WEISS’ SPLEENWORT. 151 
40. WEISS’ SPLEENWORT. Gerwanicum. 
Asplenium germanicum, Weiss. B. F. 258. 
Asplenium alternifolium, Wulfen. 
» The caudex is tufted: the stalk dark brown at the 
base, but green above: the frond is very narrow, linear 
and pinnate: the pinne are few in number, alternate, 
distant, ascending, somewhat curved, the convexity of 
the curvature being outwards, the concavity towards 
the stalk, bifid or trifid at the tip, and occasionally 
toothed or lobed on one or both sides: the united apical 
portion of the frond is generally larger and also more 
pointed than either of the pinne, and is of uncertain — 
shape, being dissimilar in different fronds of the same 
plant: the pinnae, as in the last species, are without a 
midvein; they have two, three or four subparallel, longi- 
tudinal veins, and on each of these is usually situated a 
line of seeds, which, as far as I have observed, is covered 
by a linear, somewhat inflated and persistent involucre, 
which is slightly arched over the seeds, opens towards 
the median line of the pinna, and has a sinuous but 
_ not jagged free margin. 
_ This little fern is nowhere common, but occurs 
hie and there on walls and rocks in Sweden, 
Hungary, Germany, France and Italy. I have seen 
no specimens from beyond the limits of Europe. It 
