newman has been referred by Hooker and 
Arnott to B. simpler; but Dr. Milde who has paid much attention 
to the species of this genus identifies it with B. rutaceum of Willde- 
now (matricariefolium of Braun) excluding, in part, the rutaceum of 
Swartz. Dr. Milde's own illustrations of B. /anceolatum (including 
Fl. Dan. i. 18, fig. dext.) are most nearly accordant with the 
figure of the Dundee plant, which should probably bear the name 
of var. lanceolatum instead of rutaceum, hitherto applied to it. 
2. tripartitum (M.). This form, though like it producing deltoid 
barren branches to its fronds, is quite distinct from the plant above 
referred to. It differs from the normal state only in producing a 

