FLEXILE LADY FERN. 127 
and each bears a circular mass of seeds half-way 
between its base and tip: scales small, concolorous, 
pale brown, scattered sparingly over the general and 
partial stems, but, as usual, larger and more numerous 
towards the base of the frond. In all the specimens 
T possess the fronds are without seed at the tip, and 
profusely seeded at the base, a character which at once 
distinguishes this from any other British fern. In 
size this fern is rather diminutive; its fronds fre- 
quently attain a length of twelve inches, but its 
average length is seven: it fruits freely, even when 
not more than three inches in length. Great pains 
have been taken to discover abnormal forms, or any 
form that would indicate an approach to described 
, but it is remarkably constant in all its 
characters. Flexile has been referred by speculative 
botanists to Filix-femina, Alpestre and Fragilis, but 
those who are practically acquainted with it, without 
eeeption, consider it a distinct species. 
erto found only in Glen Prosen, in Forfarshire, — 
_ by a party of botanists, consisting of Messrs. James 
Backhouse, Thomas Westcombe and James Back- — 
house, jun., to all of whom I am indebted for the 
Sepersoaity of examining a series of specimens. In 
__ this locality it appears to be most abundant, and 
' aides will be found generally distributed, like 
the Alpine Lady Fern, over the Highland glens of 
Scotland. 
