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Fern Evolution
{ ride pages 21 and 89).

CHOICE

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BRITISH FERHS:

THEIR YRRIETIES RND CULTURE,

CHARLES T:^’ DRUERY, F.L.S.

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS OF ABOUT 120 SELECT FORMS.

LONDON:

L. UPCOTT GILL, 170, STRAND, W.C.

1888.

LONDON :

PRINTED BY ALFRED BRADLEY, 170, STRAND W.C.

CONTENTS.

CHAP. PAGE

Introduction 1

I. -COLLECTION AND CULTIVATION OF BRITISH

FERNS.

I. Ferns and Fern-hunting : Where to

Seek and How to Know Them - - 7

II. On Variation Oenerally . . . . I7

III. Fern Culture and Propagation - - 27

IV. The Wonders op the Spore . . . 34

V. Fern Pots, Pans, and Contrivances,

Hockwork, etc. 45

VI. Ferneries, Wardian Cases, etc. - - - 50

VII. Fern Foes, and How to Fight Them - 61

II. -THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

I. Introduction 69

II. The Maidenhair Fern 71

III. The Parsley Fern - 73

CONTENTS.

CHAP. PAGE

IV. The Spleenworts - 76

V. The Ceteeach 84

VI. The Lady Fern 85

VII. The Hard Fern 93

VIII. The Adderstongue and the Moonwort - 98

IX. The Bladder Ferns 100

X. The Small-leaved Gymnogram - - - 102

XI. The Buckler Ferns 104

XII. The Royal Fern 113

XIII. The Polypodies 116

XIV. The Shield Ferns . . . . . 124

XV. The Common Brake ----- 132

XVI. The Hartstongue ------ 135

XVII. The Woodsias ------ 144

XVIII. The Filmy Ferns - 145

Appendix — “Apospory” - . - - 149

Index - - - 161

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS:

Their Varieties and Culture.

INTRODUCTION.

those who have taken up the study of our
native Ferns, and have thus been enabled to
form a just opinion of the wealth of beautiful
types into which our comparatively few British
species have sported, either under natural con-
ditions or under cultivation, it is a matter of
surprise, and even bewilderment, that popularly
they should be so little known and so rarely
cultivated. This ignorance has been in no small
degree shared apparently by popular writers on the subject,
since in all but two or three works the varieties are relegated
to an entirely subordinate place, while in some they are actually
not even alluded to, though repeated editions have been issued
ostensibly extending the field of view. What should we think
of a much-bepufied Rose-book, or series of Rose-books, pro-
fessing by their titles to exhaust the subject, while confining
themselves exclusively to wild Roses, and never even distantly
alluding to the glorious array of Marechal Riels, Gloire de
Dijons, and the thousand-and-one other rivals to the throne

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

of the Queen of Flowers ? Yet this is precisely what has been
done in the case of our lovely Ferns; and hence our wonder
must logically be transferred from the ignorance of the public
to that of its self-elected teachers.

Some thirty or so years ago, the many varieties then existing
had a full share of popular interest, and became indeed the
“ rage,” any new form, no matter whether really beautiful or
simply odd, and possibly ugly, finding an eager welcome at
the hands of numerous collectors. The inevitable result of
indiscriminate collection in an ever-widening field was a surfeit,
and a reaction in the shape of such neglect that at the present
moment very few indeed, even among horticulturists, have
the slightest idea of the many forms of delicate beauty
which have been maintained and increased by the handful of
specialists in whom the taste has suiwived. These, here and
there about the country, have cherished all the best varieties
known at the period indicated, and, by persistent search and
selective propagation, added innumerable forms thereto, many
of which infinitely transcend any hitherto described or figured.
Moore’s “Nature-printed Ferns” and Lowe’s “Our Native
Ferns ” are the only works which give an adequate idea of
the wonderful range of form which Dame Nature has con-
trived to produce from the few simple normal types of Ferns
indigenous to Britain. Since their publication, however, as
we have said, many forms, on an ever-increasing scale of
beauty, have been either found wild or raised ; and it is the
object of this work to bring the record of these as far as
practicable up to date.

As the popular taste is largely created by those who cater
for it, the proper display of a good thing being generally the
needful preliminary to the demand for it, to nurserymen
generally must be imputed much of the blame attached to
the neglect of these beautiful plants, well-grown specimens
of which are very rarely displayed for sale, though exotic
Ferns, with far less pretensions to beauty, are grown with
the utmost care, and shown by the thousand. An idea, indeed,
seems to have arisen that British Ferns are “ common,” and only
fit for stopgaps in out-of-the-way corners where nothing else

INTRODUCTION.

will grow. Be it our task to dispel tliis illusion, and reinstate
tliem in their proper place, i.e., in the foremost rank of the
delicate and charming class of foliage plants.

This we purpose attempting by describing and illustrating
as simply and clearly as possible a number of the most beautiful
and striking forms at present existing, omitting all those
which, curious as they may be, can only be classed as imperfect
plants. In our selection, we have been guided throughout
by our own personal acquaintance with the plants described,
nearly all of which we have ourselves either cultivated, raised,
or, it may be, found. Our remarks on culture are also based
on practical personal study and experience, and may therefore
be relied upon.

To the inevitable objection which experienced Fern-lovers
will raise, that there are many important omissions in the
list of Ferns selected, we may point out, firstly, that in a
designedly popular work of this class, a limited choice, cover-
ing as nearly as may be the most marked types, will give a
clearer mental picture than if many intermediate forms linked
them together; and, secondly, that since in one collection
alone, near London, between three and four thousand distinct
varieties exist, it is manifest that a popular price would
preclude anything like an exhaustive list.

Scientific terms have been avoided as much as possible, as
well as the strictly botanical classification of the genera. The
normal or common forms are described and figured so as to
permit their easy recognition ; but, beautiful as they are,
most of them have been so far outshone by the exceptional
forms to which they have from time to time given birth, that
the majority only find a place in these pages by way of con-
trast, and because acquaintance with them is necessarily the
first step in the education of the eye in the search for and true
appreciation of their more charming offspring. In this con-
uection, we would direct attention to the fact that the
representative varieties of our British Ferns at Kew have of
late been materially enriched and extended by contributions
and bequests from some of the best and choicest collections
in the country. To such an extent, indeed, has this been done

B 2

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

that the bulk of the most marked and beautiful types may
now be seen there in perfection, a new range of rockwork
having been specially devoted to them, and constructed in
such a manner as to afford the various species congenial
homes, while, at the same time, every trace of obtrusive
artificiality has been skilfully avoided. We are sanguine that
our large public parks may follow this good example, by
devoting some portions of rockwork in their many suitable
nooks and corners to good specimens of these interesting
plants. This has already been done at West Ham Park with
wonderfully good effect.

In conclusion, we have to express our hearty thanks to
Col. A. M. Jones, of Clifton, for permission to use his splendid
series of Nature Prints of our British Ferns; to Mr. F. W.
Stansfield, of Sale, for the loan of same and much valuable
information in connection with our subject ; and also to
Dr. Masters, for permission to utilise, in the opening chapters,
a series of articles which had already appeared in the
Gardeners’ Chronicle.

COLLECTION AND CULTIYATION

BRITISH FERNS.

CHAPTER I.

FERNS AND FERN>HUNTING : WHERE TO
SEEK AND HOW TO KNOW THEM.

ERNS [Filices) and their near relations the
Mosses (Lycopods) and Marestails {Equiseta)
have come down to ns from a period of the
world’s history when flowering plants had
probably not even commenced to appear — that
first essential of floral existence, bright sun-
shine, being shut off from the earth’s surface
by a more or less dense and constant veil of
cloudy vapour, floating in an atmosphere of
probably tropical temperature. We have, indeed, to go back
at least as far as the very earliest coal measures, in which
we find the evidence of this in the shape of the veritable
Fern fronds themselves, which, with their allies aforesaid,
and others now extinct, grew in rank luxuriance, and have
been transformed by time, heat, and pressure, into the very
dissimilar lumps of black, shiny Wallsend, steam, or other
coal which adds so materially in these latter days to our
comfort and convenience. In the Coal Exchange, London,
some very fine specimens of Fossil Ferns are exhibited,
which, though of species peculiar to the age they lived in,
resemble exactly their existing descendants in all essential
characteristics.

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

In considering, therefore, the economic value of Ferns,
which is usually regarded as almost nil, we must place to
their credit, not only a fair share of the advantages we
derive from coal, but also of that wonderful and ever-
increasing store of coal-tar products, in the shape of aniline
dyes, of all the hues of the rainbow, and a few more to
boot; of marvellous drugs, with their no less marvellous
names (benzylidenmethylketol, for instance); and last, not
least, the future delight of all rising generations. Saccharine,
in every grain (of which dwells the sweetness of a hundred
lollipops. In view of this enormous contribution to the
delights of the eye and the palate, we can afford to ignore
the half-apologetic ascription to our Ferns of a certain
straw-like utility for packing purposes, and certain medicinal
virtues of a very dubious nature and questionable value.

Now, since the Ferns of the present day resemble those
of the past not merely in structure but in their nature
generally, we gather from the foregoing, as our first lesson
regarding them, that a moist atmosphere and plenty of shade
are the first essentials of their existence, and that, as they
do not bear flowers, and yet have perpetuated themselves,
they must be reproduced in some other way. The first
fact gives us at once a clue as to the most likely places
in which to find them, i.e., locally, in damp, shady woods,
lanes, and glens, and generally in those parts of the world
either where the rainfall is greatest, or where, owing to
considerable elevation, a cloudy condition of the atmosphere
exists. Hence, as far as Britain is concerned, we find the
most congenial conditions to exist all along the west or
south-west coasts, where Ferns are abundant, their numbers
decreasing gradually, exactly as we might have anticipated,
as we approach the east coasts, precisely in the same ratio
as the winds become drained of the moisture they have
gathered in their passage across the Atlantic.

The next thing to learn, after knowing where to find Ferns,
is how to distinguish them from other plants not in flower,
and here the second fact above cited, regarding their repro-
duction, comes in, and will aid us, in a general way, in their

PERNS AND FERN-HUNTING.

recognition. The difference between Ferns and Flowering
Plants consists, then, in the former bearing, instead of flowers,
and eventually seeds, small, brownish or yellow patches upon
the back of their fronds, which consist of innumerable
spores, contained in microscopically small, stalked pods or
capsules ; and it is according to the character of these patches
that botanists have divided the species, as well as they could,
from one another. Without entering very deeply into tech-
nicalities, we will give a few hints for guidance in this
direction.

These patches are sometimes round and uncovered, as in
the Polypody {Polypodium vulgare); covered with a round or
kidney- shaped scale, as in the Shield Ferns {PolysticJium^)
and Buckler Ferns {Lastreaf). They may form a margin all
round the divisions of the frond, as in the Bracken {Pteris
aquilina); appear in large, sausage-shaped masses, an inch in
length, as in the Hartstongue {Scolopendrium vulgare)-, or in
several other ways, which will be described later on, in con-
nection with each species, enough having now been said to
give the student the clue to their general recognition, and
to enable him to know one special characteristic of a Fern,
by which mature plants may infallibly be discriminated.

Young Ferns, or full-grown barren ones, need some other
distinctive feature, and we find this in another character —
viz., that the frond of a Fern develops by a process of
uncoiling itself, it and all its divisions, in their early stages,
being coiled up upon themselves like a watch-spring — a pecu-
liarity shared by so few other plants that the exceptions may
be ignored, while the only exceptions to the rule among our
British Ferns are the Adderstongue {Ophioglossum vulgatum)
and Moonwort {Botrychium Lunar ia), in which the fronds are
straight at all periods of growth.

These are the two most obvious differences between Ferns
and other plants, and should be sufficient to enable the
beginner to be sure of his ground so far; the descriptions in
the ensuing chapters of the various species will enable him

Syn. Aspidium.

t Syn. Nephrodium.

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

to tell one from another with tolerable certainty. This done,
his attention will be directed to the many kinds of variation
to which the common or normal species are subject ; and,
this stage attained, we may safely consider him a convert,
and leave the charms of the Ferns themselves, and the
possible triumph of good “finds,” to put the finishing touch
and make him an enthusiast.

Since the true Fern-lover who has any leisure at his com-
mand, is sure, sooner or later, to become also a Fern-hunter,
we will proceed to give a few hints and suggestions, based
on our own personal experiences, with the object of aiding
him in his quest. When we write “him” or “his,” we must beg
our lady readers to transmute the pronouns to suit themselves,
since we are indebted for many of the most remarkable finds
to the sharp eyes of the ladies, and trust, therefore, to make
fully as many disciples amongst the fair as amongst the
(so-called) sterner sex.

The majority of the most striking varieties, either curious
or beautiful, having been found growing wild, and the
number of these being by no means small, it is manifest that
an additional zest is given to the quest for Ferns, which is
usually confined to a search for species only, if this fact be
remembered, and additional care be bestowed upon the
examination of the plants. The discovery, after long search,
of a rare species in a new locality is very gratifying, but
does not add anything more than a new name to the cata-
logue of the local flora; but the discovery of a new and unique
form, possibly of great beauty, possibly only curious, adds
something new to the flora of the world. This possibility
is in the power of every Fern-lover who cares, in the first
place, to familiarise himself with the aspect of the normal
forms, so that he can recognise them at a glance, and then
to educate his eye by constant careful examination of the
plants which come in his way, so that should there be any
abnormality in the fronds over which his eye travels, he
may at once detect it.

It often — ^nay, generally — happens that a new discovery is
only betrayed by the merest tip of a frond peeping through

FERNS AND PERN-HUNTING.

a mass of common ones, thougli, on the other hand, some of
the grandest finds have been found standing out as con-
spicuously as possible even in much-frequented places. It
is, indeed, astonishing what blindness in this respect exists
among the rural classes, and especially in the ferniest dis-
tricts; many of the country folk, it will be found on inquiry,
are hardly aware there is more than one species, and the
hunter is frequently directed to a fine hunting-ground, only
to find a heath covered with Bracken. Be it, however,
remarked, a apropos of the Bracken {Pteris aquilina) that this
is by no means to be despised by a beginner, since nearly
every common where it grows freely will yield marked
variations of form, frequently very distinct indeed. There is,
however, one drawback to the pleasure of hunting the Bracken,
since, should the ardent student find something really good,
he will probably have to content himself with a frond only,
as it rarely survives removal, except in winter, when dormant,
and, indeed, it usually defies all effort to get a root, the root
proper burrowing several feet deep in the ground.

This difficulty of acquisition is also experienced in other
ways, and the hunter’s powers of contrivance are sometimes
put to very severe tests. A good thing, for instance, may be
detected on the top of a high wall, or on the face of an
inaccessible cliff. More tantalising yet, it may be well within
reach, and yet so firmly anchored in some deep chink in a
rock or wall as to need blasting-powder to get it out. It is
recorded of one of the finest forms of Polypodium (P.
vulgare) that the finder detected it in a very small state
in a chink of a granite rock, whence it could not be
removed; the rock weighed some hundredweights, but for-
tunately was loose. The finder rolled the rock some miles
across country, got it home, and eventually induced the plant,
which has a creeping root, to grow out of the chink, and
permit itself to be multiplied. That form is now in every
good collection.

The possibility of lighting upon varieties seems to be
general wherever the normal forms grow plentifully ; but
there are localities which seem subject to some subtle influence.

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

under whicli the chances of a find are greatly increased.
hTorth Devon appears to be thus specially favoured. We are,
however, rather of opinion that much of this subtle influence,
may be traced to the residence near the places affected of
enthusiastic and careful Fern-hunters, who, by subjecting the
district to more thorough scrutiny, increase thereby greatly
the list of local discoveries, while other districts less famed in
this respect are reputed comparatively barren. On the other
hand, there is no doubt that one may hunt a district for
miles as carefully as possible without finding any sport what-
ever, and then suddenly hit upon a spot where eccentricity
is the rule rather than the exception.

One of the first experiences of the beginner is the dis-
covery of what are termed “ rogues,” that is. Ferns which
are inconstantly and irregularly eccentric, and throw up a
few forked and even crested fronds amongst a predominance
of normal ones. Nearly everywhere where the common Male
Fern {Lastrea Filix-mas) grows in profusion a number of
these “ rogues ” will be found, raising hopes only to dis-
appoint them. To such an extent, indeed, does this occur in
some localities, and so well do these “ rogues ” ape the appear-
ance of constant varieties, that even the best men are some-
times deceived. This inconstancy sometimes assumes other
forms ; and, in fact, the Fern-hunter must always be prepared
to carry home a good percentage of worthless plants, since it
is not always possible to discriminate with sufficient certainty
to reject with safety.

The common Bracken, too, has a way of imitating nearly
all the other species, popping forked tips through the hedges,
and beguiling the passer-by with false expectations.

All these disappointments and difficulties, however, add
zest to a day’s walk, and are far more than repaid by the
thrill of pleasure which accompanies the discovery of an
undoubtedly good thing, and the first contemplation of a
form of Nature’s handiwork which now for the first time
gladdens the eye of man. This point once attained, the
beginner becomes the enthusiast, and will henceforth pursue
his researches with a different spirit and with greater gusto.

FERNS AND FEEN-HUNTIND.

since it is difficult, until one such experience has been made,
to believe that such a reward can really be reaped. It need
not be imagined that very unfrequented places must be visited,
though of course there is the better chance. Most of our
own finds, however, have been espied by the high-road side,
either in the hedges or in the stone dykes. Seedlings, espe-
cially in such localities, may yield a prize, since it must not
be forgotten that Nature is always at work, and that this
year’s crop is as likely to afford varieties as that of any
previous year. Hence, where there are plenty of plants, there
is always a chance for the eye that is keen enough, and the
experience which is ripe enough to enable it to appreciate
what it sees.

As a rule, the abnormal forms are found singly, the most
careful search for similar forms in the same locality leading
but to negative results. This is rendered the more remark-
able by the fact that the specimens are, as often as not,
well-established fertile plants, which have probably scattered
their millions upon millions of spores about the neighbour-
hood for years, which spores, under cultivation, yield plants
all true to the parent type. In the case of very heavily-
crested forms, this may be accounted for by the greater size
and vigour of the normal forms, which cause the young seed-
lings, should they appear, to be overgrown and crowded out
of existence; hence, the interstices of stone dykes and walls,
and similar places, are more likely to reward the searcher
than places where the plants can grow with greater freedom.
On the other hand, it occasionally happens that an abnormal
form will be found to have established itself in great numbers,
even to the exclusion of the normal. Instances are also on
record where a whole laneful of crested forms has been
found. There is an entire hillside in Westmoreland covered
by a most extraordinary form of Bracken, apparently so
heavily crested that the plants look like bunches of grapes
hanging down the slope. Abnormal forms of Hartstongue
have also been found occupying a large area, to which, how-
ever, they were confined. Considering the absolutely micro-
scopic size of the spores of Ferns, the incredible numbers

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

wliicli are thrown off year after year, and the, facility with
which they can he transported by the wind, and by other
means, this isolation or confinement to special localities is
very remarkable. It can hardly be imputed to subtle local
influences in the soil, as, under cultivation, the spores gene-
rally germinate with the usual treatment, and the plants
retain their peculiarities when transplanted.

The entire absence of some species in many localities and
spots which seem exactly fitted for them, is another peculiar
feature. The common Hartstongue, for instance, is a com-
paratively rare plant in Scotland, although one would expect
to find it in profusion in the innumerable glens which abound
there, and which seem the very heau ideal of a habitat for
it. Tet this Fern is one of the least dainty in its require-
ments, seeming to have no antipathy in the matter of soil
or position, and in many localities thriving in abundance
under the most diverse conditions, either in a small state, on
dry, exposed walls, or throwing up huge fronds in the shady
woods, where it can revel in abundance of leaf-mould and
moisture. We are inclined to think that the greater or less
predominance of certain forms of minute insect life may
account for these peculiarities of habitat. Just as we find
in our gardens that certain vermin attack and destroy certain
plants, so it is only reasonable to assume that either the
spores or the prothalli of these Ferns are the favourite food
of some of the minuter insects, in order to explain the
absence of adult plants. Climatal conditions are, of course,
a potent factor, but do not account for all the phenomena
observed. Some exotic Ferns it is quite impossible to grow
unless isolated, slugs or snails being attracted from a con-
siderable distance, presumably by some odour; Camptosorus
rhizophyllus^ (an exotic Hartstongue) suffers thus. Other
plants are specially subject to the attacks of woodlice; and
as, doubtless, such special appetites characterise also the
minuter and microscopic insect world, and as it is manifest,
when we consider the myriads of spores which are shed in

Syn. Seolopendrium rhizophyllum.

FEENS AND PERN-HUNTING.

vain, that these must become mainly the food of such tiny
creatures, we need hardly seek further for a solution of the
mystery. A harder or softer envelope to the spore, or a
more or less attractive flavour in the plant itself, would
determine for or against its survival in the struggle for
existence.

It will be seen from the foregoing remarks that the Fern-
hunter has a wide field opened to him for general observation
in connection with his search for Ferns, and he will And it
immensely to his advantage to take special note of the con-
ditions under which his flnds are discovered. By so doing
he arrives at a practical knowledge of their requirements,
which will aid him materially in his attempts at cultivation.
He will soon find out, for instance, that a sudden change in
the geological conditions may present an altogether different
set of Ferns for his inspection, a few yards making all the
difference between profusion and "utter absence of certain
species. He will also find that some species are never found
on limestone ; others only on that formation. Clay lands are
usually poor in results. Some Ferns only affect boggy spots;
some demand perfect drainage, and never grow upon the soil
itself; others are never found below a certain level on the
mountains; others, such as the Bracken, cease to be seen at
a certain height; and so on. Indeed, as in all other natural
pursuits, it will be found that every fact is but a link in a
chain, and that Fern-hunting may be made the nucleus of
endless study and endless enjoyment of the results achieved.

One advantage possessed by Ferns is their strong vitality,
which enables them to survive knocking about for several
weeks, if their roots be only wi’apped up in moss when found,
and not permitted to get dry. If they, then, be packed close
together in an open box, and kept in the shade, a collection
may be added to for a week or two, in full security that at
the conclusion of the holiday the hunter may reckon upon
their survival when duly planted and installed in their new
home. As we have indicated above, he must then be prepared
for some disappointment when they develop, as a good per-
centage are tolerably sure to turn out normal, the presumed

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

sport being due to accidental injuries or temporary eccentricity.
Here and there, however, if he be ordinarily fortunate, he
will enjoy the pleasure of seeing the new fronds slowly rise
and develop the hoped-for beauties, a pleasure which will
reward him amply for all the labour their discovery has
involved, and which, if he be a beginner, will infallibly result
in making him thenceforth a confirmed and enthusiastic Fern-
hunter.

CHAPTER II.

ON VARIATION GENERALLY.

are constantly brought into contact with the
phenomenon of variation, since it is precisely
due to its existence that we are enabled to
discriminate John Smith from Tom Robinson,
and to single out, without the shadow of a
misgiving, all our numberless friends and ac-
quaintances, male or female, from the myriad
similar human beings with whom we find them
associated.

The saying that “ variety is charming ” is universally
accepted as a true one, but few consider what the world
would be without it. Imagine, for one moment, for instance,
what a lively state of affairs it would cause in society if
every man or woman exactly resembled every other. In
Shakespeare’s “Comedy of Errors” we see how complex
matters became owing to only two couples — these both males
— ^lacking this essential element of variety, the imbroglio
of mistakes between masters and meii, and, worse still, be-
tween husbands and wives, being endless. If, then, this
uniformity were to be carried a step further, and become
general, we can easily see that the whole foundation of civili-
sation would be undermined, and chaos would come again;
the great question of “ Who’s who ? ” upon the more or less
easy solubility of which modern life is built, being thereby

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

rendered a dark and impenetrable mystery, until some benefi-
cent fairy should step in and restore the long noses, short
noses, snub, Semitic and Roman noses, thick lips, thin lips,
big mouths like caves, and little ones like rosebuds, &c.,
which now render recognition easy, enabling us skilfully
to evade a bore on the one hand and to buttonhole our un-
suspecting friends on the other, or to meet our new loves
and avoid our old ones, with a fair certainty of not reversing
the process by mistake.

Amongst our fellow-countrymen our powers of recognition
in this respect are sharp enough ; but if we went, say to China,
we should find that the general characteristics of high cheek-
bones, slanting eyes, sallow complexions, short noses, and pig-
tails, would necessitate a certain apprenticeship before we
could easily detect the celestial John Smith from the celestial
Tom Robinson, though the difi'erence between the two, to
celestial eyes, is probably striking enough.

To descend a bit in the scale of creation. To the ordinary
observer it would be impossible to detect, much less define,
the difference between one sheep and another in a flock of
the same breed, yet the breeder will have no difficulty in
finding better or worse points among them; while it is
notorious that many shepherds can recognise, unfailingly, every
sheep in their care. These external differences between the
individuals are further supplemented by, and are partly the
result of, differences in temper and constitution, which repre-
sent what may be termed moral variation, as distinct from
physical. These differences, subtle or manifest, characterise
every individual thing in creation; so that it may safely be
affirmed that there are no two living beings, from the monad
to the man, which, however alike apparently, would not, if
brought together and compared, be found to differ, not only
in one, but in many respects — i.e., would betray variation.

The tendency of Nature is, by the free intercourse among
the various individuals of a species, to check the growth of
any type of variation in special directions, and so to main-
tain a fair level of uniformity; if, however, a change of the
conditions of existence be brought about, then any variations

ON VARIATION GENERALLY.

wHcli lielp existence under the altered conditions will mani-
festly be fostered, and tend to accumulate, because the indi-
viduals so favoured have a better chance of longer life and
more numerous offspring. For instance — in order to keep to
our subject — if a number of Ferns be transported to a warmer
or colder climate than is natural to them, in the first place,
only those survive which are best fitted to stand the change,
and in the succeeding generations, all those of their offspring
whose constitutions vary ever so little in the right direction
will grow stronger, scatter more spores, and transmit their
greater strength continually, until, in course of time, the
balance will be restored, and a tribe of Ferns of a different
constitution, and, what is more to the point, of distinctly
different appearance, will be found to exist.

This is Nature’s general method, which is a slow and
mercilessly extravagant one. But if we bring man upon the
scene, with his selective and protective power, the process is
enormously accelerated; and, practically, he can do as much
in the way of re-modelling a cow, a dog, a pigeon, a flower,
or even a Fern, in his own lifetime, as Nature, left alone,
would accomplish in thousands of years. This re-modelling
is effected by the constant selection by the breeder, or horti-
culturist, or Fern-lover, of the types nearest to his ideal one,
and the rejection of all others, the result, in most cases, being
eventually the production of a breed or strain possessing
exactly the points aimed at.

This is usually the accumulated result of many small differ-
ences, but not always. Nature every now and again takes,
as it were, a jump, the offspring of both animals and plants
being sometimes extremely different from the parents, new
breeds and strains thus originating which would otherwise
never have been dreamt of, and which, it may be remarked,
are not always capable of long survival in the struggle for
existence, their eccentricity being against them, and not in
their favour; or, as we have said, it may be obliterated by
crossing with the common form. Ferns, especially, seem gifted
with this power of producing dissimilar offspring, since many
of the more marked and extraordinary forms have been found

c 2

CHOICE BRITISH FERISTS.

wild, and quite solitary in their peculiarities, no intermediate
form between them and the common having rewarded the
most careful search, either at the time or subsequently.

We are thus driven to the conclusion that such forms are
the direct offspring of one of the common Ferns in whose
company they were growing when found. The two most
striking varieties of Lady Fern (Athyrium Filix^oemina^),
Victorice and acrocladon, are examples of this; f and^ so,^ of
course, are all the entirely barren forms, such as the many
wild finds of the frilled Hartstongue (Scolopendrium yulgare,
yar. crispum), \th.e Welsh Polypody {Polyp odium vulgare, var.
camhricum), and others, which, presumably, must have
originated from fertile — i.e., spore-bearing forms — the only
alternative being bud-sports — i.e., plants varying from the
parents originating from a bud on roots or frond instead of
from a spore, a thing which occasionally happens in Ferns as
in other plants, but which does not alter the case one jot.

The subtle and wonderful change which must take place
in the mother-cell, whether of spore or of bud, is just as
striking and incomprehensible, especially when we consider,
not only that the resulting plant may assume a totally
different plan of growth, but is henceforth endowed with
the power of exact reproduction of itself, with all its pecu-
liarities, through its spores — if it be fertile — just as constantly
as its ancestors, for ages untold, had reproduced themselves.
This constancy may be regarded as the rule with all very
marked and symmetrical forms, but there are some most
striking exceptions, in which, though the plants retain the
abnormal form, their progeny revert more or less to the
common. We have ourselves raised a very robust and
heavily-crested form of Hard Fern {Blechnum Spicantf) from
a wild find of similar character but smaller growth. Strange
to say, the sowing from which this splendid plant originated
was so nearly a failure that only the one plant resulted,
which, as stated, surpasses the parent; yet when spores of
this more marked variety were sown, fully 90 per cent, were

Syn. Asplenium Filix-foemina.

t Syn. Lomaria Spicant.

ON VARIATION GENERALLY.

absolutely common Hard Ferns; two only closely resembled
tbe parent; one far surpassed it; several are of a diiferent
type of cresting ; one is extremely dwarf, with fronds abso-
lutely fan- shaped — and between these and the common ones
there is every grade of cresting, from merely squarish tips
to ball-like tufts. It is manifest that, in the production of
new and distinct varieties, such inconstancy as this plays an
important part, though it proves a sufficiently awkward factor
where the propagation of the parent form is aimed at in any
quantity, the only certain way being division of the plant
itself.

It may be taken as a rule that when once the common
form has varied, the tendency to vary again is increased;
hence, it has been possible — as in the case just cited — starting
from a wild find of distinct character, to obtain, in a few
generations, by careful selection, plants of continually in-
creasing beauty.

By reference to Plate I., a very striking instance of this
will be seen. Fig. 1 represents the pinna of the common
Lady Fern; Fig. 2, pinna of a plumose form of same, found
at Axminster, and undoubtedly the offspring of the common
form. A spore from this find gave the much more delicate
and finely-cut form seen in Fig. 3 {A. F.-f. plumosum elegans,
Parsons) ; and, finally, a spore of this made the immense stride
manifest in Fig. 4 {A. F.-f. plumosum cristatum superhum), in
which not only are all the ultimate divisions much lengthened
and curved, but a crest has developed at the tips of frond
and pinnae. This, in its way, is decidedly the most beautiful
plumose form yet raised. The spores of Fig. 3 — its parent
— are singular examples of irregularity in the transmission of
the parental character. In two well-authenticated cases all
the offspring, with only two or three exceptions, were heavily
crested, though the parent has not a trace of this character;
the exceptions were true to the parental form. The rest,
with the exception of Fig. 4, though symmetrical at first,
became irregular and ragged in outline as they grew large
and hence were worthless. What Fig. 4 will produce is a
question for the future.

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

Another and very provoking form of inconstancy to which —
especially amongst the soft prickly Shield Fern {PolysticJmm
angulare) varieties — some of the best forms are liable, is a ten-
dency to revert to the common form directly anything in
the soil or treatment disagrees with them. They are then
said to “ sulk ” ; and some most promising finds, having taken
it into their heads — or, rather, crowns — to “ sulk ” in this
fashion, have resisted all attempts to coax them into form '
again, and practically reverted altogether.

We will now proceed to describe the more marked types
of variation to which Ferns are subject, some of which seem
quite peculiar to the family, and to have no parallels in other :
plants.

Cristation. — This consists in a multiplication of some or all
of the extremities of the fronds and their subdivisions, form-
ing a more or less heavy tassel. This ranges from a simple
forking of the tip of the frond only, to an infinite division
of all the parts, from the main stem upwards, and has been
carried to such an extent in several species that, instead of ]
a fiat, feather-like frond, we have apparently a ball of very |
fine moss, all but resting on the soil. This cresting, which 1
more commonly takes the tassel form aforesaid, is in its turn }
varied infinitely in its character, not merely by the multipli-
cation of the divisions which form it, but also by the mode |
of such division. Thus, it may divide symmetrically in the j
same plane, forming a wide or a narrow, fan-shaped crest; or |
these divisions may be again subdivided symmetrically, at |
greater or less distances, forming a flat lattice-work. Let, ,|
then, each division be more or less twisted, and every degree
of curvature will give a different effect; or the simple fan
may be elongated, and the tips fanned out again. Here we i
have, manifestly, already a great scope; yet this is doubled |
by the capacity of the divisions to radiate, like the blossom |
of a geranium (corymbiferous), with all the like variation '
repeated. The crests may also be formed by undivided ex-
pansion of the tips — like a duck’s foot, instead of a crow’s, i'
to give a familiar example. Then, again, all these combina- w
tions are connected with the other varying characteristics of I

ON VARIATION GENERALLY.

the frond itself, which may have overlapping or distant sub-
divisions (pinnae, pinnules, or pinnulets, according as they^
form first, second, or third divisions), all of which affect the
result so much that the eye can easily distinguish the
differences which characterise many variations of the same
normal form. This cresting, in one or other of its forms, is
the characteristic of the major number of known varieties.

Plumation. — This is by some considered — and with reason
— ^the most beautiful type of variation. It consists either in
a much more delicate division and growth of the ultimate
sections of the frond or in a greater foliaceous development,
the result being as great a difference between the common
and the plumose forms as that between a goose-feather and
an ostrich-feather amongst the divided Ferns, such as the
Lady Fern, the Male Fern, &c., and between a plain strap |
and an elaborate, fringed frill in the case of the Hartstongue I
type. In this class of variation the normal outline of the /
fi’bnd is maintained, or merely widened, except, of course, •
where it is combined with cristation, which is frequently the \
case. '

The plumose character is usually accompanied by partial
or entire absence of spores, the reproductive vigour of the
plant suffering, apparently, at the expense of its leafy
development, precisely as in the case of double fiowers, to
which it probably furnishes a parallel. There seems, however,
good ground for the belief that, though spores are not
formed, or very sparingly, the reproductive powers of the
plant are enhanced in other ways, such as by the production
of buds, latent or evident, on various parts of the fronds.
From experiments, we find that the barren Hartstongue— ^
i.e., the crispum or frilled section — can be propagated much ^
more freely from sections of the bases of the frond stalks -
than is the case with the fertile varieties. This would har- !
monise with Darwin’s hypothesis of pangenesis, and suggests ,
the advisability of a closer investigation of the so-caUed I
barren forms generally.

Dwarfing and Congestion are self-descriptive terms. Some of
the dwarfed forms are extremely pretty, and specially adapted

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

for small collections wliere space is very limited. Most of
tlie species have afforded examples of this, coupled with other
types of variation.

Congestion characterises many forms, and consists in a more
or less crowded and overlapping state of all the divisions,
and since it usually, though not always, involves shortening
of the stalks as well, generally accompanies dwarfing, and
hence is classed with it.

Depauperation is a common form of variation, and is rarely
regular enough in its effect to be beautiful. It is curious
in its way, thoroughly healthy and vigorous plants constantly
producing fronds on which the tips or some of the pinna3
are either altogether missing, irregular in length, or very
ragged and imperfect, exactly as if devoured by insects. These
oddities are, nevertheless, truly transmitted, in most cases,
by the spores.

Variegation. — This is very rare, and we believe there have
been found no regular variegated forms, such as some of
the exotic species have produced, e.g., Pteris cretica albo-
lineata and others. Some forms of the divided Ferns have
been found irregularly splashed with white ; and yellow
Hartstongues are not rare in collections.

The above form the main types of variation, and two or
more of them may be, and frequently are, conjoined in one
and the same plant, which, of course, immensely increases
the scope. Besides these, there are endless forms which can
only be classed as oddities, such as the cornute and truncate
forms, where the frond is cut short, as it were, the midrib
projecting suddenly from the face or back of the frond, like
a thorn ; or the frond ends abruptly in a pocket, or horn, or
frill, or all these combined; serpentine forms, where all the
parts, and the whole Fern itself, are lengthened, and twisted
about like a serpent — striving, as it were, to become a climb-
ing plant, like some of its foreign relations ; marginate
forms, where lines or ridges run along the upper or lower
surface, parallel with the edges or midrib ; revolute forms,
where the frond is rolled up longitudinally, like a tube, the
divisions taking a half-circle curve backwards ; caudate

ON VARIATION GENERALLY.

forms, where the divisions end in a tail; and so on ad infini-
tum.

Proliferation characterises many varieties ; in this little
plants appear on the stalks, edges, faces, or even the backs
of the fronds. Many of the soft prickly Shield Ferns
{Polystichum angulare) are thus affected, and look remarkably
pretty when the young plants develop, as they do in pro-
fusion all along the centre of the frond, and sometimes of
the pinnse.

The same form of variation, carried to excess, often so far
obliterates the differences between the species that it re-
quires an experienced eye to recognise them. Nothing, for
instance, can be more dissimilar than the Lady Fern and |
the Hartstongue ; yet there ^ are f orm^^ of^ — dwarf and i
extremely crested — that are as like as tw£ pea-s. The robust
or giant forms of some of the smaller-growing species, and
the dwarf forms of the larger, also contribute frequently to
a likeness in the varieties which does not exist at all in the
normal types. Fronds, for instance, of the common Poly-
pody, fully 2ft. high, and beautifully cut, lose all likeness to
the common, and resemble the Shield Fern varieties; while
the dwarf form of Male Fern {Lastrea ;pseudo-mas ramosis si-
mum), about Sin. high, would be relegated by most people
to any species but the right one. — ^

The affinity, too, between the plain strap-shaped Ferns and |
the much-divided ones is also curiously shown in several
varieties of the Hartstongue {projectum series), in which
there is a manifest and regular tendency all along the frond |
to form pointed side divisions. The converse case is seen in
some of the strap- shaped varieties of the Hard Fern, in which
the double comb is almost obliterated.

The great number of extraordinary forms of Ferns which
have been found wild, owing to the careful examination to
which the plants generally have been subjected by experi-
enced Fern-hunters, leads, we think legitimately, to the
assumption that the liability of plants to vary under culti-
vation is not so much greater than it is generally assumed to
be under natural conditions. The great bulk of the wild finds.

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

by their solitariness and decided distinctness, force ns, as we
have said, to the conclusion that they must be sudden sports
from the spores of the common Ferns with which they are
found associated, there being no intermediate forms found
which could support the idea of a graduated series of varia-
tions leading up to them. The difference between them and the
common forms is fully as great as any recorded sudden sports
of highly-cultivated plants, and often fully equals the accu-
mulated differences of many generations of selective culture.
Cultivated plants, too, it must be borne in mind, can hardly
vary to any great extent without the striking difference being
remarked, seeing that, in trade hands — to which our remarks
especially apply — they are usually grown in orderly ranks, are
constantly under easy inspection by trained eyes, and are,
moreover, almost certain to pass individually through several
professional hands, in their career from the seed or cutting
bed to their final destination when sold, whether that be the
kitchen, the conservatory, or the plantation.

Wild plants, on the other hand, are altogether differently
situated ; they are scattered broadcast in the most unfre-
quented places, are often difficult of access, and are mixed
up anyhow with all sorts of other species of plants, as
well as with various species of their own family, which dis-
tract the attention, that must be concentrated to reap success.
A moment’s consideration will show that, in the first case, the
chances are all against a marked variation escaping notice;
while in the second, even the most extraordinary sport is
more than likely to escape attention. Yet the record of
Fern finds shows us that, given a Ferny locality, and a good
Fern-hunter domiciled close by, a large number of very dis-
tinct forms is sure to be added to the flora of the locality —
i.e., the wild plants, when subjected to the same careful
examination as the cultivated ones, yield, according to our
contention, equally striking results. In making this asser-
tion, we are fully aware that we are running in the teeth of
horticultural belief; but we are confident that our argument
is supported by a sufficient number of facts to merit careful
consideration.

CHAPTER III.

FERN CULTURE AND PROPAGATION.
Culture.

HE next step, after tlie acquisition of Ferns by
bunting for tbein, or by tbe simpler method
of purchase, is to insure their continued ex-
istence and proper development by suitable
culture; and here Nature herself is the best
teacher.

In the large majority of cases, as already
stated. Ferns will be found growing in woods
and sheltered spots where there is abundance
of leaf- mould, or else upon soil of a light loamy or peaty
nature; others are found inserting their tiny rootlets in the
chinks, cracks, and crevices of stone or brick walls, or rocks.
In all these cases there exist the first desiderata of healthy
growth — viz., thorough drainage, every facility for the tender
root-tips to make their way freely, and, finally, protection of
the crown from hot sunshine. If, then, we desire to pot any
of these Ferns, we must put, first, good drainage in the shape
of broken pieces of pots, then a wisp of moss, and over that
a light compost, according to Nature’s own recipe. For
general purposes, this compost may consist of peat-mould
or leaf -mould, two parts; good loam or garden mould, two
parts; and silver sand or well-washed gravel sand, one part.

CHOICE BRITISH PERNS.

mixed, and left a little lumpy. In potting, observe again
Nature’s procedure by spreading out tbe rootlets carefully,
and not pressing down tbe soil harder than is necessary to
keep tbe crown upright ; and finally, when tbe plant is duly
installed, water well, and leave it alone, bearing in mind
that any meddling with tbe soil when wet, however light it
may be, is apt to cause it to cake together, and thus check
root-growth, and imperil the well-being of the Fern.

So much by way of general pot treatment, which will apply
to all the Buckler Ferns (Lastrea), with the exception of the
Marsh Buckler Fern {L. Thelypteris), which revels in mud ;
Lady Fern {Athyrium Filix-fcemina), the Shield Ferns {Poly-
stichum), and Hartstongue {Scolopendrium vuLgare) ; also
the Oak and Beech Ferns {Polypodium Dryopteris and P.
Phegopteris). Polypodium vulgare, as is evidenced by its thriv-
ing in the hollows of trees and similar places, where only
leaf-mould or decayed wood collects, prefers an open mass
of leaf -mould, with a little sand. The Hard Fern {Blechnum
Spicant) thrives best in leaf-mould with an admixture — say
one-eighth — of small lumps of clayey loam scattered through
, it. This Fern has such an antipathy to lime that every care
must be taken to avoid its presence, either in the compost or
the water used. The Scaly Spleenwort {Ceterach officinarum^)
only grows on very old walls; hence an admixture of old lime
rubbish is requisite. The same remark applies, more or less,
to all the Spleenworts {Asplenium). The Parsley Fern {Allo-
sorus crispusf) will only thrive when it has to make its
way through loose stones. It will always be found in greatest
abundance pushing through the debris of weathered rocks.

With the exception of the Sea Spleenwort {Asplenium mari-
num) and the Maidenhair {Adiantum Capillus-Veneris), which
require protection from severe frosts, the British Ferns im-
peratively demand perfectly cool treatment in winter, other-
wise they fail to become quite dormant, and in the ensuing
season grow weakly, and become the prey of vermin of every
description.

Syn. Asplenium Ceterach.

t Syn. Cryptogramme crispa.

FEEN CIJLTUEE AND PEOPAGATION.

The deciduous Ferns, such as the Lady Fern, Male Fern,
Mountain Buckler Fern, Oak and Beech Ferns, and others,
indicate clearly enough when their period of rest begins, the
fronds withering rapidly down to the ground, and the Fern
disappearing altogether from view — a fertile source of dis-
comfort to the inexperienced, who imagine them dead, and
neglect them accordingly, the result being confirmation of
their fears. If, however, the pots or other receptacles be
put away in a cool, damp place, or buried in the ground in a
sheltered corner, so that the roots never get dried, the follow-
ing spring will witness a resurrection, at the first signs of
which they can be reinstated in fitting places of honour.
The rapidity with which these deciduous Ferns develop their
fronds is very remarkable, and as, unlike the evergreen
varieties, there are no old fronds to detract from their beauty,
their fresh and delicate appearance in the spring makes
ample amends for their invisibility during the winter.

The evergreen species. Hard Male Fern {Lastrea pseudo-
mas), the Polysticliums, the Asplenia, Blechnum Spicant, Scolo-
pendriwn vulgare, Ceterach, Polypodium vulgare, retain their
verdure fairly well during the winter months if kept from
wind and. weather. When, however, the new growth begins,
the sap and vigour of the old fronds appear to be re-absorbed
by the plant; it is therefore not advisable to cut away the
old foliage until it has manifestly done its work, being brown
and shrivelled.

Repotting and replanting may be done at any time with
proper care, though they are best let alone in the winter.
Obviously, the best time is just when the new growth com-
mences, after the winter’s rest, say end of March, as then
not only is the plant in its most vigorous state, and ready
fo take every advantage of fresh soil and greater space, but
if the old fronds are damaged in the process little harm is
done; while if the operation be left later, the symmetry of
the plant may suffer throughout the season through damage
to the new growths.

Ferns in pots, like Ferns out-of-doors, must be protected
from hot sunshine; wind is also very destructive where the

f CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

more delicate forms are concerned; and tliongli the plants
may exist under very adverse circumstances, the cultivator
can never hope to grow Ferns to the best advantage unless
he studies, lover-like, their predilections and requirements.
Nature is here again the best teacher. Where do we find the
Lady Fern growing shoulder high, the Hard Fern waist high,
and so on ? Is it not deep down in some sheltered, shady
ravine, where every breeze that blows has to filter through
a thousand trees, which at the same time shut out the noon-
day sun ? Here is the paradise of Ferns, and the more that
heau ideal is approached, the greater will be the success
attained and the pleasure derived therefrom.

With regard to pot culture, one fact is frequently overlooked
— viz., that Ferns, like other plants, when growing wild, are
not turned and twisted about, now to the north and then to
the south, but are absolute fixtures, and grow accordingly —
i.e., the fronds, as they rise and develop, adjust themselves
as nearly as possible at the angle which enables them to catch
the greatest amount of light. Place, therefore, a Fern at a
window during its growing period, and every frond will slowly
curve towards the window in such a way that, when perfect,
it will be seen at its best from the outside. Ladies especially,
however, try to counteract this tendency by turning the
plant round, so that it may be seen to advantage from the
room, the consequence eventually being bent and misshapen
fronds and ugly plants, since a permanent twist is given by
only an hour or two’s exposure — and once this is done it
cannot be remedied. Nature being thus interfered with, the
old twisted fronds are in the way of the later ones, and so
confusion becomes worse confounded ; hence, one golden rule
is, “ Always keep the same side of the pot to the light,” to
insure which it is well to mark the pot itself.

With regard to watering, if the pots are thoroughly drained,
and not too large for the plants, over-watering need not be
feared, but drought alone, which to some Ferns is fatal. This,
however, is only a matter of care and regularity, and the
golden rule for the Fern-lover here is : “ If you have anything
very choice, look after it yourself.”

FERN CITLTtrRE AND PROPAGATION.

Propagation.

Under careful culture and congenial conditions, tlie large
majority of tlie best varieties will soon multiply themselves
to a certain extent by the formation of adventitious crowns,
produced either in a small form from buds at the base of
the fronds, or by a process of fission in the crowns them-
selves, by which full-sized plants are obtainable. To profit
by this latter process, it is necessary to permit the double
crown to develop distinctly into two centres of growth ;
which stage attained, the plant should be taken up, and a
sharp knife passed carefully between the two centres, each of
which will then be found to possess its own set of roots and
fronds, and to be, indeed, a perfect plant, only needing inde-
pendent potting or planting to form at once a fair specimen.
The intermingling of the fronds, when the crowns are per-
mitted to multiply without separation, often detracts from
the grace of the plant, and hence, for this reason alone,
separation from time to time is advisable. Such Ferns as
are apt to form bushes, not by this process of fission,
but by side buds — the crested Male Fern, for instance —
are greatly benefited by the removal of these small plants
immediately they appear, the result being a much more
vigorous and symmetrical growth of the parent crown, whose
roots have thus freer scope, and all of whose energies are
concentrated in its own development. Under this treat-
ment, the Fern named forms, in a year or two, a decided
trunk, and becomes a veritable Tree Fern, which it will not
do otherwise.

The little plants produced from buds are best detached by
passing a blunt ivory or bone knife between them and the
parent, when they will come away with a little bunch of roots
all ready for installation as future representatives of the
race. These should be pricked out an inch or so apart, accord-
ing to size, round the edges of small pots or pans filled with
rather more sandy compost than that already indicated. If
then put into some damp, shady corner, they will soon develop
into pretty plants.

CHOICE BHITISH FERNS.

Some of tlie abnormal forms afford another method of pro-
pagation, by means of buds which appear on the surface of
the fronds and elsewhere. Many of the Polystichums develop
these in profusion, the old fronds throwing up a mass of
tiny new growth along their midribs before decaying alto-
gether. Such fronds only require pegging down flat as
they are, to yield youngsters in abundance. | Sohie^^ Sgolo-
pendriums produce buds on their stalks, and on tlie surface
and edges of the fronds, which can be treated similarly. The
edge buds require to be cut with scissors, so that a little
tongue of the old frond may serve to fix them in the soil,
and act as a temporary substitute for roots./ A few forms
of'the plumose sections of the Lady Fern have been found
to produce bulbils on the backs of the fronds — a character-
istic, so far, only remarked in connection with this family.
For many years these resisted all attempts to produce plants,
but recently success has established the fact that they are
true buds, as open to propagation by pegging down as the
others.

It has also been found that the basal portions of the old,
decayed fronds, which retain vitality for many years, are
capable of developing buds when detached from the old
crowns and inserted in sandy compost. The Lady Fern,
Male Fern, ^d Hartstongue, and probably other species,
permit of this method of propagation, which, in the sporeless
Ferns, is sometimes the only one available.

The propagation of those Ferns which, like the common
Polypody, Bladder Ferns, Maidenhair, and the Filmy Ferns,
have creeping rootstocks, is a very simple matter, since every
piece of the creeping rootstock {rhizome), bearing a few root
fibres and a frond, is fairly sure to yield a plant if pegged
firmly down upon the surface, and the rootlets carefully
covered. The edges of pots and pans seem the most con-
genial places for such, the evaporation through the porous
material probably assisting root formation, by keeping the
soil sweet, and promoting circulation.

Three abnormal forms, one Lady Fern and two Polystichums,
have recently been found to afford instances of an altogether

FERN CULTURE AND PROPAGATION.

new metliod of reproduction, termed apospory.* Propaga-
tion in these cases is effected, not by spores, but from
peculiar growths at the back of the fronds or at the tips of
their ultimate divisions, which growths, when pegged down,
yield young plants by the generative process usually peculiar
to spores.

Finally, there is the method of spore-propagation, which,
involving as it does a description of the spore itself and its
peculiarities, merits an independent chapter.

Vide Appendix.

CHAPTER lY.

THE WONDERS OF THE SPORE.

MONGST tlie many wonderful things which the
botanical student comes across, few, probably,
are more striking, when thoughtfully considered,
than the microscopical spores of the Crypto-
gamia, or flowerless plants, and the reproduc-
tive phenomena which they present for his
observation.

^ Ferns, the aristocracy of their tribe, afford the

greatest contrast between the spore and its re-
sults. Take, for instance, the largest of the Tree Ferns : here
we have nothing less than a noble, stately tree, possibly 100ft. in
height, with a huge, spreading crown and massive trunk in
proportion, the whole of which has been developed from a
microscopic spore, invisible to the naked eye. If we examine
the fronds of that huge tree, we shall probably find the
backs entirely covered with small, brown patches, lines, or
dots, of which there will be countless myriads upon a single
frond; yet, notwithstanding their number, every patch, line,
or dot will, under the microscope, resolve itself into not
merely a heap of spores, but into a heap of hundreds of cap-
sules, or pods, each of which in its turn, though itself barely
visible, contains some forty or fifty spores. Hence, there are
many thousands of spores in every patch, or myriads of
millions on every frond, every individual of which is capable

THE WONDERS OF THE SPORE.

of reproducing tlie parent form in all its luxuriant and
stately magnificence.

To bring this illustration of fecundity home to the mind,
we have estimated the spores upon a single frond of our native
common Polypody {Polypodium vulgare), and found that one of
the sub-divisions of the same size, taken from a Tree Fern,
would yield plants sufiicient to form a wood as large as
Epping Forest. Every frond would bear hundreds of such
sub-divisions, and the Tree Fern would probably bear thirty to
forty fronds every season. A little calculation, therefore, will
show that really inconceivable numbers have to be dealt with.
bTotwithstanding this marvellous fecundity in point of num-
bers, it has been demonstrated that it does not end here,
each spore being capable of producing, under certain circum-
stances, not merely one, but several plants, so that there is,
practically, no limit to the reproductive powers of the Fern
family.

On the other hand, this wonderful fertility as regards
numbers would appear to be very nearly counterbalanced, in
a general way, by the minuteness of the spores handicapping
them severely in their first stages of development. As an
illustration of this, we recently gathered, in the winter,

six dead, shrivelled fronds, from a plant of the Yictoria
Lady Fern {Athyrium Filix-foemina Victorice), and which had,
presumably, shed their spores; yet, on placing these between
paper, in a warm room, in a few days a heap of remaining
spores was shed, sufiicient to fill a teaspoon. Our first
impression naturally was that this heap consisted merely of
the empty capsules, but, to our surprise, the microscope

revealed spores in abundance ; in such abundance, indeed, that,
by careful sub-division, we were enabled to make a fair esti-
mate, and found that there were at least eighty millions — a
number which, enormous as it is, was, beyond a doubt, far
exceeded by that of the spores which had been shed broad-
cast in the Fernery where the plant was growing. Yet,

though the plant has occupied its position for five years,

and there are a thousand chinks and crevices around it, which
should give the spores a fair opportunity of development, it

D 2

CHOICE BRITISH PERNS.

is a remarkable fact tbat not a single cbance-sown plant
bas made its appearance amongst the innumerable seedlings
of other Ferns which spring np in profusion under identical
circumstances. Again, this Fern, which, from its unique and
unmistakable form, is fitted admirably for our illustration,
was found wild as long ago as 1861, shortly after which,
being, as we have demonstrated, a remarkably fertile plant,
it was propagated from its spores, and distributed all over
the country, so that, at the present date, plants as fertile
as the parent exist in every collection, even the most humble.
This being so, we would naturally expect that escaped spores
from some of these cultivated plants would have yielded
apparently wild ones ; yet, in the course of twenty-seven years,
not a single new find of that form has been recorded.

Our readers would naturally jump to the conclusion, from
the foregoing remarks, that the Victoria Lady Fern is
especially difficult to raise from its spores artificially, instead
of which, if the spores be sown with ordinary care, and pro-
tected fom disturbance, they germinate freely and produce
abundance of plants, all of the parental type. It is manifest
from this that, in some subtle way, the spores of this Fern
are more heavily handicapped, under natural conditions, in
their early stages of development, than other abnormal forms
of the Lady Fern, which become veritable weeds under pre-
cisely the same conditions of growth.

It will have been gathered from the foregoing remarks
that there must be some essential difference between these
spores and the seeds produced by flowering plants. In the
first place, a seed is the resulting product of a fertilised
flower, and, when sown, the immediate offspring is a plant
like the parent, and capable of producing flowers in its turn-
Place, for instance, a mustard seed in the ground, and very
speedily it splits open, a root protrudes and penetrates the
soil, and immediately thereafter two little leaves expand, and
a mustard plant is before us without further change. The
Fern spore, however, differs by not being the product of fer-
tilisation; nor does it produce directly a plant anything like
the parent, but another kind of plant altogether, resembling

THE WONDERS OP THE SPORE.

a small, green scale. Upon this scale — on its under surface
— there are then developed certain organs, akin to flowers,
which, in this second generation, become fertilised, and pro-
duce a bud, or we may call it, perhaps, an attached seed.

Fig. 1.— Young Fern Prothallus, much magnified— Prothallus ; rh, Root-
hairs of Prothallus ; s. Spore.

which then proceeds to reproduce what we recognise as a
Fern, and regard as the real parent.

This small, green scale, which is termed a prothallus {p,
Fig, 1), is produced from the spore (s) by simple generation
of cells, the first of which emerges from the spore, and
multiplies itself by fission, and the attendant formation of

Fig. 2.— Lower Surface of Mature Prothallus, magnified— a, Archegonia ;
rh, Root-hairs.

tiny root-hairs {rh), by which due nourishment is obtained.
When this prothallus attains a heart shape (Fig. 2) — generally
about iin. in diameter — there are found upon its under surface,
among the root-hairs and elsewhere, many organs of two

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

characters from one kind of which (antheridia, Fig. 3) issue,
in due course, numerous minute organisms (antherozoids.
Fig. 4), somewhat resembling microscopic tadpoles, which swim

Fig. 3.— Young Antheridium (Male Organ), much magnified— c, Central Cell,
filled with Antherozoids.

Fig. 4.— Antherozoid, much^magnified.

Fig. 5.— Longitudinal Section of Mature Archegonium (Female Organ),
much magnified— 0, Ovum.

about actively in the moisture around them, and finally fer-
tilise by contact the other kind of organs (archegonia.
Fig. 5, and a, Fig. 2), which possess a germ-bud or ovum (o) ;

THE WONDERS OF THE SPORE.

this then develops into a Fern proper, in the manner indicated
on an enlarged scale by section in Fig. 6, and finally completes
the reproductive cycle as in Fig. 7. As both these organs

Fig. 6.— Section op Prothallus and Young Fern, much enlarged—^, Pro-
thallus ; rh, Root-hairs of Prothallus ; /, Foot of Young Fern, embedded in
hollow of enlarged Archegonium, a ; fr. Very Young Frond ; r, Root.

are scattered over the prothallus, it has been found that
division of the prothallus by a sharp knife may lead to the
production of a corresponding number of centres of growth

Fig. 7.— Prothallus and Fern at Later Stage.

and resulting plants; whereas, if left undivided, it would
seem that all the energy of the prothallus is absorbed by
some one centre, which obtains predominance, the remainder
perishing.

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

The prothallus has also been found capable of producing
Ferns, in some instances, by simple buds emanating from its
under surface, independently of the reproductive organs — this
is called Apogamy ; the crested Hard Male Fern reproduces
itself in this fashion. The prothallus also multiplies itself
sometimes by budding — i.e., produces fresh prothalli — so that
many plants may result from a single spore without cutting ;
the Royal Fern {Osmunda regalis) does this. On the other
hand, the prothallus may be produced by direct outgrowth
from the Fern itself, instead of from the spore {vide Appendix
re Apospory), which is the latest vagary discovered. The only
jDOssibility now apparently remaining is for the prothallus to
bear spores direct, and shut out the Fern proper altogether,
which would represent a stride backwards to the Lichen or
Marchantia families. We are, however, getting technical, so
will revert to the practical again.

We gather, then, from this description of the phenomena
of reproduction (1) that the spore must be located upon a
congenial surface, so that when it bursts the root-hairs may
find due nourishment for further growth; (2) that when the
prothallus has developed, the surroundings must permit a
deposit of moisture upon its under surface — this implies a
thoroughly moist atmosphere.

It is also manifest, from the minuteness of all the operations,
that disturbance at the early stages would probably be fatal,
and that insect life, or, indeed, any life at all with which the
tiny embryo would have to contend for existence, is to be
avoided. With these facts in mind, let us see how to proceed.

How to Sow the Spores.

Take a shallow, porous, red earthenware pan, about Sin.
deep, put lin. of broken flower-pot in the bottom, over that a
thin layer of moss or other fibrous material, then fill up the
pan with ordinary Fern compost, upon the top of which scatter
a few nodules of clay; press lightly, so as to make fairly flat.
Now place a small piece of paper in the centre, upon which

THE WONDERS OF THE SPORE.

pour gently a whole kettleful of boiling water, whicli the paper
will prevent from disturbing the soil. Remove the paper, place
a sheet of glass over the pan, and let it cool. We have now
a congenial soil, and all spores of Fungi, or eggs of insects,
are killed, thus leaving the Fern spores a clear field.

Now take a frond bearing ripe spores — i.e., speaking generally,
brown ones — and lay it for a day or two between two sheets
of white paper in a dry place. We shall then find the paper
stained with a brownish dust. This dust is made up of the
spores and their cases, and it is only necessary to tap this
sheet gently over the prepared pan to finish the operation.
Cover immediately with the glass. Make a note of your sowing —
species, variety, and date and place — put the pan in some damp,
shady corner, out of the way, taking the precaution that worms
do not get in from below. If possible, forget its existence for
about three weeks, when, if the weather has been warm, a
faint trace of green will be visible, showing the spores have
begun to develop. Yery soon the little scales will become
perceptible, and in a few weeks more the whole pan will be
covered. To this there succeeds an apparent dormancy, lasting
sometimes for weeks; the reproductive phenomena already
described are, however, now going on, and the next thing will
be the sudden appearance, at first here and there, and even-
tually in a crowd, of the first little fronds proper, when the
success of the sowing may be recorded.

Should, however, the prothalli cover, as is probable, the
whole of the pan, it becomes manifest that there will soon be
a great struggle for existence, as the little plants require elbow-
room. It is, therefore, well at this stage to prepare other pans
in the way indicated, and with a pointed knife, or stick, pick
out small patches, about the size of peas. Insert these care-
fully in the soil, just so that they adhere to it, and about
lin. apart, and cover again with glass; the result will be a
greatly accelerated growth.

To the beginner’s great surprise, it is most likely that, instead
of Ferns appearing, as per his register, other species altogether
may predominate, even at first, to the entire exclusion of those
he looked for ; these latter will, however, probably appear later.

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

This is owing to the fact that some varieties, whose spores
naturally fly about and settle upon all the Ferns around them,
germinate and develop much more rapidly than others ; hence,
if any of their spores have settled upon the fronds from which
the sowing was made, there is no possibility of discriminating
them, and all that can be done is to weed them out eventually,
should they threaten to choke out the sorts especially desired.

The next, Und to the connoisseur the most fascinating, stage
of Fern-propagation by spores is the careful search through
the resulting crop for new or improved forms among the rising
progeny of already splendid varieties. Here and there the
experienced eye will detect some unusual or especially promising
feature as the young fronds develop ; these may either be
marked and left where they are, or, better still, carefully lifted
out, and placed in a pan reserved for that purpose. By-and-bye,
new fronds arise, which perhaps confirm, perhaps upset, his
expectations; but to the persistent cultivator every now and
again his warmest hopes are more than crowned, and he has
the proud pleasure of scoring another success, and adding one
more gem to his and others’ collections.

The best time for sowing Fern spores is immediately they
are ripe, as this generally gives ample time for the formation
of the prothallus before the cold weather sets in. In this case,
though they will remain at a standstill during the winter
(unless kept in a warm house, which should be done whenever
practicable), the young plants will appear in the spring, and
have the whole of the season before them for development,
thus saving a month or two.

For the beginner the Lady Fern is probably the easiest of
all to raise; if the spores of fine varieties are available, it is
just as well to begin with good forms as inferior ones. The
Male Ferns and Scolopendriums are also likely to yield a suc-
cessful crop, but the beginner must not be disheartened by a
failure or two, though with careful following of the above
treatment in every respect, success should be the rule, and
not the exception. Should the dormant period, after the for-
mation of the prothallus, be very protracted, a gentle watering,
through a fine rose, with warm water (70deg. or 80deg. F.)

THE WONDERS OF THE SPORE.

will speedily bring matters to a crisis, and lead to tbe young
plants appearing.

Should Fungi appear, or worms get in, it is well to prick
out sound patches of the prothalli at once into other pans
prepared as already indicated; with care, this can be done at
any stage of development.

In selecting spores for sowing, not only should the best
varieties be selected, but also the best and most characteristic
portions of the fronds should be sown from. Thus, if a good
crested form is in question, and heavier cresting aimed at, the
spores should be taken from the heaviest crest itself, if possible.
Some very fine and constant forms have been raised from spores
taken from plants which only showed a trace of variation in
one small subdivision of a frond, the spores upon which pro-
duced plants so characterised throughout.

As it is very difficult for the beginner to realise that an
insignificant-looking patch of spores, no larger than a small
pin’s head, will produce many more plants than he is likely
to be able to accommodate, a word of warning as to sowing
too thickly will not be amiss. The best plan is to put a
very small pinch of spore-dust under a good microscope, which
will resolve it into the equivalent of a peck or so of fair-sized
seed, and thus bring home to him tangibly the extent of the
crop he is likely to reap.

Hybridisation.

Although, owing to the minute nature of the phenomena,
this can hardly be effected systematically, as with the fiowering
plants, yet the sowing of spores of several varieties together
results sufficiently often in offspring of mixed characteristics
to show that crossing does take place. This fact, therefore,
may be borne in mind with advantage, and give additional
interest to this method of propagation.

Colonel Jones, of Clifton, Mr. Clapham, Mr. Lowe, and others
who have directed their attention specially to this, have suc-
ceeded over and over again in their well-defined aim at

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

producing crosses combining the characters of specially fine
varieties. An instance of one of Mr. Clapbam’s successes in
this direction is seen on Plate Y., Pig. 12, which shows an
intentional cross between a beautifully - crested Polypody
{Polypodium vulgare hijido cristatum, Pig. 2) and a very
finely-divided one (P. elegantissimum>, Pig. 10) ; the result being
not only the transference of the characteristic cresting of
the former to the latter, but also its peculiarities to the
otherwise normal fronds which the latter is in the habit of
producing occasionally — a feature which, of course, places the
cross beyond a doubt.

CHAPTEE V.

FERN POTS, PANS, AND CONTRIVANCES,
ROCKWORK, &c.

1ST the cultivation of Ferns under artificial con-
ditions, such as in glasshouses, Wardian cases,
frames, &c., there is ample scope for the
ingenious in contriving suitable receptacles for
the plants, which, without being unsightly or
expensive, shall meet the requirements of species
of varying habit — drooping, upright, spreading,
creeping, or otherwise. Nothing, of course, can
be better for many purposes — where, for instance,
the object is to mask a wall — than the many forms of flat-
sided hanging pots of red ware, which can be purchased at
moderate prices.

Cork baskets or half-baskets are also available, and possess
the advantage of being easily made and as easily secured to
the wall by means of copper wire and wall hooks, as described
later on. Care must, however, be taken that these are
thoroughly filled with earth when the Ferns are planted, as,
otherwise, the soil may settle into cavities, in which the roots
are left exposed and perish, or the plant may suddenly sub-
side, and require lifting to be presentable. Cork, however, is
not of itself very congenial to plant growth, as there is no
evaporation through it, and it affords no attraction for the

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

roots, sucli as porous earthenware furnishes; it is also liable,
in time, to harbour woodlice. Apart from these drawbacks, it
is so easily manipulated, and, when well arranged, has so rustic
an appearance, that it can hardly be dispensed with where
considerable space has to be covered.

In selecting cork for basket or pocket-making purposes, the
large, tubular pieces should be chosen, as these, if soaked for
some time in water, can be forced open, sawn with a coarse
rip saw or cut with a wet knife into lengths, and being kept
open by the insertion here and there of a stick, only require a
flat piece wired on as a bottom to form a neat receptacle

Fig. 8.— Removable Slate and Cork Wall-pocket.

with little trouble — the wall itself, to which it can be attached
by wire, forming the back. Large baskets can be made by
judiciously wiring curved pieces together; gaps can be left
to accommodate small plants.

A useful removable wall-pocket of this class can be con-
structed by wiring a curved piece of cork on to a common
roofing-slate, as indicated by Fig. 8, the bottom being formed
by a projecting curved piece, forming a sort of small trough
in front, which will hold some small Ferns, others of which
can be planted with advantage in holes made in the larger
piece for the purpose. If the bottom edge of the slate rests

FERN POTS, PANS, EOCKWORK, ETC.

upon a couple of strong hooks, driven into the wall, a thin
wire, passed from side to side, and fixed to wall nails, will
fasten it securely. A judiciously-planted basket of this de-
scription will accommodate a very handsome group of several
varieties. Seedlings will also speedily make their appearance
in the chinks, and must be looked after, so that the proper
tenants are not crowded out.

For many purposes, however, ordinary roofing and ridge
slates form a preferable material to cork. They are cheap
and practically everlasting, and, with a little ingenuity, can
be fashioned into a great variety of pockets and other recep-
tacles of very simple, sightly, and unobtrusive forms, possess-

FiG. 9.— Removable Slate Wall-pocket.

ing all the advantages of cork without any of the drawbacks,
and being, moreover, of that porous nature which stimulates
root-growth.

A supply of roofing-slates, of the usual oblong shape and
size, and ridge- slates, which are much longer, narrower, and
stouter, an old saw, a bradawl or drill, an old rough file, a
pair of good cutting pliers, and some stout copper wire, are
all the materials and tools required.

A few examples of this class of work will suffice. In Fig. 9,
A represents a roofing-slate pierced with holes, as indicated ; B,
another sawn across diagonally, and a piece cut offi from
each half, as per dotted line ; two semicircular notches
may be bitten out by the pliers as shown, to accommodate

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

small Ferns, and holes pierced as indicated. If, now, these
three pieces be wired together, they form the pocket as shown
at c ; the corner holes can be used as screw-holes for attaching
to wood, or for wiring up on bricks. To tie together with
wire, cut the copper wire into short pieces, bend them like
a horseshoe, pass the two ends through the proper holes in

Fig. 10.— Corner Pockets.

front, and twist together tightly, but not too tightly, at the
back. Slates, sawn into the shape of a triangle, will form
corner wall-pockets by themselves, nails being driven into the
wall to support them. As will be seen by Fig. 10, these can
be inserted one inside the other, as many as taste or space
permits, the plants in each not interfering in any way with
one another.

FERN POTS, PANS, ROCKWORK, ETC.

These pockets can also be used singly as masks for
ordinary pots, which can be inserted and the space filled up
with moss, sand, or compost.

Fig. 11.— Slate Box for Window-sill.

Fig. 11 represents a long slate box suitable for a window-
sill. This is formed entirely of ridge-slates, three of which

Fig. 12.— Continuous Slate Pocket.

form the |bottom and two sides, while three square pieces
form the two ends and centre strengthening-piece; the handles

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

are formed of stout pieces of bamboo, attached by extra
strong copper wire through holes in end-pieces. With a
straight-edge and bradawl marginal or other lines can be
scored, by way of relief, and the corners are rounded with
the file.

Other forms will soon suggest themselves, and the hints
above given should suflS.ce for their execution.

These same roofing-slates — which, by the way, should be
selected as stout as possible, and free from flaws — can be
used to form a capital, long, continuous receptacle for the
smaller-growing and wall Ferns, the top of an old wall being,
indeed, the idea aimed at. This is formed against a wall,
at about the level of the eye, in the manner shown in
Fig. 12. A represents the wall; B, a level row of strong
nails, driven about 6in. apart into the wall ; c, a row
of hooks — if galvanised, so much the better. The slates
are then pierced with two holes in one of the two upper
corners and one in the other, as shown at d. If, now, the
bottom edge of the slates be rested upon the lower line of
hooks, and their edges overlapped, so that the holes nearest
the edge coincide, stout copper wire, passed through, and
over the upper hooks and back again, will at once tie the
slates together, and suspend them safely at such an angle
as will form a continuous pocket, as desired. Plenty of broken
brick and rough material should then be thrown in as drain-
age, and when filled up with good compost, a first-class and
very convenient home will be made for a select company of
choice, small things.

The soil can be packed with small burrs with good results,
the Ferns being carefully installed in the chinks. Many of
the most diflS.cult to grow take kindly to this sort of recep-
tacle, which has the further advantage of economising room,
since there is plenty of space underneath for larger Ferns,
and hardly any liability to drip. The plants, also, being on
a level with the eye, are easily inspected and kept in order.

For small seedlings, like accommodation may be afforded
by the ridge- slates, suspended in the same manner, only not
overlapping — which, in their case, is needless. They form, of

FERN POTS, PANS, ROCKWORK, ETC.

course, a narrow, but, at tbe same time, a remarkably bandy,
place for tiny plants wbicb it is desirable to instal out of
the reach of worms. If two ridge-slates be screwed on to
three triangular pieces of wood (oak is desirable), or wired
on to three pieces of slate — one at each end, and one in the
middle to stiffen — a removable pocket of the same type is
produced, which can be hung up upon nails passing through
the holes with which ridge- slates are already provided when
purchased. Handy and inconspicuous shelves are also found
to exist, ready made, in these ridge-slates, all they need
being strong holdfasts as supports.

For those who have not the leisure or the inclination for
home-made contrivances of this sort. Booty’s Fern Wall- tiles
will be found to answer admirably for covering wall surfaces;
these are gracefully curved earthenware troughs, which can
be easily fixed one above another, and to any desired length
and extent. Fern-pockets can also be constructed of small,
broken burrs and good cement, care being taken to leave
drainage-holes. A few strong nails and holdfasts driven into
the wall assist operations of this class immensely.

This brings us to rockwork proper, or, rather, as near
proper as ordinary purses and available materials permit.
The imitation of real rocks we will assume to be too generally
impracticable to be aimed at, involving, as it must do, if done
at all well, considerable outlay as well as special knowledge.
With the common refuse, however, of the brick kilns — ^.e.,
brick burrs, in which the more the bricks have lost their
semblance the better, we have a material which, if it does
not deceive the eye with the appearance of veritable rocks, is
quite as congenial to rock-loving Ferns, affording the same
protection to their roots and crowns in the chinks, nooks,
and crevices which, with a little care, can be contrived.

In forming an artificial rockery, beginners usually make
the mistake of building up the burrs and filling in the soil
as they go on, the result being, inevitably, a great settling
of the whole fabric afterwards, and a series of unsuspected
holes and hollows inside, which are very detrimental to the
roots of the plants, and to their well-being generally. The

E 2

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

proper way is to form a solid mound of soil of the full size
and shape desired, and then, with the aid of a trowel, to
firmly bed the masses of burr into the mound in such a way
that they lie firm by their own gravity. Commence doing

Fig. 13.— Rockery.

this at the bottom of the mound, working the soil well down
behind each piece, and choosing the larger pieces for the
foundation; these being firmly placed, and the soil brought .
down behind them, the inserting of the rest will be easy.

FERN POTS, PANS, EOCKWORK, ETC.

Formality, however, must he guarded against, and space left
between the masses for the eventual planting, which should
not be done immediately, but after the mound has been well
watered and the surplus drained away. When all is ready,
work some specially good compost into the pockets and chinks,
and plant the Ferns, watering them well.

With a rockery built in this fashion there is no danger of
finding a number of fine plants mysteriously vanished, and
gaping chinks occupying their place — a not uncommon experi-
ence when the wrong method is adopted. Any good porous

Fig. 14.— Small Fern Frame and Alpine Rockery Combined.

stone will answer the same purpose; but hewn pieces are to
be avoided, for appearance’ sake, and so are those abomina-
tions in connection with rockeries of this class — shells, corals,
and similar ornaments, which, however beautiful in themselves,
are utterly out of place, since the only ornaments should be
the Ferns, which, under proper treatment, should alone be
visible.

To grow Ferns in gardens where there is little or no shade
would appear a hopeless task; but here their culture can be
combined with that of sun-loving Alpine plants in a very
satisfactory way. Let a trench, running from south-east to

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

nortli-west, if possible, be dug, about 1ft. deep and 3ft. wide,
tbe soil being thrown up on the south side, faced with
burrs, and backed with a 4^in. red-brick wall, rising about
2ft. above level of soil. The bottom of the trench is covered
with thick, porous, red tiles, or a bed of cinders or cement;
and the shorter wall can be formed of similar tiles, or slates,
a depth of 9in. to 12in. sufficing. A series of lights, hinged
on to the brick wall, and resting on the edges of the tiles,
or slates, will form a long, cool, moist frame, in which a large
number of good forms will thrive, the drainage from the Alpine
rockery keeping it always humid, while the direct rays of the
sun are warded off entirely. Such a sunken frame can, of
course, be made under any shelter, but we have taken an
utterly shelterless site to illustrate that “where there is a
will there is a way.”

Now a word as to common flower-pots. What are the
emotions of an English maker when a Scotch flower-pot meets
his eye? We are not in the trade, and therefore cannot be
certain; but surely shame must predominate. The type of
the ordinary English flower-pot is well known — a rough, clumsy, .
often misshapen, hand-moulded affair, difficult to clean, un-
sightly to regard, and only fitly used when broken up for
crocks. The Scotch pot, on the other hand, is a smooth, well-
turned, and altogether satisfactory piece of work, which costs
little, if any more, than the others. These, owing to the
absence of all roughness, either inside or out, are not only
much more pleasing to the eye, but facilitate cleanliness, and
in the process of repotting, or turning out for inspection, the
ball of earth and roots slips out undisturbed, and can be re-
placed without damage to the growing root-tips, owing to
absence of friction. In short, they combine the sightliness
and cleanliness of glazed ware with all the sanitary benefits
of the porous clay of which they are formed.

The principle involved in the porous earthenware bottles,
surrounded by Maidenhair Ferns, with which our readers will
be familiar, can be made available by inserting an empty,
corked flower-pot in the centre of suspended baskets; the pot
being occasionally filled up with water, fosters a vigorous

FERN POTS, PANS, ROCKWORK, ETC.

growth, and materially reduces the risk of drought, to which
suspended plants, no matter where situated, are much exposed
in hot, dry weather.

For spore-raising, seedlings, and some of the shallow-rooting
Ferns, such as the Polypodies, red pans about lOin. square by
2iin. deep are very useful.

CHAPTER YI.

FERNERIES, WARDIAN CASES, &c.

CCOMMODATION for Ferns in the way of
specially-built Fern-bouses, &c., is, of course,
a question of expense. Fortunately, however,
for the subjects of our consideration, their
culture is adapted to the shallowest pockets as
well as to well-filled purses. In the first place,
since, with two exceptions, they withstand any
amount of frost with impunity, two great items
of expense — viz., heating apparatus and fuel —
are quite unnecessary. In the second place, in many parts
of the country — i.e., in all parts where wild Ferns flourish,
it is manifest that many varieties would do the like without
any protection more than is afforded by congenial, shady
nooks out of doors, under the shelter of trees, north walls,
and so on; so that a fair collection can be made and kept
in good condition without any expense beyond first cost of
plants. A number, however, of the most delicate— ^.e., fragile —
forms, though they will exist, and even thrive, under the
same conditions as their tougher brethren, cannot develop
their full beauty except they are thoroughly protected from
the wind and rain.

Wind, in all cases — by rubbing the delicate fronds together
— is a fruitful source of damage, and really beautiful plants
are never seen in exposed situations. Rain, on the other hand,

FERNERIES, WARDIAN CASES, ETC.

witli tlie densely-crested forms is very apt to collect to such
an extent in the crest as to break down the plants; while,
of course, a heavy hailstorm plays havoc with all. Hence,
as a collection grows, and the more delicate and choice forms
are acquired, the collector finds himself or herself com-
pelled, sooner or later, either to take the choicest into the
dwelling-house, or prepare frames or houses for their accom-
modation elsewhere. In the dwelling-house, provided there
be no gas used in the rooms, windows with a northern or
eastern aspect can be utilised to double advantage — i.e., the
plants benefit by the shelter and position, and the rooms
are benefited by the beauty of the Ferns.

We ourselves have never had a more satisfactory collec-
tion, in its way, than an early one which occupied a square
table in a bay-window facing the north. We made a sloping
stage of six shelves, upon which we ranged the plants accord-
ing to their size and habits, with the most delightful results,
the window — or, rather, its tenants — being the constant
admiration of all who saw it. The collection, however, out-
grew the space, and a frame, consisting of an oblong box,
about 6ft. by 3ft., 18in. high in front, 24in. behind, and
covered with a glazed light, next made its appearance for
the accommodation, at first of seedlings, and eventually of as
many adult plants as it would hold. Frame No. 1 overflowed,
and others followed. Then arose the question of a Fernery
proper, which eventually took the form of a cool conserva-
tory, facing north, with a large, burr-covered mound in the
centre, a red-tiled path round that, and sloping rockwork
all round the walls, which are of brick, about 7ft. high, sus-
taining a corrugated glass roof, sloping from the centre.
The Fernery abuts upon the dwelling-house, and the dining-
room window looks into it. The farther wall is built entirely
of rough burrs, covered, more or less, with pockets containing
Ferns. The side walls are masked by hanging-pots and slate
troughs, as described in the previous chapter. This Fernery
is quite unwarmed, for though heating apparatus was put in
and used, we found the artificial heat in winter prevented
the plants from resting, the result being weakly constitu-

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

tions in the ensuing growing season, and a plentiful crop
of thrips and other abominations in the vermin way.

A house such as this accommodates some 400 varieties, and
is a delightful sight for the greater part of the year, while,
even in the winter, the evergreen varieties make a refreshing
show of verdure. At first we planted all the Ferns direct
into the soil of the rockeries, but found it advisable, in many
cases, to plant them in pots and sink them, thus permitting
re-arrangement when needed, either for the benefit of the
plants or the sake of variety.

In contriving a Fernery of this or similar descriptionj it
must be borne in mind that coolness and shade are essential
conditions of the well-being of the plants. These conditions
can only be fully attained in a sunk house, built on the
principle of the frame described in Chapter Y., and well
protected from the direct rays of the summer sun.

For the accommodation of the class of Filmy Ferns, of
which the British representatives are the two forms of the
Tunbridge Fern {Hymenophyllum tunbridgense and H. uni-
later ale) and the Killarney Fern {Trichomanes radicans) and
its varieties, still greater protection is required than is
afforded by ordinary frames or conservatories. These ex-
tremely delicate plants only grow, naturally, in the rocky
beds of streams, where the atmosphere is continually satu-
rated with moisture, and, in fact, where they are constantly
bedewed with spray. Hence, a few minutes’ exposure to a dry
atmosphere shrivels up their thin, pellucid fronds, and pro-
longed exposure is fatal. To meet this state of matters baffled
both the botanists of old who desired to transmit living
plants from place to place, and the Fern-lovers who longed
to cultivate them, until, at last, Mr. H. Ward circumvented
the difficulty by the invention of what is now, and ever will
be, known as the Wardian Case.

This, as everybody, presumably, knows, is a glass, almost
airtight, case, covering a receptacle for soil and drainage.
The water supplied is prevented from escaping altogether by
evaporation, since it is condensed upon the glass, and runs
down to the soil to be evaporated again ; hence, the air and

FERNEEIES, WARDIAN CASES, ETC.

soil are kept constantly damp, though a circulation is main-
tained which prevents stagnation — the result being precisely
what the Filmy Ferns require. The principle once grasped,
it was seen that ordinary bell-glasses afford the same con-
ditions of growth, so that a round, red, earthenware pan, with
a bell-glass fitting neatly into it, forms a cheap and handy
Wardian case. It will be seen that, even with these water-
loving Ferns, drainage is as requisite as with the others;
hence, in starting a Wardian case, or bell-glass substitute, a
good substratum of broken crocks and bits of brick should
be put in first, over that some fibry material or sphagnum
moss, and upon that a rough mixture of peat and sand. The
plants should be pegged down upon this, a little more sand
sifted over them, and then a good heavy shower from the rose
of a watering-pot given, to wash the sand well in and bed
the plant comfortably. See that your bell-glass or case doors
fit close, and leave the plants alone for a week at least. The
Killarney Fern, thus treated, will form a delightful object
in time ; its motto is, generally, “ slow but sure.” The
Hymenophyllums are pretty and moss-like, but comparatively
insignificant.

We have been very successful in the culture of the Kil-
larney Fern in a glass milk-dish about 24in. diameter,
covered by a 20in. bell-glass. We half filled the dish with
large pieces of flower-pots, arranged as hollowly as possible;
on these we put a number of small pieces of brick, then a
layer of sphagnum. We then planted the Fern in a red
earthenware pan, which we stood in the centre, packing it
round with living moss, watering it thoroughly until about
lin. of water stood in the dish among the drainage. The bell-
glass was then put on, and silver sand poured round the rim
of the glass dish outside, and wetted until it was bedded tightly.
The result is all that could be desired, and, practically, no
attention at all is requisite, the plant thriving without having
been watered in any way for many months. To all appear-
ances it would stand for a year or two without requiring more
water.

A very small Todea superba we treated in the same manner

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

grew in sncli a surprising fashion that the second year it
filled the bell-glass completely, and had to be shifted; while
its brethren of the same batch, in a close frame, were still
in thumb-pots.

For a shady window — i,e., one facing north or east — a most
lovely ornament can thus be established, involving the least
possible trouble. Even gas, under such conditions, does no
harm.

We have also found that an ordinary Wardian case, fitted with
a watertight zinc bottom, holding about 2in. of water,, in which
small thumb-pots were reversed to serve as supports for pots
and pans containing choice varieties of Filmy Ferns, answered
admirably, the water being drawn up by capillary attraction
from the lower pots into the upper, and a congenial humidity
being always maintained for months together, without anj’^
attention worthy the name. Trichomanes reniforme — a very
rare New Zealand cousin of the Killarney Fern, but its very
antipodes in appearance — thrives apace under this treatment.

CHAPTER YII.

FERN FOES, AND HOW TO FIGHT
THEM.

ERNS, when grown under thoroughly congenial
conditions, have hut few enemies, as will he
evident to every Fern-hunter if he turns his
attention specially to the point; directly, how-
ever, natural conditions are departed from,
there are a thousand- and- one foes ready to
take advantage of the thereby weakened con-
stitution. The coolest possible temperature
during the summer is the panacea for most
of the ills that British Ferns are heir to. This granted, the
chief enemies to guard against will he slugs, snails, leather-
coated grubs {i.e., of the daddy longlegs), and last, hut by
no means least, caterpillars.

With regard to slugs and the ordinary large snails, a
determination to find and kill whenever their shiny track is
seen will speedily have the desired effect. Care, too, must
he taken when collecting moss, &c., for use in the Fernery, not
to import also a new hatch of eggs, with the inevitable result
of a new spell of hunting when they are hatched. Some of
the small snails, especially one tiny, shiny, black, flat, spiral-
shelled fellow, which brings tears into its murderer’s eyes by
the pungent scent of onions borne upon its expiring breath.

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

must be searched for assiduously if growing fronds — even large
ones — are found to stop short in their growth and topple over,
as it is very fond of eating its way into the base of the
frond, and thus doing fatal injury, not necessarily to the
plant, but to its symmetry. Fronds attacked by this marauder
remain attached to the crown, being merely bored through
the centre ; hence its ravages can be discriminated from those
of the next foe on our list.

The leather- coated grub of the daddy longlegs resembles a
small, dull black sausage, about lin. long, when full grown.
It betrays its unwelcome presence by the same sort of attack
as the little snail aforesaid, but on a larger scale : a promising
plant is suddenly found with most of the young, rising fronds
nipped cleanly off, and lying loose. The enemy will not be
far away; he is principally a night-feeder, and makes his
lair close to his larder. The best and securest plan is to lift
the plant bodily out of the soil, with as much earth as possible.
Trowel down the sides of the hole, to see if the vermin is
there; if not, he or they — there are often two or three to-
gether— will be in the ball, and will probably drop out if it
be loosened and shaken. When they do make their appearance,
a powerful electric shock, or the heel of a boot, with a man
in it, are the best things to apply ; we usually adopt the latter.

Slugs, snails, and grubs we have seen how to deal with;
their ravages can generally be checked before much damage
is done, because, having a comparatively long life, and plenty
of time to do havoc in, they are leisurely in their work — have
a gentlemanly meal, and a long snooze, and so on. Cater-
pillars, however, whose lease of destruction is a short one,
have no such redeeming characteristics ; they are greedy, never
know when they have had enough, and, moreover, obtain our
hospitality under the falsest of false pretences. We are
charmed, for instance, during the summer, by the visit to our
Fernery of two or three pretty butterflies, or silvery moths,
which have flown in through the ventilator, and which we
charitably assist in their efforts to escape. A poetical little
episode! Yes, indeed, but our poetical visitors have doubtless
left a more prosaic legacy behind, which in August betrays

FERN FOES, AND HOW TO FIGHT THEM.

its presence by a few tiny boles bere and there in tbe best
fronds of our pet plants — tiny boles to-day, so tiny, indeed,
tbat tbey escape our notice, as also, of course, do tbe tiny,
wriggling little wretches under tbe fronds, who are just
beginning to whet their baby teeth. Next day tbe boles are
tolerably large — our pet Fern is spoilt, and so is tbat special
batch of caterpillars. Butterflies and moths are, however, in
one respect, models of foresight: tbey never put all their
eggs in one basket — their progeny, also, generally scatter soon
after hatching; hence, in the most carefully-watched Fernery,
a series of such discoveries as above may be expected, since
it is only by the damage done that the foe is discovered.
With constant personal care, however, the evil may not go
far; but go out of town for a week or two, leave somebody
else in charge, and the caterpillar gets his chance, evolution,
in his opinion, having doubtless arranged autumnal holidays
with a view to his continued existence. When you return, it
is possible that you will find a choice collection of rags and
tatters of dilapidated Fern fronds, and a fine, fat army of
full-sized, green caterpillars roosting upon the ruins, and
busily grinding up the remnants into future butterflies, your
pet plants resembling precisely Paddy’s old coat — i.e., composed
principally of fresh air. The caterpillar, in fact, begins dinner
when he is hatched, and finishes it when he turns himself
into a chrysalis, his only pause being when his garments
grow too tight, and he has to throw them off and don a
larger suit to accommodate the remaining courses of his
banquet. From the above it will be gathered that prevention
is better than cure, and that all care should be taken to
exclude moths and butterflies, or to destroy them immediately
they appear.

Woodlice should be kept under, for though they feed prin-
cipally on dead matter, they occasionally transgress, and punish
some of the smaller-growing Ferns.

The foregoing are the chief enemies to the attacks of which
healthy British Ferns are subjected; with ordinary care they
can easily be kept under, while, under many conditions — such
as in dwelling-houses — they are rarely seen.

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

Green fly, thrips, scale, red spider, et hoc genus omne,
are by-products of uncongenial culture — too much beat or
draughts, scarcity of light, or some such weakening cause.
This last alone is a potent source of weakly growth; for,
barring direct sunshine, the plants cannot have too much
daylight. If, then, any of these pests make their appearance,
it will be endless labour merely to examine and clean the
plants, and a comparatively short task to clear the field of
the foe by starving them out — a really healthy plant afford-
ing them no support.

There is another insect, which mainly affects the Lady
Fern, and which, apparently, lays its eggs in the crowns, so that
they rise with, and hatch upon, the new fronds in the spring.
This is a smallish, semi-transparent, green fly — in its younger
stages the hinder half of the body being brownish-green ; in
shape it is flattish, about j^in. long, and nearly as broad —
“ Norfolk Howard” pattern. It is easily discriminated from the
aphis, or common green fly, as it runs about swiftly. It
is a voracious sap feeder, and speedily turns the whole plant
a whitish-green. About July it is transformed into a shining,
hard, brown insect, bearing much superficial resemblance to
a flea, of which, we believe one of the sexes has the power
of flight. This seems to thrive most where light is somewhat
scanty — which indicates the remedy. If it makes its appear-
ance, a careful search for the first spring broods will check the
evil materially.

The last insect-pest we shall deal with is, we believe, a
comparatively new importation. This is a white, or greenish-
white, fly, about ^^in. long, with a strong resemblance —
under a lens — to the locust family. It has a peculiarly
abrupt, erratic, snipe-like flight, darting instantaneously from
one plant to another when disturbed, and settling almost
invariably on the under side of the frond, at a point some
distance from where it seemed to alight. This fly of late
years has become a great nuisance, since it attacks even
out-of-door plants of all sorts, healthy or otherwise, and dis-
figures them by gnawing the outer skin of the frond, or leaves
and causing unsightly, white patches.

FERN FOES, AND HOW TO FIGHT THEM.

Unfortunately, it is not merely a nuisance in its flying
state— wliicli it assumes about July — but, during tbe earlier
months of the year, the eggs laid in the preceding autumn
hatch, and produce a great number of small, brownish insects,
of sluggish habit, which feed upon the fronds in the same
way as their parent. At this period, therefore, it is well to
examine all the evergreen Ferns, and carefully sponge off the
future flitters. If any are left to attain the flying stage, a
second generation may confidently be looked for in the autumn.
The deciduous Ferns remain untouched until the insects fly
about, the eggs, if any are laid, perishing on the dead fronds.

Fumigation with tobacco smoke, if very judiciously done,
will do much to reduce the ranks of these flying and creep-
ing foes, but in unskilful hands is very apt to damage the
young and tender growth of the Ferns themselves, especially
the Maidenhairs ; frequent slight fumigation is therefore
advisable, rather than a sudden drastic application in full
force.

The Fern foes so far described are all comparatively small,
and only formidable by their numbers. Individually, the
intrepid Fern-lover, armed with a finger and thumb, and the
boot-heel already indicated, has a very fair chance of coming
off the victor in a scrimmage at close quarters. There are,
however, some which grow to as much as 5ft. or 6ft. high,
and are even worse than the caterpillar in the ravages
they commit, several British species having, indeed, been all
but annihilated by them. These assume various forms ;
sometimes they look like an ordinary rustic, armed with a
sack and a trowel, who leaves a lovely Fern-clad lane a verit-
able wreck before his appetite is satiated ; sometimes they
look like tourists, who, having the audacity to dub them-
selves Fern-lovers, make similar raids with even less excuse,
their prey in most cases being destined to a slow death by
neglect or careless treatment ; or probably, when later on
in their tours the freshness of the plants has gone, they are
abandoned as useless impedimenta, and replaced by the pro-
ceeds of another piece of vandalism.

These, in one or other of their varied forms, are mainly

CHOICE BRITISH FERNS.

the foes of our wild Ferns; but our private collections are
not always safe from spoilers of allied character. We have
heard of them assuming the shape of gardeners of low degree,
whose ravages embrace plants, pots, and all, nothing being
left but a gap in the collection, and an assumed look of
bewilderment on the spoiler’s face as to “Who could ha’
done it.”

Sometimes they appear in the guise of nice young ladies,
who, professing intense admiration of your pets, are made
the temporarily happy possessors of a few choice forms, which,
when inquired after in a week or two, are found to have
died in a most mysterious and incomprehensible fashion; the
fact being that your advice regarding their culture went in
at one ear and out at the other; or Mary the maid stupidly
forgot to water them; or they could not be planted for a
few days, as the gardener was busy, and so they got dry, &c.,
the result being almost invariably the same as in the case
of the caterpillars, only more thorough. We are hardly pre-
pared to suggest exterminatory remedies for the several Fern
foes just described, especially the last of all, though their
attacks are particularly insidious, and difficult to evade; we
can only hope that our little book may convert some of them
into true Fern-lovers, and, by inculcating a taste for the
varieties, render the wholesale plunder of the common — but
still beautiful — forms a thing of the past ; just as no one
would dream of transplanting wild E/Oses, wild Pansies, &c.,
to his garden, who has become acquainted with their far more
lovely cultivated sisters.

THE

FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN,

AND THEIR

CHOICEST VARIETIES.

F 2

THE

FERN FSMILIES OF BRITAIN,

And their Choicest Varieties.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION.

AYING, in tlie preceding section, given a de-
scription of tlie predominant types of variation,
together with, practical hints regarding their
general culture and propagation, and other par-
ticulars connected with the subject, which we
trust our readers will have found interesting,
our next task is that of giving, with the aid of
illustrations from Nature, such descriptions of
the various Pern families indigenous to our
country as will enable any of our readers to recognise them
when found; while the woodcuts and descriptions of the
variations will give them a fairly clear idea of what they may
possibly light upon, if their quest be only sufficiently earnest

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

and persevering, and of the forms in cultivation which are
most desirable to procure as the nucleus of a collection. We
are particular in italicising the word nucleus, in order to
impress upon our readers what we have already stated regard-
ing the merely representative nature of the types we have
selected, and the existence of a great number of other forms
which, though fully worthy of specification on the score of
distinctness and beauty, our space limit has forced us to
exclude. For some of these we can only refer to the published
catalogues of the few nurserymen who make a specialty of
British Ferns. Extended experience will bring with it a
knowledge of other varieties, amongst them some of the very
choicest, which are only procurable by way of favour or
exchange among the confraternity of amateur Fem-lovers
who raise or find new forms on their own account.

The special cultural remarks attached to each species will
be found to be Nature’s own teaching, and the logical outcome
of a study of their habits and habitats.

CHAPTER II.

. THE MAIDENHAIR FERN

{Adiantum Cajaillus-Veneris).

S the allied form of Maidenhair Fern (A. cune-
atum, wedge-shaped), a native of Southern
Europe, forms so well-known a type of the
species generally, we may fairly refer to it
in describing the British species, which differs
mainly in its bolder growth, the pinnse being
somewhat semicircular in shape instead of
triangular, and considerably larger and fewer
than in A. cuneatum. The spore-heaps appear
in semicircular patches on the edges of the fronds, which are
turned back so as to form a cover {indusium).

This lovely Fern is only found on the warmest coasts of the
British Isles, and being rather tender, is not adapted to stand
more than a few degrees of frost. In its natural haunts it
is found growing in the crevices, sometimes very deep ones,
of sea cliffs, and on some parts of the Irish coast grows very
luxuriantly. It requires a well-drained, gritty soil, and, as its
habitats indicate, needs a little warmth to induce free growth.

It has afforded several varieties of great beauty.

A. C.-V. cornubieiise (so-called because found wild in
Cornwall) represents the plumose form of the species, and is
a very close imitation of the well-known A. Farley ense (regarded,
by Baker, as a variety of A. tenerum), the pinnse being very
large, and deeply divided or fringed on the edges, precisely

THE PERN FAMILIES OP BRITAIN.

in the same fashion as that lovely exotic, from which, indeed,
it can only be discriminated by its smaller size.

A. C.-V. daphuites (glistening). See Fig. 15. Another very
beautiful form, with extra large pinnae, somewhat crowded and
blended together, so as to form a close approach to cresting
at tips of fronds and pinnae. A plant of this type in the

possession of Mr. Greenwood Pirn, of Dublin, has become pro-
liferous, bearing innumerable little plants in clusters on the
edges of the pinnae, in the usual place of the spores.

A. C.-V. magni£cum (magnificent). A very bold and hand-
some form, with much larger pinnae than the common type.

A. C.-V. plumosum (feathery). A handsome form, found
in North Devon, cut as in cornubiense, but with the edges
irregularly extended by acute and long projections.

CHAPTER III.

THE PARSLEY FERN

(Allosorm crispus. Syn. Cryptogramme crispa).

HE resemblance of tbis Fern to parsley is rather
fanciful than real (see Fig. 16), and can only
be seen at a distance, when its tufty habit
and small size somewhat justify the name. It
is a very pretty Fern when grown properly,
and is the sole known representative of the
species. The fronds are thrice divided — i.e.,
into pinnae, pinnules, and pinnulets — the last
being slightly saw-toothed on the barren fronds,
which are leafier and less erect than the fertile ones, the backs
of which are entirely covered by the spore-heaps. In its
native habitats it is always found pushing its way through
the debris of weathered rocks, or nestling in the chinks of
stone dykes. The best, and, indeed, the only, way to grow it
well is to plant it in some gritty, open compost of broken
slate and fibry loam, and then put a handful or so of broken
stones over and about the crown — burying it, in fact, in
these, but not in soil. The fronds will speedily find their
way through, and form a pretty clump, which will stand any
amount of sunshine with impunity, if the soil is kept moist.
The only good variety found, so far, is
A. c. cristata (crested), a beautifully crested form, found

THE PERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

at Seatliwaite, in 1874, in wliicli tlie fronds form small balls

Fig. 16.— Allosorus crispus.

of delicate, moss-like cresting. It is very rare, being apparently
tenderer tban the normal form.

Varieties of the Spleenworts and the Lady Fern

PLATE II.

Varieties of the Spleenworts

{Asplenium).

Fig.

2. Asplenium marinum plumosum (pinna).

10.

14.

16.

17.

„ capitatum.
Adiantum-nigrum grandiceps.
Trichomanes incisum, Clapliam.
„ ramo-cristatum.

„ cristatum.

Varieties of the Lady Fern

{Athyrium Filix-foemina. Syn. Asplenium Filix-fcemina).

Fig.

1. Athyrium Filix-foemina Victorice.

6.
8.
9.

11.

12.

13.

15.

18.

19.

splendens (pinna).

Kalothrix (top half frond).
Frizellice ramosissimum.

Frizellice.

plumosum, Horsfall (pinna).
pulcherrimum (pinnae).

Frizellice cristatum (top half frond).

Clarissima (pinna).

acrocladon.

glomeratum (top half frond).
Vernonice cristatum.

Frizellice ramosum (crest).

CHAPTER lY.

THE SPLEEIMWORTS

(Asplenium).

BLONG, pointed heaps of spore-capsules, lying
along the midribs of the pinnnlets (Pig. 17), pro-
vided with a thin, semi-transparent cover, which,
however, only very partially hides the matured
spore-heaps, distinguish this family. All the
members of the family are quite evergreen,
and affect principally the chinks and crevices
in walls or rocks. There are nine native species,
of which separate descriptions follow. The
figures in parentheses refer to Plate II.

Fig. 17.— Pinna of Asplenium Adiantum -nigrum.

THE SPLEENWOETS.

The Black Maidenhair Spleenwort

{Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum).

This is the boldest grower amongst the British species. It is
found very generally distributed, and grows in sloping hedge-
banks, as well as in the crevices of walls, stone dykes, and
rocks. The fronds, which grow sometimes to 1ft. and more in
length, are narrowly triangular in shape, and twice divided,
the pinnules being more or less deeply cut and saw-toothed.

The stalk is about as long as the leafy portion of the frond,
and is of a shining black colour — whence the name. The spore-
heaps have been already described. The normal form varies con-
siderably, ranging from blunt, rounded pinnae, to long, narrow,
acutely pointed ones, so that it is quite impossible to draw
a line between the extreme varieties — ohtusum and acutum — and
the common. The best forms of acutum are decidedly the
most beautiful. Cultivation is easy, all it requires being good
drainage and a somewhat gritty compost. Besides the forms
already mentioned, some very distinct ones have been found.

THE PERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

A. A.-u. caudifolium (tailed-fronded). This is a very
curious form, "both frond and pinnae ending in long tails, and
bearing blunt lobes, of a yellow colour, which impart a strange
appearance to the plant. This was a wild find on Dartmoor,
where some hundreds of plants of it covered a stone wall.

A. A.-n. cristatnm (crested). Neatly crested.

A. A.-n. grandiceps (large-crested). See Plate II., 10, and
Fig. 18. This was found growing on an old wall in Co. Water-
ford, Ireland, and has heavy, fan-shaped crests and fan-shaped
pinnae. It is a very pretty plant when well grown. An
equally fine form, with crest and pinnae more deeply cut, was
found subsequently in North Devon. Our illustrations re-
present the Irish find.

A. A.-n. microdon (small-toothed). A very bold-growing
form, with large pinnae hardly subdivided; very distinct.

The Lanceolate Spleenwort

{Asplenium lanceolatum).

This very much resembles the Black Maidenhair Spleenwort,
but the stalks are lighter coloured, and the leafy part of the
frond spear or lance shaped — whence the name. Spore-heaps
typical of the family. While there are fronds in process
of unfolding, this Fern can easily be discriminated from the
preceding species by the divisions keeping their tips tightly
rolled up as long as possible, instead of loosening out at a
much earlier stage. This is a true wall Fern, and needs
corresponding culture. Until very recently there was no
crested variety, but at length it has come to light.

A. 1. cristatum (crested). Recent wild find, and still
young, but heavily and symmetrically crested on tips of frond
and pinnae.

A. 1. microdon (small-toothed). Same sport as the micro-
don of A. Adiantum-nigrum, which it very closely resembles.

The Sea Spleenwort

{Asplenium marinum).

This handsome Fern has thick, leathery fronds, only once
divided, the pinnae bluntly saw-toothed; the fronds are narrow

THE SPLEENWORTS.

in tlie leafy portion, and stalks long; hence it has a graceful,
pendent habit of growth. It is usually found on sea cliffs or
in sea caves, within the immediate influence of the sea air, and
often of the sea water. Like its neighbour the Maidenhair
{Adiardum Capillus-Veneris), it cannot stand much frost, and,
indeed, under cultivation it is dangerous to expose it to any.
On the other hand, it stands alone amongst our British Ferns
in its capacity of thriving under absolutely tropical treatment,
which causes it to grow most luxuriantly. It requires the
treatment of rock Ferns — i.e., gritty, porous soil, and thorough
drainage — and when well grown is one of the most satis-
factory evergreen species. It has afforded several very marked
varieties.

A. m. capitatmn (headed) (7). A splendid form, bearing a
heavy crest on a long stalk almost or quite bare of pinna©.
Found in Yorkshire.

A. m. imbricatum (imbricated). A congested form, with
wide pinnae overlapping each other considerably.

A. m. plumosum (feathery) (2). A very handsome, bold-
growing form, twice divided, the pinnae being very wide and
deeply cut, giving the frond a truly plumose character.

A. m. ramosum (branched). The fronds branch several
times, and sometimes crest, forming a neat, tufty plant.

The Common Spleenwort

(Asplenium Trichomanes).

This very beautiful little Fern (Fig. 19) is of very general dis-
tribution, and frequents old walls, stone dykes, chinks and
crevices in rocks, and slopes of hedge banks. The fronds are
generally small, but under very favourable circumstances some-
times attain 9in. or lOin. in length. The stalks are quite black ;
the pinnae roundish, and attached by a minute, jointed stalk;
when old they become detached from the main stalk, which exists
for a long time afterwards, and forms a distinguishing mark
of the species. Soil must be gritty and open. If grown in
pots, bear in mind it is a wall Fern, and plant it close to
the edge, or between some pieces of porous stone. A good plan

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

is to bury a flat piece of stone slantingly in tbe soil, scatter
a little compost on it, spread out tbe roots of tbe Fern, and
just cover tbem witb soil, after wbicb put another flat piece
of stone over all, thus leaving tbe crown in a cbink. Tbe
crown must not be buried, as Nature’s own treatment shows
clearly enough. A hundred feet or so of old wall, starred all
over with these charming little plants, is a grand hunting
ground for the careful eye ; and since the Fern, in some localities,
is rather variable, the chance of a good find is not so remote
as to deserve ignoring.

Fig. 19.— Asplenium Trichomanes.

The best forms yet discovered are the following ; the figures
in parentheses refer to Plate II.

A. T. confluens (confluent). Stabler. This is a very
curious sport, the frond being quite leathery; the pinnsB are
so close as to overlap at their edges, those near the top of
frond being all joined together or confluent. It is also barren,
for though apparently spores are abundant, they are im-
perfect ; hence it is rare. It is very strong in growth ; fronds
nearly Ift. long.

A. T. cristatum (crested). See Plate II., 17, and Fig. 20.
Beautifully tasselled at tpis of fronds ; some of the forms in

THE SPLEENWORTS.

cultivation bear large, flat crests, fanning out 2in. to Sin.
wide. Wild find in several places.

A. T. incisnm (deeply cut) (14). This is the most beautiful
variety found so far, and is really the plumose form of
the species, the s^pall, roundish lobes which constitute
the pinnae of the common form being greatly enlarged
and very deeply cut, the subdivisions running out into points.

Fig. 20.— Asplenium Trichomanes cristatum.

This has been found wild in several places, but, being always
barren, is rare. Mr. Clapham’s form is by far the best.

A. T. Monleii (Moule’s). Yery distinct, uncrested ; pinnae
small and narrow, with wavy edges. Wild find.

A. T. ramo-cristatum (crested-branched) (16). In this form
the frond branches more or less before cresting, thereby
forming numerous smaller crests, instead of one only, as in
cristatum. Wild find.

The Green Spleenwort

(^Asplenium viride).

This Fem resembles strongly A. Trichomanes in general habit
and appearance, but is far more sparingly distributed, and
prefers a, damper atmosphere and position. It differs in having

THE PEEN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

a green stalk instead of black, and the pinnae are not jointed,
but firmly set on. It is a difficult Fern to cultivate, thriving
for a year or two, and then, as a rule, mysteriously dis-
appearing. Woodlice are its greatest foes. It has only sported
a little in irregular ways; or, if good forms have been found,
they have not survived removal long, so far as we are aware.
A very beautiful dwarf and densely-imbricated form was found,
some years since, by Mr. McLean, near Aberfeldy, but perished
under cultivation the second year.

As will be seen by Fig. 21, this is a very pretty Fern. It is
of dwarf habit, and can be grown well under rock Fern
treatment. The woodcut gives too good an idea of its habit
and general character to need further description. As the
most recent British find of this species dates thirty-five years

back, a new discoverer of a really wild plant will be fortunate.
It was always extremely rare. Yarieties none, unless we
accept as such — which we may do with good authority, though
its origin is obscure —

A. f, refr actum (bent back). This has much longer and.

The Fountain Spleenwort

{Asplenium fontanum).

Fig. 21.— Asplenium fontanum.

THE SPLEENWOETS.

comparatively, narrower fronds than the type, and a very
different aspect altogether. It also is proliferous, hearing
small plants on its stalk, at the junctions of the lower
pinnae.

The Wali-Rue

{Asplenium Ruta-muraria).

This, which is one of the smallest of our Ferns, is found
almost everywhere on old walls and similar places, its in-
significant appearance and difiiculty of culture being such
safeguards that it is little likely to be eradicated. As its
name indicates, it is a thorough wall Fern, and under culture
a bit of old wall must be contrived for its accommodation,
which can be done by mixing some broken brick, old mortar,
and Fern soil together, and planting the Fern in a chink
between the pieces. It has afforded some varieties, crested
and otherwise, but none that can be considered beautiful.

The Forked Spleenwort

{Asplenium septentrionale).

The German Spleenwort

{Asplenium germanicum).

We class these two together; the culture of the Wall-rue
suits them exactly ; they have very simple fronds indeed. The
Forked Spleenwort resembles, roughly, a few stiffly-growing
grass blades, twice or thrice forked, points slightly saw-toothed,
the characteristic Spleenwort spore-heaps running along the
middle. In A. germanicum, the side divisions are forked again,
and, being more numerous, impart a slightly fernier look to
the plant. Yarieties, none worth mentioning; the common
forms are, however, rare enough to constitute a “find” when
discovered.

CHAPTER Y.

THE CETERACH

^ ^ {Ceterach officinarum. Stn. Asplenium Ceterach),

LTHOUGH closely allied to the Spleenworts, the
Ceterach differs from them materially in some
respects. Our woodcut (Fig. 22) gives a very good
idea of its appearance, and obviates the necessity
for detailed description of form and habits.
The colour of the fronds is a bluish-green ; they
are quite evergreen, very leathery, 5in. to Gin.
long, and are peculiarly characterised by the
backs being densely covered by a mass of
reddish-brown scales, which hide the spore-heaps almost en-
tirely. Hence it is sometimes termed the Scaly Spleenwort.

Fig. 22.— Ceterach officinarum.

It is never found growing in the soil, but frequents the sunny
sides of old walls (another peculiarity, which marks it off
from most other Ferns), and in cultivation it will only thrive
when treated accordingly — i.e., plenty of old mortar in soil,
good drainage, and ample light. There are no very marked'
varieties. i

CHAPTER YI.

THE LADY

FE Rfi

Stk. Asplenium Filix-foemina).

(Athyrium Filix-fcemina.

E now come to a species wMcli, besides being
very beautiful in its normal state, is so subject
to variation tbat possibly none exceed it in tbe
number of forms to wMcb it bas given rise,
both under natural conditions and artificial cul-
ture. Tbe fronds are large, and of spear-sbaped
outline. Tbey are three or even four times
divided, and spring shuttlecock fashion from a
central crown. The spore-heaps resemble some-
what those of the Aspleniums, but are curved like a sickle,
and imperfectly covered. In some varieties, such as the
plumose, which in this family are usually more or less fertile,
there is no cover at all. This is also the case in A. F.-f. alpestre,
which on that account is classed amongst the Polypodies,
from which, however, it differs in all other respects, resembling
a Lady Fern exactly, with which, therefore, we take the liberty of
classing it, especially since, as we have seen, there are acknow-
ledged forms of Lady Fern with the same peculiarity precisely.

This lovely Fern delights in moist, sheltered, shady nooks,
and likes, as it were, to stand on the bank and bathe its feet
in the stream. When its tastes are fully consulted, it grows
to a large size, between 3ft. and 4ft. high, sending up a
multitude of huge, feathery fronds of, we should have said,
the utmost delicacy, had we not in our mind’s eye the sur-
passingly delicate forms of some of the varieties.

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

Culture of tliis Fern is simple enougli, since it will grow
in any soil, provided only ample room be given for the roots,
ample water to keep them moist, and sufficient protection from
the wind and the weather to give the fronds a fair chance
of remaining uninjured. A very short exposure to a strong
draught while the fronds are expanding will cause the growing
cells on the edges to be ruptured, and the result will be
visible in imperfect fronds throughout the season. This Fern
is not an evergreen, the fronds perishing in the autumn,
whether protected or not. About April, however, the crown
will be seen to swell, and in an incredibly short space of time,
if the weather be warm, a brand new full-sized plant springs
up and develops like a fountain of verdure.

The varieties, as we have said, are innumerable; many, how-
ever, are more curious than pretty, and, considering the wealth
of really fine and perfect forms, should not be cultivated.
The following are some of the best. The figures in paren-
theses refer to Plate II.

A. acrocladon (summit-branched) (13). This would re-
present the acme of cresting had it not been surpassed by some
of its offspring. It resembles balls of moss upon short,
branchy stems. It was found in a small state by the road-
side on a Yorkshire moor, and was unique for many years,
when spores were found, from which a very mixed progeny
resulted, the majority inferior and worthless, some equal, and,
in fact, reproductions of the parent form, and a few quite
new varieties, the best of which are

A. F.-f. acr. imco-glomeratum (hook-clustered), as densely
crested as the parent, but with a distinct character in the
ultimate divisions.

A. F.-f. acr. velutinum (velvety), much more finely divided
and dwarfer, resembling balls of very fine moss.

A. F.-f. acrocladon has also yielded several other very
beautiful forms from its spores, viz. : magnicapitatum,

laciniato-acrocladon, ramosissimum fimbriatum, and acrocladon
densum, which, however, though distinct, are too subtle in
their differences to be popularly described, and hence are
merely mentioned here as being too good to be ignored.

THE LADY FEEN.

A. F.-f. Clarissima (Clara’s) (12). This Fern has achieved
world-wide fame, having furnished material for the first dis-
covery of a new method of reproduction in the Fern family,
for the details of which we refer our botanical readers to
our concluding pages, whither we have banished the subject
on the score of its incorrigibly technical character. The
variety is very beautiful, the subdivisions being extremely long
and slender; the plant grows to a huge size for a Lady Fern,
the fronds sometimes measuring 2ft. across, and long in pro-
portion. It was a wild find in North Devon and remained
unpropagated (except once by a division) for more than twenty
years, its supposed spores yielding no results. Eventually it
was found to reproduce itself under special treatment in a way
hitherto quite unknown, the prothalli (see Appendix on
“ Apospory ” ) springing direct from the fronds — being, in fact,
produced instead of spores.

A. F.-f. congestxmi (crowded). Syh. Crantise (Grant’s).
A very dense-growing form, the pinnae and sub-divisions being all
crowded together and overlapping. Yery distinct and constant.

A. F.-f. cong. cristatiim (crested). Syn. Findlayaimm
(Findlay’s). The same sport, but crested at tips of frond and
pinnae.

A. F.-f. cong, minus (lesser). Syh. Edwardsii (Edwards’).
A very dwarf, compressed form, of more delicate texture than
the last, and with curled and pointed divisions. A little gem.

A. F.-f. corymbifernni (corymb-bearing), James. This has
huge, ball-like masses of finely- divided cresting at top of fronds
and pinnae; one of the boldest and handsomest crested forms.

A. F.-f. crispnm (curled). A dwarf form, much branched
and crested, somewhat in the style of acrocladon, but less dense ;
it also spreads freely, and soon forms large tufts. Wild find.

A. F.-f. cristatum (crested). There are many distinct
forms which can only be described as crested, bearing more or less
dense tassels at tips of fronds and pinnae. They are all beautiful.

A. F.-f. Elworthii (Elworth’s). Crested throughout a la
percristatum (J. S. Cousens), but with wider and flatter crests
and coarser look. Wild find.

A. F.-f. Fieldise (Field’s). Somewhat akin to Frizellice, but

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

with oblong pinnules set on in radiating clusters of two or three,
instead of being compressed into balls; tips of fronds end
abruptly.

A. F.-f. Frizelliae (Frizell’s) (6). This was a wild find, and
is a most extraordinary vagary, the pinnse all being contracted
into flattish balls, so that the fronds, when full length, would
be little more than ^in. wide, resembling a huge form of
Asplenium TricJiomanes more than anything else. The spores
of this have yielded innumerable sub-varieties, the great
majority of which are inconstant; very provokingly so, since
a plant may stand and flourish steadfastly for several years,
and then, apparently without any reason, throw up fronds in
which the common form and the variety are mixed up any-
how, rendering the plant worthless.

A. F."f. Friz, cristatum (crested) (11). Narrow fronds,
true to type, but expanding at the tips into a splendid, nearly
circular, radiating crest, heavy and dense.

A. F.-f. Friz, ramosissinmm (extremely branched) (5). A
pretty and constant form, in which the fronds branch several
times close to the ground, forming a dense, close tuft of small
fronds true to the type.

A. F.-f. Friz, ramosmn (branched) (19). Syn. Appleby-
anum (Appleby’s). A full-sized variety, in which the tip of
the frond branches out into a broad, flat crest, sometimes 5in.
to 6in. wide, all the divisions bearing the contracted pinnse
of the type.

A. F.-f. Girdlestoneii (Girdlestone’s). Wild find. Exceed-
ingly handsome. The pinnules next the main stem are wanting,
but those on the remainder of the pinnse stalks are very long,
slender, and numerous ; they are, in their turn, near their bases
devoid of pinnulets, which are again deeply cut and numerous,
giving the frond a very rich and luxuriant appearance peculiar
to this variety.

A. F.-f. glomeratnm (clustered) (15). A distinct form,
cresting in same manner as corymbiferum (James), but more
heavily.

A. F.-f. ICalothrix (beautiful hair) (4). This stands alone
among our British varieties for delicate beauty. It is not

THE LADY PERN.

crested, but all tbe divisions are as fine as bair — hence its
name. Besides this fine division, it has a peculiarly glassy
translucency and silky lustre. When carefully sheltered from
sun and wind, it grows to a fair size, and looks as if formed
of spun glass or silk. It originated as a seedling from a
plumose form, and occasionally betrays its origin by a pinnule,
a pinna, or even an entire frond of the parent form making
its appearance. Decidedly no collection should be without this.
None of the other species have yielded a parallel sport.

A. F.“f. orbiciilare (orb-shaped). Huge, spherical crests,
like balls of moss, size of cricket balls; pinnse few and small.

A. F.-f. percristatnm (much crested), J. S. Oousens. In
this the pinnules, as well as the fronds and pinnae, are distinctly
and symmetrically tasselled, giving the frond a very rich
and elegant appearance. Accidental seedling at Wanstead.

A. F.-f. plnmosnsn (feathery), Horsfall (8). A true plumose
form, found in Yorkshire; very finely cut, and of graceful
habit, somewhat more drooping than the other plumose forms.
A very similar find to this yielded Kalothrix as a seedling.

A. F.-f. plumosnm, Stansfield. A seedling from Kalothrix,
and therefore, presumably, a reversion. Considered by the raiser
to surpass the Horsfall variety.

A. F.-f. plnmosnmij Axminster. (Plate I., 2). A wild find
at Axminster. It is of robuster growth and habit than the
preceding forms, attaining the fullest dimensions of the com-
mon Lady Fern. It is most delicately divided, and has been
found to produce not only spores, but also bulbils, on the
under side of the fronds (an almost unique case of bulbils
being found there), from which plants have been raised. A
spore of this gave

A. F.-f. plum, elegans (elegant). Parsons (Plate I., 3),
in which the division of the fronds is carried much farther,
so that they resemble very delicate lace. Nature, however,
not yet content with her handiwork, has endowed the spores
of this Fern with the peculiar capacity of yielding a majority
of heavily crested plants, disfigured, however, and spoilt gene-
rally, by gaps and .irregularities. One spore, however, specially
gifted, has yielded

90 THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

A. F.-f. plum, cristatum superbum (superb-crested)
(Plate I., 4), by far tbe most beautiful plumose Atbyrium yet
raised, an altogether new character being developed in con-
junction with the plumose. A reference to Plate I. will show,
in a very clear way, how, in three generations, this last form
has been evolved in three strides from the common Lady
Pern, also figured for comparison (Plate I., 1).

A. F.-f. plum, divaricatum (divaricate). A distinct plumose
form in which the spring fronds are much more leafy than the
later ones. Upon this variety bulbils also appear in conjunc-
tion with the spores.

A. F.-f. plum, multifidum (much-cleft). A finely tasselled
variety of the Axminster ^lumosum.

A. F.-f. plumosum, Barnes. Very finely cut plumose form;
spores extremely rare. The most barren plumosum yet found in
this family.

A. F.-f. Fritcbardii (Pritchard’s). Same as Fieldice, but
fronds taper ofi to a point. "Very apt to revert more or less
to common form.

A. F.-f. pulcherrimum (very beautiful) (9). Rightly named
beautiful; pinnse very wide and tapering to an acute point;
pinnules delicately subdivided and finely saw-toothed.

A. F.-f. ramulosissima (many-branched). Fronds branch
many times close to base, each thus forming a fan-shaped
bunch of fronds with numerous crested tips ; pinnse crested
also.

A. F.-f. reilexum (reflexed). All the pinnules are curved
backwards, forming the pinnse into tapering tubes with curled
tips. Yery curious, but hardly beautiful.

A. F.-f. regale (royal). An extremely fine form, with finely-
cut cresting throughout, raised by Mr. Barnes.

A. F.-f. setigerum (bristle-bearing). Fronds so finely
divided that the ultimate divisions are like bristles — whence the
name ; very handsome, uncrested. The spores of this form
yield crested plants, which, however, almost invariably revert,
sooner or later, to the parent form.

A. F.-f. set. cristatum (crested). A constant crested
seedling of above.

THE LADY FERN.

A. P.-f. splendens (splendid) (3). A very beautifully crested,
somewbat plumose form; pinnules crested througbout.

A. F.-f. Vernonise (Yernon’s). A very beautiful wild fin^of
normal outline, but witb peculiarly crisped and wavy divisions,
giving it a most distinct character. Its spores bave yielded

A. P.-f. Vern. corymbifemm (corymb-bearing), a densely
ball-crested dwarf form.

A. F.-f. Vern. cristatum (crested), Jones (18), witb flat
crests to frond and pinnae; extremely neat and pretty.

A. P.-f. Victorise (Victoria’s) (1). Tbis Fern, wbicb was found
wild by a roadside in Scotland, is one of tbe most extraordinary
sports yet discovered or raised ; it may indeed be classed as
quite unparalleled, since not only are all its extremities very
slenderly and symmetrically tasselled in a style of its own, but
all tbe divisions, even to tbe pinnules, are in duplicate, and
set on at nearly right angles to each other. Tbe fronds and
tbe divisions are also very narrow, and hence instead of pre-
senting a crowded appearance, tbe frond looks like a series
of beautifully tasselled crosses radiating from tbe central stalk
and gradually diminishing towards tbe tip, where they merge
into a dense, terminal tassel, of many slender strands, tasselled
again at their tips. As repeated search in tbe locality led to
no discovery of other plants like it or of an intermediate
character, and the form has never been re-discovered else-
where, we are forced to tbe conclusion that tbis marvellous
caprice of Nature is tbe direct offspring of a common Lady
Fern, though we can form no conception of the subtle influence
which could so have affected the presumably solitary spore, and
caused it to depart so widely from the parent form in the
plant to which it gave birth. The spores of Victorim are
quite constant, but generally yield plants of somewhat coarser
character, though of same type. No other Fern has yet been
discovered varying in same way. Mr. E. J. Lowe has raised
from this

A. P.-f. Viet, gracile (slender), a slenderer form throughout.

A. P.-f. Viet, magniilcuiii (magnificent). A robust form
with the twin character more distinctly marked in the pin-
nules, they being longer than in the original find.

PLATE 111.

Fig.

8.
9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.
19.

Varieties of the Hard Fern

{Blechnum Spicant. Syn. Lomaria Spicant).

Blechnum Spicant (normal form).
„ ,, polydactylum.

imbricato-cristatum.
cristatum {ramosum, Kinahan).
trinervium, Hodgson.
ramo-cristatum, Druery.
glomeratum (Maunderii).
ramo-cristatum, Druery (robustum).
Aithenianum.
cladophorum.

trinervium coronans, Barnes {multifur-
catum).

lineare, Barnes.

concinnum, Druery.

congestum, Druery.

serratum, Airey, No. 2.

sub-plumosum, Phillips.

imbricatum, Snell.

serratum, Airey, No. 1 {plumosum).

contractum.

Varieties of the Hard Fern.

' i

CHAPTER YII.

THE HARD FERi^.

{Blechnum Spicant. Syn. Lomaria Spicant).

XCEPT in limestone districts, this species is very
generally distributed, and is one of the most
easily distinguished of all the British Perns, as,
with the exception of the totally di:fferent
Parsley Pern, it is the only one which throws
up two distinct sorts of fronds — viz,, barren
ones, which are drooping and divided once, like
a double comb with broad, blunt teeth all but
touching each other ; and fertile ones, which are
fewer and much longer, bearing considerably narrower divisions
with comparatively wide spaces between, the leafy portion being
replaced by the spore-heaps and their protecting cover. This
very beautiful Pern is a thorough evergreen, though the com-
paratively few fertile fronds perish when the spores are shed
in the late autumn; and being of a tough nature, with a
smooth, glossy surface, it retains its beauty quite through
the winter. It is found growing most luxuriantly in deep,
damp dells, where leaf mould forms the entire soil and water
is plentiful. Here the fertile fronds attain a height of some-
times 3ft. In some spots in woods it may be found literally
carpeting the ground in a small state, rooting into absolute
clay; and since in pot culture pure leaf mould is apt in time

THE I’ERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

to rot and lose body, we bave found tbe best compost to
consist of an admixture of small nodules of clay or brick-
eartb, leaf mould, and sand, in tbe proportion of two, four,
and one respectively. Hard water must be carefully avoided
with tbis Fern ; it is certain death in a very short time. From
tbe foregoing description of its favourite haunts, it will be
seen that plenty of water and shade are necessary. With these
and ordinary care the Blechnum may be made one of the
prettiest pot plants existing — the two sorts of fronds con-
trasting well, and adding greatly to its ornamental character.
It has yielded a number of very marked varieties, in nearly
all of which the same distinctive diiference in its fronds is
maintained. The figures in parentheses refer to Plate III.

B. S. Aitkeniaimm (Aitken’s) (9). Wild find. Bears large,
flat, branching crests, while the side divisions are much
reduced. Curious, but handsome.

B. S. cladophorum (branch-bearing) (10). This divides
and crests in quite a different way, no two fronds being alike;
they are also slenderer in outline, and often curved like a
sickle.

B. S. concinimm (neat), Bruery (13). Found on Exmoor,
1881. Yery distinct and beautiful. The pinnae of tbe barren
fronds are contracted symmetrically into small, round, toothed
lobes like small scallop shells closely set together. The fertile
fronds are merely thin sticks with small knobs bearing the
spores. When grown soft in a close frame, the pinnae
occasionally lengthen here and there; but grown hard, the
fronds maintain their symmetry.

B. S. congestum (crowded), Druery (14). Dartmoor find.
Normal form condensed into half size; pinnae rather crowded.

B. S. crispissimum (much crisped). Extremely dwarf and
congested; a decent- sized normal plant being, as it were,
condensed into one with hard, horny fronds, Sin. or 4in. long;
pinnae squeezed tightly together. Yery rare and pretty.

B. S. contractnm (contracted) (19). A similar form,
with very short pinnae half way up, rest usual length. There
are two forms of this — one quite normal all but the contrac-
tion, the other much slenderer in make, as illustrated. Good.

THE HARD FERN.

B. S. cristatum (crested) (4). Syn. ramosum (branclied),
Kinalian. Wild find, Ireland. Fronds narrow at bottom,
gradually widening and branching several times near the
top, each branch being somewhat curly and bearing a crest ;
the pinnae are square tipped, i.e., incipiently crested, but do
not divide.

B. S. cristatum (crested), Stansfield. A very handsome
branched and crested form, pinnae decidedly crested. Wild
find, Yorkshire.

B. S. imbricatum (imbricated), Snell (17). Condensation
carried a step farther than in congestum; fronds thick and
leathery; pinnae very crowded and overlapping.

B. S. imbricato-cristatum (imbricate-crested) (3). Pinnae
overlapping slightly and dilated at tips like the last; fronds
terminating in small, neat crests.

B. 8. lineare (linear), Barnes (12). Outline of fronds same
as in concinnum, but lobes smooth edged, or nearly so, and
confluent, i.e., running together for the greater part of the
length, and forming almost strap -like fronds.

B. S. paradoxum (paradoxical). A unique sport, bearing
a third set of pinnae along the midrib. Found some years
ago in Westmoreland.

B. S. polydactylum (many-fingered) (2). Fronds more or
less, but constantly, divided at tips. This has been found on
many occasions. As it grows full normal size, a robust speci-
men is very handsome. We figure one we found in hTorth
Devon.

B. S. ramo-cristatum (branch - crested). Maunder. A
beautifully branched and crested wild find. Fronds divide near
the base several times, spread out like a fan, and bear wide
crests on each division. This does not grow very large, but
it is the best crested wild find of the species. It has, however,
been far surpassed by two of its direct offspring and several
of its grandchildren.

B. S. glomeratum (clustered) (7). Syn. Mamiderii (Maun-
der’s). From a spore of above, dwarf and densely crested
as possible, a well grown plant being a perfect ball of moss-
like appearance, but hard to the touch. It occasionally throws

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

up seemingly fertile fronds; but, we believe, the spores fail
to perfect, as is the case in many of these extremely divided
forms, the requisite vigour apparently running to leafage.

B. S. ramo-cristatum (branch-crested), Druery (8). Raised
from ramo-cristatum (Maunder). An exceedingly robust form,
divided and crested in same way as the parent, but on an
altogether larger and more luxuriant scale. Size possibly is the
only difference, but that is striking. This bears spores pro-
fusely, and in its turn has yielded some offspring of different

character, four or five distinct types resulting from one
sowing amongst, strange to relate, considering the advanced
variation of the parents, fully 90 per cent, of absolutely
common Hard Ferns, between which and the best types there
are grades ranging from the merest rudiment of a crest up to
densely crested and divided types surpassing the parent, but
which at date of writing are mostly too young to christen.
One form is figured (6). It is to be observed that, various
as the grades are, each plant is true throughout, even where
the variation is extremely slight.

THE HARD PERN.

B. S. serratum (saw-edged), Airey, Nos. 1 and 2. These
are two splendid varieties which, in our opinion, are misnamed.
No. 1 (18) is absolutely tripinnate, i.e., thrice divided, and
constitutes the nearest approach to the plumose state of the
species. It is tolerably robust, and forms a large plant, rarely,
if ever, fertile, though somewhat contracted and longer fronds
are thrown up. They soon, however, assume a leafier character,
aud join their barren and pendent fellows. No. 2 (15) is very
handsome, but is not nearly so much divided; this bears
really fertile fronds, and when well grown has a striking like-
ness to the Holly Fern {PolysticJium Lonchitis).

B. S. sub-plumosum (somewhat feathery), Phillips (16). A
very fine leafy form, but hardly plumose.

B. S. trinervium corouans (three-nerved, crowned), Barnes
(Plate III., 11, and Fig. 23). Syn. multifurcatum (much-
forked). The latter is the fitter name. Trinervium implies
that the two lowest pinnse are developed more than the rest,
which very rarely occurs in this variety, though it does
occasionally. The crest is peculiar, consisting of numerous
stiff, radiating points (many-forked) ; hence the latter name
describes it. Wild find, very distinct and beautiful.

B. S. trinervium, Phillips. Two basal lobes developed
into small fronds. An inconstant form, but worthy of mention,
as it exists in large numbers in the exposed pastures on the
Mourne Mountains in Ireland. Under culture we find it
loses its character. Mr. G. B. Wollaston found a similar
form in Kent.

B. S. trinervium, Hodgson (5). In this the name is right
enough, every frond being, as it were, triple, the two bottom
pinnse being developed into veritable fronds, and sometimes
duplicated in addition. Yery remarkable wild find.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE ADDERSTONGUE FERN

{Opliioglossum vulgatum).

THE MOONWORT

{Botrycliium Lunaria).

EITHER of these Ferns, in its normal form, can
he regarded as ornamental; and as they have
yielded no varieties which can aspire to such dis-
tinction, we mention them as briefly as possible.
The Adderstongue is well named, the whole plant
consisting merely of a single frond with two
divisions, the main one of which is barren, and
shaped very like a small plantain leaf (see Fig. 24),
from the lower part of which springs a fertile,
contracted spike, not unlike an adder’s tongue (whence the
name), but resembling equally the plantain seed-spike in its
early stage; this, on closer scrutiny, will be found to consist
of two rows of closely-set, roundish capsules, containing the
spores. The plant grows in myriads in some grass lands,
but owing to its small size and insignificant appearance may
be easily overlooked.

The Moonwort is a shade more ambitious in its pretensions
to beauty. Like the other, its fronds are solitary, but com-
posed of two portions, barren and fertile. The barren ones,
however, are once divided into rounded or moon-shaped pinnae —
whence the name — while the fertile spikes are twice divided, each
pinna bearing some eight to ten pinnules, composed of clustered
spore- capsules only. Habitat, pasture land, like the other.

THE ADDEESTONGTTE AND MOONWORT FERNS.

Both, these Ferns resent removal from their native haunts,
and require shifting intact, with a good clump of soil, to afford
any chance of successful cultivation.

H 2

CHAPTER IX.

THE BLADDER FERNS

(Cystopteris).

YSTOPTERIS signifies, literally, Bladder Fern,
tlie indusium or spore-cover of this family re-
sembling a bladder or cap — a peculiarity so
marked as to render recognition of fertile plants
very easy. The spore-heaps are round, and
scattered freely over the backs of the fronds.
There are several species indigenous to Great
Britain, the commonest being 0. fragilis; the
others are rare. All are deciduous, with one
doubtful exception, hereafter mentioned. Their roots are more
or less creeping, and, their size being small, they speedily, under
favourable conditions, make very pretty patches, subject,
however, to the drawback that the fronds are very apt to
turn brown as soon as they attain full size under cultivation.

The Brittle Bladder Fern

( Cystopteris fraaiUs).

As its name implies, this Fern is of very delicate texture;
the fronds are twice divided, roughly spear-shaped, and about
6in. high. It is found growing in chinks in walls and rocks,
and under cultivation demands the same treatment as its
companions. It needs, however, more protection from the
isun, which turns it speedily brown, and from wind, which
breaks its tender fronds. It is not so impatient of moisture
or close treatment as wall Ferns generally, and hence is not

THE BLADDER FERNS.

101

difficult to grow. It lias sported very little, but wbat it has
done it has done well.

C. f. Dickieana (Dickie’s), Found wild in Scotland; is a
great improvement on the normal form, the fronds being
leafier throughout, and the divisions compact, while in the
common form they are far apart.

C. f. Dick, crispa (crisped). A curled and congested form
of the preceding, the divisions being overlapped and twisted.
Yery pretty and distinct.

C. sempervirens (evergreen) is believed to be a variety
of C. fragilis. It is a much bolder growing form, of normal
outline, which, if protected during the winter, is reputed to
be evergreen, though our experience does not confirm this.
It has given, we believe, the only constantly crested form of
the species, viz.,

C. cristata (crested), in which all the fronds are crested,
but in a varying degree, some very heavily and handsomely,
and some on a small scale only.

Tile Mountain Bladder Fern

(Cystopteris montana).

This is not very dissimilar to the Oak Fern {Polypodium.
Dryopteris) in the plan of its fronds and general habit of
growth, but lacks the peculiarly lovely green of that Fern.
It is reputed to be very difficult of cultivation, but we have
grown it for years in ordinary open Fern soil, well drained ; and
having transferred small portions at random into pots with
other Ferns, have found them thrive under quite general
conditions. It starts into growth very suddenly in the early
spring, and dies down in the early autumn. It is very pretty,
but has afforded, so far, mo varieties.

Alpine Bladder Fern

{Cystopteris regia. Syn. C. alpina).

This is extinct now as a wild plant. It resembles strongly
C. fragilis, and has not sported. Cultivation same as other
members of the family.

CHAPTER X.

THE SMALL-LEAVED GYMNOGRAM

( Gymnogramma leptophylla) .

NLIKE its botanical name, this Fern is dwarf and
pretty. Thongh a British representative of a
large genus, it has never got farther than Jersey
in a wild state. It is also peculiar in being one
of the very few annual Ferns in the world ; hence
it has continually to be raised anew from the
spores, and practically can only be kept in such
congenial situations that it can sow itself. When
once established in a moist, shady house, not too
cold in winter, its spores will germinate freely and keep up a
supply. In structure it is not unlike a small plant of Cystop-
teris fragilis, with the pinnules somewhat blunter. The spore-
heaps are long and forked, and run all together when ripe.
The plant dies down in July, and the seedlings appear in
November.

Plate IV.

Varieties of the Buckler Fern

PLATE IV.

Varieties of the Buckler Fern
{Lastrea. Syn. Nephrodium).

Fig.

J. Lastrea dilatata grandiceps, Barnes.

10. „ „ cristata gracilis (tip of frond),

15. „ „ folioso-cristata (top half of frond).

2. „ pseudo-mas ramosissima.

4. „ „ ramulosissima.

5. „ ,, cristata (pinna).

7. „ „ crispa cristata.

8. „ „ revolvens (centre of frond).

11. „ „ polydactyla, Dadds (tip of frond and

pinna).

14. „ ,, ramo-cristata, Fitt.

16. „ „ crispa cristata angustata.

3. „ jilix-mas grandiceps. Berry.

6. „ „ Bollandice (pinna).

13. „ propinqua cristata (tip of frond).

9. „ cemula {recurva) cristata (seedling frond).

12. „ montana cristata, Barnes (top half of frond).

CHAPTER XI.

THE BUCKLER FERNS

{Lastrea. Stn. Nephrodium).

E now come to the robuster genus of the Buckler
Ferns, or Lastreas, the majority of which, though
often found as seedlings in any chinks which
will afford roothold and shelter, are thorough
ground Ferns, attaining their greatest develop-
ment in plantations, hedgerows, and so on. A
general compost of good loam and leaf mould
or peat, in equal parts, with a little sand to keep it
open, will suit them all. This in most cases will
he found to be Dame Nature’s own mixture where they grow
most luxuriantly. They derive their name of Buckler Ferns
from the shape of the little covers over the spore-heaps; the
distinction, however, in this respect between the Buckler
Ferns and the allied family of the Shield Ferns is, like the
distinction between the names, too fine drawn to be popularly
appreciable. The Buckler Fern spore-covers are, however,
kidney shaped, and attached to the frond by a short stalk
springing from the notch, while in the Shield Ferns they are
quite round and attached, mushroom fashion, by a central stalk.
It will be seen by this that, apart from the other characters
of the two families, the notch in the spore-cover, or its absence,
is the distinctive mark of the fructification.

THE BUCKLER FERNS.

105

We will now describe tbe various species seriatim. The
figures in parentheses refer to Plate IV.

The Hay>scented Buckler Fern

{Lastrea mmula. Syn. L. recurva).

This Fern grows somewhat waywardly in many parts of the
country, i.e., it may be vainly sought for in likely districts for
miles, and suddenly be found in abundance. It grows in tufts,
the fronds ranging from 1ft. to 2ft. in height, of a somewhat
triangular form, the pinnules concave (hence its second name),
which gives it a very peculiar and pretty character, while the
fronds possess a strong hay-like perfume, quite powerful
enough to settle any doubts as to the species. It likes an
open soil, and is not difficult to cultivate. Though by no
means rare, it has so far yielded only one fine variety, viz.,

L. ae. cristata (crested) (9). This was found some years ago
in North Devon, and is a perfect example of symmetrical
cresting, both fronds and pinnae tips being furnished with
delicate-looking, flat tassels. It bears spores in profusion, and
these we have found to yield remarkably constant offspring,
all the plants, without exception, exactly resembling the
parent. As it is an evergreen, it forms a most ornamental
pot Fern.

The Broad Buckler Fern

{Lastrea dilatata).

This Fern is a much robuster grower than the last, to which
it is closely allied. It forms, under favourable conditions,
huge, spreading plants, waist, and even shoulder, high. It is
by no means difficult to cultivate, growing in almost any
kind of soil, but in winter it disappears, being deciduous.
Its fronds are very broadly triangular, whence the name ;
they are thrice divided, and the stalks profusely covered with
dark brown scales. Lastrea s'pinulosa and L. cristata are very
closely allied to this species, with which we therefore class
them, as to define precisely their characteristic differences
would involve technicalities beyond our present scope.

106

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

L. dilatata lias afforded numerous very distinct and beautiful
varieties.

Ii. d. alpina plumosa (alpine, feathery). A very beautiful
plumose form, of normal outline, recently found on Ben Nevis.

E. d. crispata cristata (crisped, crested). A very fine
form, with wide, branchy heads ; large grower, sometimes 2|ft.
high, with crests 1ft. in diameter.

E. d. cristata gracilis (crested, slender) (10). A very beauti-
ful, slender-growing, crested form; fronds and pinnae flatly
tasselled, unfortunately with a tendency to irregularity, but
not to reversion.

E. d. folioso-cristata (leafy, crested) (15). This is a magni-
ficently crested form ; fronds and pinnae heavily and sym-
metrically bunch tasselled; all the divisions are, moreover,
very leafy, and slightly convex, giving a very rich appearance.
This Fern is occasionally proliferous, bearing young plants
on the frond-stalks, near the bottom. This variety was found
in the Azores; so was

E. d. folioso-digitata (leafy, digitate). A kindred but
distinct form, not quite so leafy, and with flat, spreading
crests instead of leafy ones. These two forms, and some
crested exotic Ferns, Woodwardia radicans to wit, were found
in the Azores by the same botanist, and form a strong
argument in favour of our contention that crested varieties
of most exotics exist, and only need special search to be found.

E. d. grandiceps (large-crested), Barnes (1). A wild find, and
the most heavily crested of all, the crests being ball-shaped,
and very dense. Yery handsome and constant.

E. d. Howardii (Howard’s). Wild find, and too curious
a sport to be omitted, the pinnje being almost exact copies,
on a smaller scale, of the fronds of Athyrium Filix-foemina
Fieldice, i.e,, the pinnules are transformed into short, radiating
clusters.

E. d. lepidota (scaly). A non-crested but very finely
divided form; fronds divided four times. Well worth a place
in a choice collection.

E. d. polydactyla (many-fingered). Flat, many-fingered
crests.

THE BUCKLER FERNS.

107

THE COMMON BUCKLER OR MALE FERNS

{Lastrea Filix-mas, L. pseudo-mas, and L. propinqua. Stn. Nephrodium).

The common Male Fern, in one or other of its three divisions,
is very generally distributed, and will grow in any soil.
Special cultural remarks are therefore needless. The term
Male Fern {L. Filix-mas) was formerly applied to the entire
species, but Mr. G. B. Wollaston, with the general approval
of both botanists and amateurs, has divided the species into
three sub-species, possessing each quite distinct characters.
We give them in the order of their merit as ornamental
plants, as follows. The figures in parentheses refer to
Plate lY.

The Hard Male Fern

(Lastrea pseudo-mas).

Special characters: Fronds and pinnseflat; pinnules smooth-
edged, or very slightly toothed ; colour bright yellowish-green
when young, deep and shining green later; stalks clothed
with golden brown scales; texture leathery. Quite evergreen
when sheltered ; forms a trunk under favourable circumstances.
The evergreen character of this section places it decidedly in
the first rank, the plants retaining their ornamental appear-
ance well through the winter, while the other sections, being
deciduous, are conspicuous by their absence. In the spring,
as soon as the new fronds begin to rise, the swelling of the
crowns throws the old ones outwards, and while they are yet
green and healthy, a weak point is developed near the base,
and a sudden fall results, when they can be removed. This
has afforded us, among other fine varieties,

L. p.-m. cristata (crested) (5), a wild find, which in its bold
and striking habit of growth, and symmetrical and constant
cresting of fronds and pinnae, takes deservedly rank as the
King of our British Ferns. If left untouched, buds which
exist near the bases of the fronds are very apt to assert
themselves and turn the plant into a bush consisting of many
comparatively small plants. If, however, all the side shoots

108

THE FERN FAMILIES OP BRITAIN.

be constantly suppressed, the single crown will not only pro-
duce fronds of a much bolder character and greater beauty,
but, in time, a trunk is formed, each year’s growth springing
slightly above that of the previous year, the result eventually
being a magnificently tasselled Tree Fern, well deserving, in
this guise, the royal title bestowed upon it. The spores of
this Fern germinate freely, and hence, fine as the plant is, it
ranks among the easiest to procure, though it is rarely done
justice to in the way indicated above. It is produced from
the spores apogamously (technical, but we can’t help it this
time), i.e., by simple buds forming under the prothallus,
instead of through the usual generative process. Its offspring
are remarkably constant, but not invariably so, as it has
yielded

L. p.>m. crist. angustata (crested, narrow), a less robust
form, with very much narrower fronds, in which all the pinnae
are joined together. As the fronds are very long, and only
2in. to 2|in. wide, it is peculiarly distinct and striking.

Jm. p.-m. crispa (crisped). A remarkably pretty, dwarf, and
densely compressed form, growing 6in. to 9in. high only.

L. p.-m, crispa cristata (crested) (7). The same, neatly
crested at all tips.

Im, p.-m, crispa cristata angustata (narrow) (16). Precisely
the same sport as X. p.-m. cristata angustata, occurring in
conjunction with the dwarfed and crispy variation. A
singular example of several types of variation conjoined.

li. p.-m. crispa gracilis (slender). In this we have tbe
crisped character modified in a very singular way, the pinnules
being bent back and the pinnae curved forward and sharply
pointed. Most remarkable sport.

L. p.-m, polydactyla (many-fingered). Wills. A splendid
flat-crested form, running L. p.-m. cristata very close for first
place, as does also

L. p,-m. polydactyla, Mapplebeck, as fine a form, with
branchy crests.

Ii. p.-m. polydactyla, Dadds (11). This has somewhat
thinner fronds than usual, with flat, spreading crests at frond
tips and pinnse; elegant and distinct.

THE BUCKLER PERNS.

109

L. p.-m. ramo-cristata (crested-branched), Fitt (14). Fi-onds
branch several times, beginning at tlie base ; divisions crested
neatly ; forms consequently a compact bush of very ornamental
character.

L. p.-m. ramosissima (much-branched) (2), The fronds of
this splendid variety branch also repeatedly, but as it has
longer stalks, and the crests are branched and heavy, it acquires
the appearance rather of a round-headed tree, and is deservedly
considered one of the handsomest variations of the species. It
appears to be very doubtfully fertile, the spores appearing
either to stop short of full development, or, as some growers
believe, to produce inferior forms. Hence it is very rare,
being propagated only by division.

L. p.-m. ramnlosissima (much-branched) (4). A very dwarf
form, only lin. or 2in. high, and a dense mass of cresting.
This was raised from a spore of

L. p.-m. Schoiieldii (Schofield’s), an equally dwarf variety
with merely forked fronds.

L. p.-m. revolvens (turning over) (8). A lovely form, with
peculiarly neat, smooth-edged pinnules, and the pinnse curled
backwards semi-circularly, forming the fronds in graceful,
arching tubes.

The Soft Male Fern

{Lastrea Filix-mas).

Fronds and pinnse convex; pinnules saw-toothed, or doubly
so; colour shiny pale green; texture papery. Deciduous.

This section, not being evergreen, loses in comparison with
the previous one, so far as winter decoration is concerned. It
has not been so prolific in varieties, but what exist include
some good ones.

L. F.-m. Baruesii (Barnes’). Wild find. A very neat,
uncrested form, with narrow fronds, the pinnse being shorter
and compacter than the normal.

L. F.-m. Bollaudise (Bolland’s) (6). The nearest approach
to the plumose form yet found in this family. When grown
under glass, it fully justifies the term of plumose, all the
divisions being very beautifully and delicately developed. Out

THE FEEN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

of doors a crispy character is assumed, which detracts from
its beauty, nor does it acquire the same delicacy.

L. F.-m. cristata (crested), Martindale. A neatly crested
form, with pinnae curved upwards towards tip of frond, giving
a very distinct character.

Ii. F.-m. fluctuosa (fluctuating). Fronds much congested,
and also pinnae ; pinnules curly. Remarkably distinct.

L. F.-m. grandiceps (large-crested), Sim. A grand, heavily-
crested form, with branching fronds. Yery fine indeed.

L. F.-m. grandiceps, Berry (3). A really magnificent
branched and crested form, found in North Devon, all the
pinnae bearing very finely cut tassels of many divisions.

Is. F.-m. grandiceps, Wills. Also a handsomely crested
form, but tassels less finely cut.

L. F.-m. linearis (linear). Yery distinct. Pinnae extremely
narrow, and pinnules consisting of mere sharp points.

The Intermediate JVlale Fern

{Lastrea propinqua).

Fronds and pinnae concave; pinnules doubly saw-toothed;
colour dull pale green. Deciduous ; texture soft.

This is the rarest by far of the three sections, also the
smallest in size. Yarieties few.

L. p. cristata (crested), Barnes (13). Pinnae neatly crested;
frond tip densely. Wild find.

L. p. crispata incisa (crisped, cut). Smithies. Pinnules
very finely cut and somewhat curly. Distinct and pretty.

L. p. grandiceps, Barnes. Heavily crested.

The IVIountain Buckler Fern, or Lemon-scented Fern

(Lastrea montmia [oreopteris]. Syn. Nephrodium montanum).

This is a very beautiful Fern, which by beginners is frequently
taken for the Male Fern, but on better acquaintance never,
since it differs most unmistakably in the fact that the pinnae
commence very short close to the base of the frond, gradually
widening towards the centre, and tapering again similarly,

THE BUCKLER FERNS.

Ill

thLOugh rather more abruptly, towards the top, while the
Male Ferns, on the other hand, have a bare stalk for some
distance, and the leafy part begins abruptly with long pinnae.

The unfolding tips of L. montana resemble a ball bristling
with recurved points, resembling in this respect exactly the
Marsh Fern {L. Thelypteris), while the Male Fern fronds at
same stage resemble shepherds’ crooks, the pinnae being rolled
inwards. Finally, should any doubt still exist, an undeniable
scent of lemon is perceptible if the fronds are passed through
the hand. This scent is peculiar to the species, and gives it
one of its popular names.

This Fern is daintier in its requirements than the Male
Fern, and is therefore neither so widely distributed nor so
easy to grow. It demands plenty of moisture, but stagnancy
is fatal; a good loamy soil suits it admirably if well drained.
It is not very sportive, and for a long time defied the searchers
for varieties; but at length, like most of its relations, it
rewarded perseverance, and yielded some very good and
distinct forms.

L. m, Barnesii (Barnes’) stands alone among all Ferns
found as yet, in the fact that the pinnae on the long, narrow
fronds are set at right angles to the stalk, and across the
frond, so that when it is laid down flat, the pinnae stand
on their edges.

L. m. congesta (crowded). A dense form, with very closely
set divisions.

L. m. coronans (crowned), Barnes. This is a very heavily
coronet-crested form, for which we are indebted to Mr. J. M.
Barnes, of Levens, who has been most successful in his
wooing of this very coy species.

L. m, cristata (crested), Barnes (12). A very finely crested
variety, due to same source.

L. m. grandiceps (large-crested). Smithies. Wild find,
very heavily crested. Mr. Barnes has raised a similar or
even better form from spores of a crested find of his.

L. m. Nowelliana (Nowell’s). Yery singular wild sport.
Pinnae narrow and sharply pointed; pinnules irregular, short, and
sharply saw-toothed. Scarcely beautiful, but too curious to omit.

112

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN,

Xi. m. plnmosa (feathery), Airey. Fine plamose form, with
general aspect of a Lady Fern.

L. m, ramo-corouans (hranched-crowned). Crested like
coronans, hut the fronds branch previously, thus multiplying
the crests.

The Rigid Buckler Fern

(Lastrea rigida. Syn. Nephrodium rigidurn).

A TYPE of Lastrea of very limited distribution, being found
growing only in clefts of limestone rocks, notwithstanding
which, however, it is grown without difficulty in ordinary
soil. It is deciduous, and differs from the Male Fern in its
stiffer growth, smaller size, and dusty, dull green colour. No
constant varieties have been found, and it is not in itself
attractive.

The Marsh Buckler Fern

(Lastrea Thelypteris. Syn. Nephrodium Thelypteris).

This is one of the few Ferns which delight in absolute mud,
a fact which must not be forgotten in its cultivation. In
appearance its fronds nearest resemble L. montana, their
mode of unfolding being identical. The fronds, however, have
long stalks, and the narrow, tapering, basal pinnae are lacking ;
the frond, minus the long stalk, approaching closely the shape
of the Male Fern. The most characteristic difference, however,
is that the fronds rise singly from a slender, creeping root-
stock, instead of in a clump from a crown, so that under
favourable conditions the Fern spreads in all directions, and
the shuttlecock plan of architecture assumed by all the rest
of the British Lastreas is totally abandoned.

To cultivate this Fern the best plan is to sink a glazed
earthenware pan quite below the surface of the soil, fill
this half full of bits of brick and sphagnum moss, shovel in
the common soil, and plant the Fern. The pan, by holding
a supply of water, will form a capital starting point, whence
the Fern will ramble, unless checked, in all directions, driving
its roots a yard or more into otherwise uncongenial soil.
No varieties.

CHAPTER XII.

THE ROYAL FERN

{Osmunda regalis).

WELL-l^^AMED Fern is this, as everyone will allow
who has seen it at its best, clothing the banks
of our Devonshire streams with a dense shrub-
like growth, in which a tall man might stand
unseen, the fronds attaining sometimes a length
of 12ft. Plenty of moisture is imperatively
necessary for the well-being of this Fern, which,
under natural conditions, has its roots constantly
wet or exposed to a moist atmosphere. The
moist atmosphere is rendered requisite by the fact that a large
portion of the root is formed on the surface of the ground
in the shape of huge, rounded masses, sometimes several feet
over, covered with absorbent root-points — aerial roots, in fact —
from among which here, there, and yonder spring the crowns
of towering fronds. These fronds, though of tough, leathery
texture, are perfectly deciduous, renewing their growth in the
spring with great rapidity.

Apart from its huge size, the Royal Fern is easily dis-
tinguished by the terminal pinnae and tip of frond being
contracted and transformed into long, narrow masses of
brownish spore-capsules, distantly resembling a flower of
the Spiraea type, whence it is sometimes, though of course

114

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

erroneously, termed tlie Flowering Fern. Tlie ultimate divisions
are very large, and shaped like a short scythe. To those
desirous of trying to raise this Fern from its spores, which
is not difficult, it may he well to mention that they are shed
while the capsules are still of a green colour; the ripe spores
themselves are also of an olive-green colour, instead of the
usual dark brown tint. Thus, when the capsules assume a
brown tint, it is too late, and a microscope will display a
profusion of husks and a plentiful lack of spores. Only two
good varieties of this Fern have been foimd.

O. r, cristata (crested). This was a wild find, but being
gathered in the winter by accident, in company with a batch
of common ones, it formed an agreeable surprise to the pur-
chaser when it displayed its peculiar beauties in the following
spring. It is a charmingly-crested form, all the divisions
being flatly expanded and crested in a manner which, while
detracting in no way from the normally bold character of
the Fern, by the weight of the tassels causes it to assume
an additional graceful habit of growth, rendering it decidedly
one of the most desirable forms existing.

O; r. ramo-cristata (branched-crested). A crested type,
similar to above, but the fronds split up before cresting. We
are indebted for our knowledge of this form to Col. A. M.
Jones’ splendid Nature Prints of our British Ferns.

PLATE V.

Varieties of the Common Polypody

{Polypodium vulgare).

Fig.

1. Polypodium vulgare (normal form).

8.
9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

hijido-cristatum.

ramosum, Hillman.

cristatum, Scarborongh.

cristatum (old form).

multifido-cristatum {grandiceps, Parker).

grandiceps, Fox.

pulcherrimum.

camhricum (plumosum).

cornuhiense {elegantissimum).

parvissimum.

cross between Hos. 2 and 10.
omnilacerum.

CHAPTER XIII.

, THE POLYPODIES

(Poly podium).

E now come to a family of whicli the members vary
exceedingly in everything but the form of fructi-
fication, which consists of round masses of spore-
capsules without any cover {indusium). The term
Polypody, meaning many-footed, refers to the
creeping rootstock, which feature is, however, by
no means peculiar to this family, as will have
already been seen by the preceding descriptions.
On the other hand, some of the Polypodies
(the so-called P. alpestre, for instance) are not many-footed at
all, being built d la shuttlecock. These little anomalies are,
however, unavoidable in any method of classification, seeing
that Dame Nature indulges her own whims and fancies with a
sublime disregard of the hard and fast lines which scientists, with
the best intentions, are always endeavouring to draw amongst
her creations. The species included in the Poly podium family
all over the world are very numerous ; we have, however, only
four indigenous to Great Britain, exclusive of P. alpestre,
which belies its name in all respects but its uncovei’ed spore-
heaps. These botanically cannot be got over, though we have
ventured to class it with the Lady Ferns on account of its
gi’eat aflS.nity with them in all other respects.

THE POLYPODIES.

117

The Oak Fern

{Polypodium Dryopteris).

This charming little Fern, the fronds of which are thrice
divided on the plan of an ivy leaf in general outline, is dis-
tinguished from all others by its peculiarly delicate pale green
colour, which renders a well-grown clump one of the most
refreshing and delightful specimens of vegetable life which
the eye could desire to rest upon. The fronds stand generally

Fig. 25.— Polypodium Dryopteris.

about Gin. to 7in. high, but are an inch or two longer, the
tall, slender, green stalks bending back at an abrupt angle,
just where the leafy portion commences, so that the latter
lies nearly horizontally. This bend is another distinctive
mark, and is useful in discriminating it from the Limestone
Polypody next described, and which otherwise closely resembles
it, though lacking the special tint of green. The young fronds
also, when unfolding, exactly resemble the pawnbroker’s sign

118

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

of three halls, which those of the Limestone Polypody do
not do.

The Oak Fern makes itself at home in any open, well-
drained compost, its slender, creeping rootstalk, branching in
all directions just below the surface, and speedily taking
possession of the pot, or, better still, shallow pan, in which it
is located. On rockwork it soon establishes itself in the
chinks and crevices, and though, as if being fully satisfied
with itself, it has disdained to present us with any variations,
every collection worthy the name must find a place for it. It
is perfectly deciduous, and needs shelter from wind to display
its graces fairly.

The Limestone Polypody

(Polypodium calcareum. Syn. P. Robertianum).

This differs from the preceding very little, and the points
of dissimilarity have already been indicated. As its name
implies, it grows in the chinks and cracks of calcareous
rocks, and hence in cultivation requires some admixture of
lime in the soil. In all other respects, the remarks on the
Oak Fern apply to this. No varieties.

The Beech Fern

(Polypodium Phegopteris).

Why this Fern is so named we cannot conjecture, and
should like to know. It frequents similar habitats to the
Oak Fern, and runs about in a precisely similar manner; the
same method of cultivation consequently applies. This Fern
approaches the Lastrea type in the form of its fronds
(which, however, have a longer stalk), and may infallibly
be known by the peculiarity that the two lower pinnae, which
are long, are turned sharply downwards at an angle of about
45deg., while all the rest are about at right angles to the
central stalk. The colour is a very delicate green, somewhat
akin to that of the Oak Fern. The twice-divided fronds are
Gin. to 9in. long, prettily pendent on the long stalks. Of this
Fern we have one variety,

THE POLYPODIES.

119

P. p. miiltiiidum (mucli-cleft), a wild find, with pinn^
and frond tips flatly but somewbat irregularly crested.

The Common Polypody

{Polypodium vulgare).

This Fern is one of tbe most generally distributed, and
differs in many respects from tbe other members of tbe
family already described. First and foremost, unlike tbe
others, it is a thorough evergreen, retaining its verdure quite

Fig, 26,— Polypodium vulgare, showing Habit and Under Surface of Portion
of Detached Frond.

fresh right through the winter. The fronds are sometimes
18in. in length, but only once divided, the pinnae being nor-
mally smooth-edged, and broadening out at their bases, so
that they generally join, and form a continuous, narrow
wing on each side of the central stalk {vide Plate Y., 1). The
creeping rootstock is fleshy, and as thick as the little finger,
while the fronds are comparatively leathery, and of a dark green
colour, bearing on their backs the large, golden-yellow heaps of
spores, which form most conspicuous and beautiful examples

120

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

of tlie fructification peculiar in the PolypodiuT^ family. The
Fern by its tough nature is enabled to stand plenty of air,
and even of sunshine, and we consequently find it at home
on the tops and in the crevices of old walls, on the roofs of
old buildings, and cosily nestling amongst moss-grown rocks,
and similar places where its roots can creep freely about in
accumulations of leaf mould. We also find it clothing the
sloping sides of hedge banks, and forming a dense undergrowth
among the roots of the hedges themselves ; and lastly, but by
no means leastly, it makes itself a congenial home in the
mossy bark of old trees, and amongst the debris which
collects in their forks and other hollows. Good drainage
and plenty of leaf mould are, it will be seen, the first desi-
derata of its cultivation. As the creeping rootstocks do not
burrow, but keep near, or even on, the surface, this fact must
be remembered in planting. This Fern, simple as it is in its
normal outline, has given us some most beautifully divided,
crested, and plumose varieties {vide Plate Y., to which the
figures in parentheses refer).

P. V. bifido-cristatum (twice-cleft, crested) (2). A long,
narrow, robust, crested form, the short pinnse fanned out at
tips into rounded crests, the frond tip repeatedly divided,
forming a large, flat tassel.

P. V. cambricum (Welsh) (9). This, which is commonly
called the Welsh Polypody, is the true plumose form of the
species, and is always barren. It has been found wild in
various places. In this, the ordinarily simple pinnae are so
wide as to overlap considerably; they are also divided into
long, saw-toothed divisions. The texture of the fronds is
much thinner and more delicate than in the normal form,
and the width considerably greater. A most beautiful form
indeed.

P. V. camb. Prestonii (Preston’s). A still more plumose
form than the last. Wild find. Lake district.

P. V. cornubiense (Cornwall), Syn. elegantissimum (most
elegant) (10) ; P. v. Powlerii (Fowler’s) ; and P. v. trichoman-
oides (Trichomanes-like') {vide Fig. 27). These three are too
closely akin to be separately described ; they stand in order of

THE POLYPODIES.

121

merit. The fronds are of three classes, viz., a few absolutely
normal; others with the pinnae sub-divided into long, blunt-
pointed segments; and, finally, exquisitely divided fronds of
the most delicate character. In trichomanoides the inter-
mediate fronds do not appear. A curious feature of all three
is the occasional appearance of mixed fronds, in which quite
common plain pinnae are mixed up anyhow with others of
the most divided type. The first-named is the parent of the
other two.

Fig. 27.— Polypodium vulgare trichomanoides.

P. V. cristatum (crested) (5). Old wild find. Frond and
pinnae tips uniformly and neatly flatly crested.

P. V. cristatam, Scarborough (Woll) (4). A very superior
form, with cresting much more developed.

P. V. cristatam, Forster. One of the grandest crested
forms found in Lake district. Crests at all tips. Yery large.

P. V. Claphamii (?) (Clapham’s) (12). Provisionally named.
This is one of the most striking, and at the same time most
beautiful, examples of hybridisation, it being an unmistakable
cross between P. v. hifido-cristatum (2) and cornuhiense (10).

122

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

The characters of both the parents are distinctly conjoined,
the result being a slightly expanded form of cornubiense,
crested at all tips a la hifido-cristatum. The piecemeal
reversion peculiar to the former is maintained, but the
usually normal parts take the character of the latter, so
that the joint parentage, it will be seen, is demonstrated
beyond the shadow of a doubt.

P. V. glomeratiun (clustered), Mullins. This is an oddity,
every frond and division branching repeatedly anyhow, no
two alike.

P. V. grandiceps (large-crested), Fox (7). The finest
crested form yet found. Immense, wide, curly crests at all
terminals. Extremely handsome.

P. V. multifido-cristatum (much-cleft, crested). Syn.
grandiceps (Parker) (6). End of frond very much branched,
with minute, curly crests at tips of all divisions, forming a
huge, bunchy tassel at the expense of the pinnae, which are
comparatively few.

P. V. omnilacerum (wholly torn) (13). One of the finest
and robustest forms known, when it can be got to develop
properly; pinnae^ divided into very long, toothed divisions,
overlapping densely.

P. V. parvissinmm (very small) (11). Introduced into
our plate to exemplify range of size, its neighbour there (13)
attaining 24in., while this, which has been found several
times, is a miniature reproduction of the common, under lin.
when full grown.

P. V, pulcherrimum (very beautiful) (8). A beautifully-
divided form, resembling camhricum in general outline, but
without its delicacy of texture, the fronds being of the
normal leathery character, and freely fertile; the ultimate
divisions are also not so finely saw-toothed. Wild find.

P. V. plumosum (feathery), Hadwin. Another very fine
plumose form, and sufficiently distinct.

P. V. ramosum (branched), Hillman (3). A robust form,
in which the fronds all branch from below upwards repeatedly,
forming frequently wide, flat crests, when the forking is
carried far enough.

Plate VI,

Varieties of the Shield Fern.

PLATE VI.

Fig.

8.
9.

10.

11.

Varieties of the Shield Fern

{PolysticJmm. Syn. Aspidium).

PolysticJium aculeatum acrocladon.

„ „ pulcherrimum (pinna and tip of

frond).

„ angulare acrocladon.

„ „ hrachiato-cristatum, Gray.

„ „ Thompsonice (top LaK of frond).

„ „ divisilobum cristatum, Ivery (pinna).

„ „ pulcherrimum variegatum, Moly

(pinna).

„ „ Pateyii (pinna).

„ „ cristatum, Wollaston (crest).

„ „ grandiceps, Talbot (crests).

„ „ rotundatum (top half of frond).

CHAPTER XIV.

THE SHIELD FERNS

{Polysticlmm. Stn. Aspidium).

OBUST beanty combined with delicacy of detail
are the characteristics of this family, which is
represented in Britain by three species, and
is easily distinguished from others by the spiny
character of the subdivisions, and by the covers
of the spore-heaps, which are flatly mushroom
shaped, being circular, and attached to the
frond by tiny central stalks — the Buckler Ferns, it
will be remembered, having a notch in the cover,
which renders them kidney-shaped. Besides these characters,
the rising fronds of the Shield Ferns, in unfolding, turn inside
out, the last few inches hanging downwards at the back of the
frond — a feature quite peculiar to this family, so far as Britain
is concerned. The young fronds are also densely clothed with
silvery-white scales when they first lift from the crown, which
scales turn brown as the fronds mature. Two out of the
three species are pretty generally distributed ; the third, the
Holly Fern (P. Loncliitis) must be sought for high up in the
mountains — it is never found below a certain level. They are
all thorough evergreens, and on that account, coupled with
their charming diversity of form, hold first rank as ornamental
Ferns. Soil, rich, strong, fibrous loam, with plenty of root

room.

THE SHIELD FERNS.

125

The Holly Fern

(Polystichum Lonchitis).

This is a true mountain Fern, and is never found wild, except
at very high elevations. It is easily recognised as a Poly-
stichum hy its spiny pinnae, hut its distinctive characteristic
is that these are quite undivided, the edges of the pinnae
being merely scalloped and prickly, like small holly leaves,
whence its name. It is a thorough evergreen, and a rock
Fern; hence it demands good drainage, plenty of moisture,
and a humid atmosphere, its natural home being in or near
the clouds. Should the beginner number this Fern, as he
probably will, amongst his finds in some lowland lane, he will
be wise to anticipate experience, and call it P. aculeatum; he
will then have the advantage over more obstinate confreres
of being correct from the beginning. It has been very chary
of varieties so far — possibly, we think, on account of its com-
parative inaccessibility — having only recently presented us
with its first decided sport, viz.,

P. L. cristatum (crested). A good crested form, found
on Ben Qui by Dr. Craig.

The Hard Prickly Shield Fern

{Polystichum aculeatum).

This bold-growing, handsome, evergreen Fern is very generally
distributed, but by no means so lavishly as its very close
relation the Soft Prickly Shield Fern (P. angular e), from
which it can be discriminated, as its common name indicates,
by its harder texture, and also the more prickly nature of its
pinnae. In its young state it frequently confers considerable
temporary gratification upon novices, who, misled by its appear-
ance, record the discovery of the Holly Fern (P. Lonchitis) in
many localities where it does not exist. For the benefit of
such, it should be noted that in P. Lonchitis the pinnae are
never divided, while in P. aculeatum, even in a young state,
the basal pinnae at any rate will be found more or less split.

It is found growing in its greatest luxuriance on the sloping
sides of glens and deep ravines, in such situations forming

126

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

huge, circular plumes, with radiating, pendent fronds between
2ft. and 3ft. in length. It is not difB.culb to cultivate in ord.inary
compost, and, when well established, becomes, from its ever-
green character and habit of growing from one crown only,
one of the boldest and most ornamental of all the normal forms.
It has sported into some very handsome varieties. The figures
in parentheses refer to Plate YI.

P. ac. acrocladon (summit-branched) (1). Beautifully and
symmetrically crested throughout.

P. ac. acutilobum (acutely-lobed). Wills. A distinct form,
with sharply-pointed and somewhat lengthened subdivisions.

P. ac. corymbiferum (corymb-bearing). Heavy, tufted
crests.

P. ac. cristato-gracile (crested, slender). A slenderer
form than the normal, with somewhat pendent, neat crests.

P. ac. palcherrimum (very beautiful) (4). A remarkably
handsome and extremely rare, uncrested form, quite barren,
and with the pinnules beautifully elongated and curved, sickle
fashion, imparting a peculiar beauty to the frond.

The Soft Prickly Shield Fern

iPolystichum angulare).

This very beautiful Fern is plentifully distributed in most
Ferny districts, making itself at home in hedgerows, planta-
tions, and ravines, and affording every here and there the
most fascinating hunting grounds for the searcher for varie-
ties. In its normal form it is easily distinguished from the
preceding, P. aculeatum, the divisions being smaller, and the
fronds more delicate in texture and make. In some of its
varieties it approaches P. aculeatum so closely that the best
judges differ in their classification; Nature in this case, as
in so many, bridging over the gap between botanical species.

As regards variation, this Fern is one of the most interesting
of all our British species, and perhaps the best of all adapted
for educating the eye to observe minute yet distinct cha-
racteristic differences. In searching carefully a hedgerow
peopled with this Fern, it will be the exception if a careful
comparison of a collection of fronds will not show a wide

THE SHIELD FERNS.

127

range of difference in the make of the ultimate divisions, or
pinnules, and even in the texture and general character of
the entire fronds; while so many really extraordinary forms
have been found wild that there is always a reasonable expecta-
tion of lighting upon something startling. The word startling
may seem exaggerated, but becomes appropriate, for instance,
when applied to the discovery of such a Fern transformed
into a confused mass of very long, narrow fronds, spirally
twisted and contorted like so many serpents twining about
amongst the undergrowth around it. Tet this precisely
describes one of Mr. G. B. Wollaston’s finds, which has main-
tained its character for many years. So much by way of
example. Cultivation is easy in good, strong loam, and plenty
of root room if in pots.

The capacity of variation in this Fern is so great, and
the size of many of its best forms such, that a large space
would be required to accommodate a fair selection of those
in trade hands, outside of which there are practically in-
numerable forms, including some of the best, which exist as
unique plants in private hands. It is, indeed, so fascinating
a Fern that the most noted collectors generally become
Polysticlium fanciers in particular in course of time. It will
be seen from this that in making our selection many omissions
are inevitable, and only some of the best forms extant, and
within our own personal cognizance, can be cited. The figures
in parentheses refer to Plate YI.

P. ang. acrocladon (summit-branched) (2). Wild find. This
is the counterpart in this species of Athyrium Filix-foemina
acrocladon, the fronds being divided low down into branches
bearing dense crests. A splendid form.

P. ang. atteimato-cristatum (attenuated, crested), El-
worthy. A very delicate, slender form; fronds and pinns0
neatly crested.

P. ang. brachiato-cristatum (branched, crested), Keall.
One of the startling series of finds, the two lowest pinnae
being transformed into fronds, forming a sort of trident,
with each prong tipped with a dense, ball-like tuft of cresting.

P. ang. brachiato-cristatum, Wills, Gray (3). Two

128

THE FERIf FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

distinct finds of similar pattern, but hardly in so exaggerated
a form.

P. ang. cristatum, Wollaston (9). A beautifully tasselled
form ; small crests at pinnae tips, but heavy and finely-divided
one at frond tip.

P. ang. cristato-gracile (crested, slender), Gray. A some-
what slender- growing form, with frond tips and pinnae neatly
tasselled.

P. ang. congestum (crowded). A very beautifully con-
gested form; pinnae and pinnules closely set and overlapping.

P. aug. crispato-foliosum (crisped, leafy). A very distinct
and leafier form, with same overlapping character as last.

P. ang. capitatum (headed). Miles. Peculiarly distinct;
pinnae neatly crested, and frond with remarkably broad, flat,
spreading crest.

P. ang. cruciatum (crossed), Elworthy. A narrow-fronded
form, with double pinnae, starting at about right angles to
each other, forming so many crosses with the opposite pairs —
hence the name.

P. ang. divisilobum robustum (divided-lobed, robust),
Moly. This belongs to a section of the family in which the
pinnules or lobes are again divided, the fronds being really
tripinnate, with a peculiarly dense and rich appearance, owing
to this extra development. When fully developed, this variety
is even again divided, the ultimate divisions being further-
more saw-toothed. Fronds dense, and occasionally proliferous
on the stalks.

P. ang. div. laxum (loose). Wills. A distinct form, thrice
divided, but not so dense, and with somewhat drooping pinnae.
Yery beautiful.

P. ang. div. cristatum (crested), Ivery (6). A real gem,
and, being proliferous, easily obtainable ; the pinnae have splendid,
spreading, uniform crests, over 2in. wide, and the frond tip
a very neat one to match. Well grown, it has no equal in
its way.

P. ang. div. plumosnm densum (densely feathery), Jones.
This Fern is apparently the ne plus ultra of division and
delicacy. It has been called the Todea superha of the British

THE SHIELD FERNS.

129

Ferns, and deservedly so — the fronds, of nearly normal out-
line, resembling thick masses of the finest moss, the beauti-
fully cut pinnse and pinnules overlapping each other three
deep. This Fern is the latest outcome of careful selection, by
Col. A. M. Jones, of Clifton, from several generations of seed-
lings of a very much divided, but far inferior, wild find. It
affords a vivid idea of what our Ferns of the future may
become in skilful hands,

P. ang. div. densum (dense), Carbonell. P. ang. malti-
lobum densum (many-lobed, dense), Carbonell. P, ang, div.
stipulatum (stipuled), Carbonell. These three distinct, magni-
ficently dense, and divided forms only rank next to the
preceding variety in their peculiarly charming line of variation.
For these we are indebted to the late Mr. Carbonell, of Usk.

P. ang. grandiceps (large-crested), Talbot (10). Splendidly
tasselled fronds; pinnae short, and neatly crested.

P. ang. grandiceps, Moly. Another form, with longer
pinnae, forming a triangular frond.

P. ang. grandiceps, J. Jones. The finest of the three.
Pinnae short and curved, with small, dense crests; the end of
frond branched repeatedly into huge, much-divided crests. Even
more striking than acrocladon, being more uniform.

P. ang. Lyellii (Lyell’s). Syn. congestum (crowded),
Lyell. A very dwarf gem, only a few inches high, with
densely overlapping, rather curly, pinnae, same as Edwardsii
in the Lady Fern.

P. ang. parvissimum (very small). Another dwarf, but
larger — 7in. to Sin. Pinnules very minute and numerous, and
all set as closely as possible, giving a very neat appearance;
short, stiff growth. Counterpart of crispa in Hard Male
Fern.

P. ang. Pateyii (Patey’s). Syn. plumosum (feathery),
Patey (8). Wild find. This is a grand and thoroughly plumose
form. Pinnae very broad and overlapping; thin and delicate
in texture, quite barren, and may be regarded as the plumose
form of the species.

P. ang. plumosum (feathery), Wollaston. Another splendid
plumose form, of bolder habit and very delicate foliage.

130

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

P. ang. pendens (drooping), Wills. !N'on-crested form, witli
extremely large pinnules and drooping habit.

P. ang. polydactylum (many-fingered), Wollaston; and
vars. grande (large), Jones, and splendens (splendid). There
have been several distinct finds of polydactylum, which is
flatly crested, crests consisting of numerous points. The
best are those named; all are good.

P. ang. perserratum (prominently saw-edged), Patey. A
very beautiful, non-crested form, with pinnules elongated and
narrowly and sharply saw-toothed.

P. ang, pulclierrinmni (very beautiful). Wills, Padley.
Wild finds. Yery remarkable and beautiful sports, in which
all the lower pinnules are very long and sickle-shaped, and
the slender points of the ultimate divisions, in many cases,
extend and expand into prothalli, from which plants can be
raised by aposporous generation {vide Appendix).

P, ang. pnlcherrimnm, Mrs. Thompson, Moly. Two
other finds of same class, Mr. Moly’s the finest of all,
bearing tiny crests at tips of pinnae. Apospory is not re-
corded upon these, and we have not seen the plants; but in
Col. Jones’ “Nature Prints,” lying before us as we write, we
believe we detect its existence in both forms.

P. ang. pulch. variegatum (variegated), Moly (7). One of
Mr. Moly’s luckiest hits, which is saying much. This variety
has all the charm described in connection with the last four
forms, plus the uncommon feature of a distinct, yellow varie-
gation, affecting the greater part of the fronds.

P. ang. proliferum (proliferous), vars. Allchinii (All-
chin’s), Cranfordianum (Cranford’s), densum (dense), Hen-
leyse (Henley’s), Lyellii (Ly ell’s), and Wollastonii (Wol-
laston’s). There are several forms so-called, all interesting, differ-
ing generally from the normal in being much more finely cut
and attenuated, and in bearing a profusion of young plants at
the junctions of the pinnae with the main stalk. In a close
atmosphere these develop several fronds while still attached,
forming a dense, moss-like growth along the centre of the
frond, and sometimes of the pinnae. Many of the other
varieties present the same character in a less degree — some-

THE SHIELD FERNS.

131

times a solitary bud is formed just where the leafy portion
commences.

P. ang. revolvens (rolled back). Pinnules curved back,
forming frond into tube.

P. ang. rotundatum (rounded) (11). Yery distinct. Pinnules
very nearly round.

P. ang. ramo-furcillatum (fork-branched), Allchin. A
very much-branched form, fronds and divisions splitting re-
peatedly, but not cresting.

P. ang. tripinnatum (thrice-pinnate), Gillett, Padley. Yery
delicate forms, divided to pinnulets.

P. ang. Thompsouiae (Thompson’s) (5). A very beautifully
crested form. Wild find.

CHAPTER XY.

THE COMMON BRAKE

{Fteris aquilina).

TERIS AQUILIXA is tlie commonest of all
Ferns, and is found under slightly varying
forms all over the world; it hardly, therefore,
requires description in order to he recognised.
Its broad, branching foliage, regardless of the
sun and wind, clothes heath and hillside with
beautiful verdure everywhere throughout the
country, except high up on the hills, where a
line seems drawn at the same level as for corn
cultivation, beyond which it does not make its appearance.
As a species it is distinguished by the spore-heaps forming
a continuous margin to the under side of the pinnae, a
characteristic possessed by no other British Fern — this being
the sole representative of the family. The young Fern-
hunter will do well to practise his apprentice eye upon this
Fern, as at least three types of marked variation are almost
certain to reward his search in a very short time — viz.,
the plain, normal form, in which the pinnulets are smooth-
edged ; a second form, in which they are deeply saw-toothed —
in fact, nearly divided again ; and, thirdly, a hard, crispy form,
in which all the parts are much contracted in width, and some-
what curly. These have been christened P. a. integerrima, vera,

THE COMMON BEAKE.

133

and crispa, but, though distinct enough to form interesting
finds, would hardly repay cultivation. The case is, however,
different with regard to those hereafter described, which are
highly ornamental. The creeping rootstock of this Fern has
a habit of burrowing sometimes 4ft. or 5ft. into the ground,
the result of which is that it is almost impossible to remove
it successfully, unless it be in winter, when it is dormant, but
when, of course, as it is deciduous, varieties cannot be recog-
nised. Fortunately, it is easily raised from spores, which, if
ripe, may relieve a fortunate finder from the horns of a
dilemma, since, though he may justly claim the find, as its
discoverer, the acre or so of land to which it is inseparably
attached can hardly be regarded in the same light, apart from
porterage difficulties. The best varieties are :

P. a. congesta (crowded). A very fine, dense form.

P. a. cristata (crested). All tips very neatly flat-crested.

P. a. glomerata (clustered). A most extraordinary form,
very robust, in which all the pinnules are twisted and curled ;
and as the ends of the pinnae do so as well, apparently ball-
like crests are formed by the rolled-up masses of pinnules,
although, in point of fact, no real crest exists. The central
stalk is straight, except at the tip ; hence the plant is handsome.

P. a. grandiceps (large-crested). Yery heavily crested
throughout.

P. a. polydactyla (many-fingered). All tips branching
into several points.

P. a. ramo-cristata (branch-crested). Fronds fork re-
peatedly, bearing numerous crests on the divisions.

PLATE VII.

Varieties of the Hartstongue

{Scolopendrium vulgare).

Fig.

1. Scolopendrium vulgare supralineatum (normal outline).

2. „ ,, crispum sagittatuwj.

3. „ „ peraferens.

4. „ „ cristatum, Millett.

5. „ ,, laceratum {endivcefolium).

6. „ „ ramo-cristatum, Moly.

7. „ „ cristulatum, Stansfield.

8. „ „ spirale, Druery.

9. „ „ crispum fimbriatum.

10. „ „ crispum, Wills.

11. „ „ capitatum.

12. „ „ sagittato -cristatum, Hankey.

13. „ „ sagittato-projectum, Sclater.

14. „ „ capitatum Forsteri.

15. „ „ grandiceps, J. Cousins.

16. „ „ inequale furcans, Elworthy.

Varieties qf the Hartstongue.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE HARTSTONGUE

[Scolopendrium vulgare).

0 otlier Britisli Fern can possibly be confounded
witb tbis, at any rate in its common form,
its fronds being of a simple, ribbon-like form,
heart-sbaped at tbe base, and tapering to a
blunt point at tbe tip. It is tbe sole British
representative of a very small family. Tbougb
a comparatively common plant, and one of tbe
least dainty in its likes and dislikes, it is fre-
quently absent from places wbicb seem admirably
adapted for it, and where such absence can hardly be
imputed to tbe ravages of tbe wholesale collector for the
market. Tbis is one of tbe few Ferns which find a congenial
home both on walls and in tbe soil. On tbe former it is
often found in a very stunted form indeed; while tbe other
extreme, in tbe shape of luxuriant growth, and fronds 2ft. to
3ft. long, will be found revelling in loose vegetable mould,
banging over shaded streamlets, or in tbe sheltered hollows
of tall hedgerows and leafy woods. Cultivation is easy
enough : good drainage, an open soil with a trace of lime in
it, and plenty of shade and water, are all that is required
The fructification in this family consists of long, oval, sausage -
shaped heaps of spore-capsules, having a somewhat fanciful

136

THE PERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

resemblance to tbe feet of a centipede (Scolopendra), whence
the botanical name. Its nearest allies are the Spleenworts, from
which it differs by there being double, instead of single, lines
of fructification; these face each other, and eventually run
together when mature, their twin character being thus hidden.
In many of the varieties the arrangement d la centipede
is so much interfered with that the resemblance is entirely
upset, the spores appearing in patches of any shape on the
edges, and sometimes even on the upper surface of the fronds.

The extremely simple form of the frond of this species
would seem, at first sight, to afford very little scope for

Fig. 28.— Scolopendrium vulgare Kelwayii.

variation ; but, strange to say, it has yielded forms innumer-
able, some of them quite peculiar to itself, and of the most
odd and unexpected nature, as will be seen by the descriptions
of some amongst the following, which, though hardly beautiful,
are too curious and too constant in their peculiarities to be
ignored. Owing to the immense number of varieties, we can
only give a selection of those with which we are personally
acquainted, and which embrace the majority of the best known
forms. The figures in parentheses refer to Plate YII.

S. V. bimarginato-cordatum (double-margined, heart-

THE HAETSTONGUE.

137

shaped). A long, very much contracted, form, with double
marginal ribs at back of fronds, and widish, heart-shaped
base.

S. V. cristiilatum (small-crested) (7). A very pretty sport;
fronds branch low down into several, each tipped with a
compact, ball-shaped, moss-like crest.

S. V. capitatum (headed) (11). Fronds normal below, with
large, stiff, spiky tuft- crests.

S. V. capitatum Porsteri (Forster’s) (14). Dense, rounded
crests on bare, branched stalks, with no leafy portion to speak of.

S, V. cervi-corim (stag’s-horn). Fronds small, branching,
and contracted, with ragged surface and edges resembling a
stag’s horn.

S. V. cornutum (horned). Fronds end roundly, midrib
projecting from surface, like a thorn.

S. V. conglomeratum (massed together). Ward, and vars.
Baxterii (Baxter’s), Coolingii (Cooling’s), Xelwayii (Kelway’s)
{vide Fig. 28), Morganii (Morgan’s), and Wardii (Ward’s).
These have short fronds, branching repeatedly, the plants form-
ing a roundish mass of cresting, and bearing bulbils on the ex-
treme edges, which develop into tiny plants while still attached.
Wardii differs from the others — which are practically alike — in
being somewhat smaller and denser.

S. V. cougl. densum (densely heaped), Kelway. Raised
from bulbil of Kelwayii; very dwarf, and the extreme of
cresting. Plant like a dense ball of fine moss, with innumerable
bulbils in the forks of the divisions.

S. V. corymMferum (corymb-bearing). A fine, heavily
crested form, crests consisting of rounded lobes.

S. V. crispum (crisped), vars. Wills; Bowden; majus
(great), Moses ; robustum (robust), Stansfield ; Clapham ;
latum (wide) ; and Gray. The crispum section represents
the plumose form of this species, the leafy portion being very
much developed, so that a more or less deep frill is formed on
each side the main stalk ; the most highly-developed forms are
also perfectly barren. The wild finds of this description have
been many; and though there are about a dozen forms suffi-
ciently distinct to be easily discriminated by the eye, it would

138

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

be impossible to convey the differences clearly in writing.
We therefore merely mention the names under which the
best simple forms are known, and, as nearly as we can, in
order of merit. Wills (10) is magnificent.

S. V. crispum, Mrs. Stabler. Distinct, having very long
stalks and pointed fronds; tall, bold grower.

S. V. crispum iimbriatum (fringed), Stansfield (9). A
really splendid form, in which the frills are beautifully fringed.
This is the offspring of a very inferior form (undulato-rigidum),
the spores of which generally yield a proportion of this variety
among the plants produced.

S. V. crispum iimbr. cristatum (crested). A crested
form of last-named variety.

S. V. crispum, Stansfield, Roundstone. Broad, slightly
fringed fronds.

S. V. crispum diversifrons (variable-fronded). Fronds
variously shaped, often with long, basal lobes, like arrow-barbs.

S. V. crispum multifidum (much-cleft). Syn. maximum,
Kitson. A very bold grower, with many pointed crests ; very
fine indeed.

S. V. crispum sagittatum (arrow-headed) (2). A narrow
form of crispum, with long, pointed basal lobes.

S. V. cristatum (crested). There are a great many slightly
different forms to which this name properly applies, the crests
v^arying only in character and size.

S. V. cristatum, Millett (4), is specially fine.

S. V. cristatum, Riall. A very fine form.

S. V. crist. viviparum (viviparous), O’Kelly. A very
singular wild find in Ireland, which has short, squarish, pointed
lobes on base of fronds, which are pinched up slightly in the
centre, just below a neat, semicircular crest. Its great
peculiarity consists in the formation on the upper surface,
under close treatment, of numerous warty ridges, which
develop into clusters of tiny plants. With us it is rather
tender. A unique curiosity, and pretty.

S. V. Cousensii (J. Schott Cousens’). A wild find, of very
remarkable character, the fronds being repeatedly branched,
a la Wardii, but forming very much larger, rounded heads

THE HARTSTONGUE.

139

Fig. 29.— Scolopendrium vulgare cristatum viviparum, O’Kelly.

of foliage, consisting of innumerable small, fan-sbaped lobes,
of wbicb tbe late Mr. Thomas Moore counted 166 in one frond.

140

THE PERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

each, of which was again subdivided into smaller lobes. The
plant becomes a spherical mass, and bears occasionally mar-
ginal bulbils.

S. V. digitatum (digitate). Fronds crested, with wide, flat,
spreading divisions.

S. V. fissum (cut). A pretty, narrowed form, with rather
crispy, irregularly toothed margins.

S. V. grandiceps (large-crested), Jno. Cousins (15). A
splendid, robust variety, with heavy, spreading crests. It is
peculiar in bearing frequently a sharp, cockspur-like projection
near the bottom of the stalks.

S. V. hemionitioides (Hemionitis-like). A small form,
with fronds like barbed arrow-heads.

S. V. inequale farcans (unequal-forked), Elworthy (16).
An attenuated form, with ragged edges; fronds branching
repeatedly, so as to form one large, irregular, fan-shaped crest.

S. V. keratoides (horn-like). Syn. inequale cristatum
(unequal-crested). Leafy portion very narrow, and head
repeatedly divided into narrow, spreading divisions.

S. V. laceratum (torn). Syn. endivaefolmm (endive-leaved)
(5). An old variety, but one of the finest; in it the Hartstongue
seems to aim at bearing pinnae like the other Ferns, the margin
running out into long, sometimes crested, points; the basal lobes
grow long, and bear decided flat crests; and finally, the frond tip
bears frequently an enormous, frilly tassel, of great beauty.
The plants vary much, the fronds sometimes being merely
deeply and irregularly cut in the edges, basal lobes pointed,
and terminal crests a small tuft only. It needs close treat-
ment and free growth to display its best character.

S. V. limbo-spermo cristatum (crested). Crests like fine
fringe or lace.

S. V. marginatum (margined). A singular form, found
in several localities, with a raised line near the under margin
of the fronds.

S. V. marg. multiceps (much-crested). Same as last, with
much-divided tips to the fronds.

S. V. multiiidum (much-cleft). Spreading, flat, divided
crests.

THE HARTSTONGUE,

141

S. V. muricatum (prickly). N'arrow, thick fronds, with
surface like a coarse file.

S. V. mur. inequale (unequal), Jones. Same as last, but
crested like a green cockscomb.

S. V. Malcolmsonii (Malcolmson’s). One of the finest
heavily crested forms.

S. V. peraferens (pocket-bearing) (3). A most curious sport.
Fronds normal for an inch or so from the bottom, abruptly con-
cluding with a frilled pocket, the midrib projecting like a thorn.

S. V. polycuspis uudosum (many-cusped, waved). Fronds
variously branched, and sometimes twisted, ending in numerous
sharp points.

142

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

S. V. ramo-cristatum (crested, branclied), Clapbam. An
exceedingly fine form. Fronds brancb low down into several,
each bearing dense, heavy crests.

S. V. ramo-cristatum, Moly (6). A unique wild find, of
extraordinary beauty. Our illustration is from a Nature Print,
and therefore obviates further description, as well as suspicion
of exaggeration.

S. V. ramo-digitatum (digitately branched). See Fig. 30.
Similar, but cresting with wider and flatter divisions.

S. V. ramo-marginatum (branched, margined).. Similar
form again, but with the contracted and lined character of
marginatum in the leafy portion and elsewhere.

S. V. sagittato-cristatum (arrow-head-crested), Dadds. A
most peculiar sport ; fronds narrow, and crested, with very
long, basal lobes, also crested, to match.

S. V. sagittato-cristatum, Hankey (12). A much finer
form in its cresting than the last; basal lobes shorter, and
leafy portion wider.

S. V. sagittato-projectum (projecting), Sclater (13). A
splendid, robust variety, akin to laceratum, but with sharper
projections at sides, and three times the size.

S. V. sagittato-projectum, Westropp. A recent wild find,
excelling the last, with wavy, deeply-cut margins, long basal
lobes, and crested.

S. V. sag.-proj. variegatum (variegated). Offspring of,
and same form as, preceding, but of a decided yellow colour ;
very distinct and handsome.

S. V. subcornutum (slightly horned). Like cornutum, but
with projecting midrib at back of frond.

S. V. spirale (spiral), Druery (8). An extremely dwarf form,
with numerous thick, short, leathery fronds, twisted like
a corkscrew.

S. V. sp. ramosum (branched). Offspring of last, with
branching fronds.

S. V. supralineatum (lined above), Jackson (1). Fronds of
nearly common outline, but with well-defined, sharp ridges
midway between stalk and margin on upper surface ; the con-
verse of marginatum.

THE HARTSTONGTJE.

143

S. V. transverso-lobatum (transversely lobed). Frond
divided near top; divisions cross eacb other, and then crest
heavily.

S. V. undulatum (wavy). Intermediate between normal
and cris'pum.

S. V. undulato-rigidum (rigidly wavy). Stiff-growing, fertile
form of crispum. Spores yield a proportion of crispum
fimbriatum.

S. V. undulato-supralineatum (wavy, lined above), Jones.
A superior form of supralineatum with wavy margins.

S. V. unguiceps (claw-crested). A curious, narrow form,
dividing into a sort of claw-like crest.

CHAPTER XVII.

THE W00D8IAS

(W. ilvensis and W. hyperborea).

E bracket these two species together for several
reasons. In the first place, though very pretty
little Ferns, they are too rare to figure much
in popular collections; and in the second, they
have afforded no varieties. They resemble each
other closely, W. hyperborea, the smaller of
the two (see Fig. 31),

bearing fronds about
4in. high, provided
with pinnsD of an oval outline,
their edges cut into a few rounded
lobes. They are covered with short
hairs. The fructification is pecu-
liar, the spore-cases, in roundish
patches, being partially covered, or,
rather, fenced in, with numerous
long, narrow scales, curved inwards,
and interlacing in the early stages.
It is also peculiar in the fronds
having a joint near the base, at
which point they drop off when the
autumn comes. The plants grow
in pretty little tufts, and are only
found in high mountain regions, in
the clefts and crevices of damp
rocks. Cultivation accordingly.
Deciduous.

Fig. si.— Woodsia hyperborea.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE FILMY FERNS.

these beautifully delicate forms of vegetable
life the families all over the world are com-
paratively few, though the species are fairly
numerous. In Britain we have three species,
representing two families — viz., Hymenophyllum
tunhridgense and H. unilaterale, commonly called
the Tunbridge Filmy Fern and the one-sided
Filmy Fern, and Trichomanes radicans, or the
Killarney Fern, frequently called also the Bristle
Fern — of which we will give a short description under each
heading, referring our readers to Chapter YI., in our first
section, for remarks regarding their cultivation.

The Tunbridge Filmy Fern

(Hymenophyllum tunhridgense).

This very delicate and charming little Fern is admirably
illustrated in Fig. 32, and hence we need not describe its
form. In colour it is a very dark, semi-transparent green,
and when well grown it forms a dense mat, the tiny, hair- like,
creeping roots interlacing thickly with each other, and throwing
up an immense number of fronds. This species, like all its
relations, only thrives within the humid influences of running
water, and is at home within reach of the spray of mountain
cascades, where it may be found lining the crevices of the
rocks, and forming a lovely tapestry upon their surfaces. It

146

THE FERN FAMILIES OP BRITAIN.

received its name throngli being found at one time at Tun-
bridge, in Kent, to wbich place, however, it is by no means
confined, though unscrupulous Fern-hunters have rendered it
tolerably scarce in many of its former haunts. It is precisely
one of those Ferns that a true lover of Nature should gloat
over in situ and leave alone, unless he is sure he can grow
it. Mr. Shirley Hibberd mentions that he once saw a square

Fig. 32. — The Tunbridge Filmy Fern {Hymenophyllum tunbridgense).

yard of this beautiful plant, dried and rolled up, figuring in
a lady’s collection of souvenirs of her travels. This item
should have figured in our chapter on Fern Foes, but it fits
here equally well. The spore-capsules of this Fern are borne
in comparatively large, urn-shaped receptacles, on the edges
of the tiny fronds. No varieties have been found as yet.

The One-sided Filmy Fern

{Hymenophyllum unilaterale).

The difference between this Fern and the last is indicated
clearly enough by Fig. 33, which also shows the very

THE FILMY FERNS.

147

peculiar spore-vessel of this species, and its place of attach-
ment. It frequents precisely the same haunts as the Tunbridge

Fig. 33.— The One-sided Filmy Fern {Hymenophyllum unilaterale), showing
Habit, and detached Pinna with Involucre.

Fern, but is, perhaps, a trifle more common. The fronds are
not unfrequently forked, but no symmetrical variety has yet
been found.

The Killarney Fern

{Trichomanes radicans).

This is, undoubtedly, the king of the Filmy Ferns of Britain,
and, in point of fact, can claim a foremost place amongst
those of the world generally, rivalling the best in bold growth
and delicate beauty. The fronds, which are roughly triangular
in shape, grow, under favourable conditions, to over 1ft. in length,
of which from a third to one-half will constitute the stalk;
they are beautifully divided, the pinnulets being deeply cut.
The colour is a delicate green, and the texture tough, though the

L 2

148

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

translucent appearance misleads the eye in this respect. The
root is a creeping one, and, when once the plant is established,
speedily makes its way about and produces fronds freely,
though these very slowly acquire full development. Under
congenial circumstances they remain green for years.

Killarney is by no means the only home of this Fern, as,
besides having a wide geographical range outside Britain, it
has been found in many other places in Ireland, also in Wales;
and one reliable record exists of a Yorkshire find. Naturally,
a Fern constituted like this can only exist in an atmosphere
saturated with moisture ; hence its home is by the side of,
or, it may be, behind, the plashing cascade, wherever the wind
is warded oif by the friendly water — to say nothing of the
too inquisitive, and, alas ! too acquisitive, Fernist (a distinct
species from the Fern-Zorer).

The fructification consists of deep, cup-shaped receptacles,
sunk in the edges of the pinnae, the spore-capsules being
attached to a long bristle in its centre, which projects more
or less from the said receptacle ; whence the name Bristle
Fern, commonly applied to this species, and also its botanical
name of Tricliomanes.

For cultivation, see Chapter YI., first section.

This Fern has sported freely, considering its rarity. The
most marked varieties are :

T. r. Andrewsii (Andrews’). Fronds narrower, and pinnas
more distant. Wild find.

T. r. crispum (crisped). A curled, crispy form, very pecu-
liar, branching sometimes irregularly.

T. r. dilatatum (dilated). Fronds much less divided.

T. r. dissectum (dissected). Fronds much finer cut than
the normal.

T. r. prolifermn (proliferous). A form bearing bulbils.

APPENDIX.

ON THE NEWLY-DISCOUERED PHENOJVIENON OF
APOSPORY IN FERNS.

[Reprinted, by permission, from the Linnean Society's
Journal — Botany, vol. xxi.]

Observations on a Singular Mode of Development in the Lady-
Fern {Athyrium Filix-fcemina). By Charles T-
Druery. Communicated by Dr. J. Murie,

F.L.S.

[Read 19th June, 1884.]

[he reproduction of the Filices by their spores
results from sexual action taking place upon
the under surface of the prothallus to which
the spore gives rise. So far, I believe, no
development of the perfect prothallus has been
observed without the agency of the spore,
and the following record of such a case there-
fore deserves special notice.

Some years ago, a very distinct and beautiful form of
Athyrium Filix-fcemina was found wild by Mr. Moule, in North
Devon, from whose possession it passed into that of Col. Jones,
of Clifton. Many attempts were made at the time to propagate

150

THE PERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

it from wliat were assumed to be spores, always, however,
without success; and at length it was taken for granted that
the peculiar growths produced by this Fern in the place of
sori were merely abortive spore-cases, and that the plants,
like some other abnormal forms, lacked the special vigour
necessary for the formation of perfect reproductive spores.
All further attempts at raising it were consequently abandoned;
and only two divisions of the plant exist.* In the autumn
of 1883 I discovered upon another Athyrium {A. F.-f., var,
plumosum divaricatum), numerous proliferous bulbils, occupying
the place of sori on the back of the fronds, and, re-
porting this to Mr. Gr. B. Wollaston, he was led to re-examine
A. F.-f. Clarissima — as the Fern in question had been named
by Col. Jones — and came to the conclusion that these so far
barren excrescences might be viviparous growths of a kindred
nature, and capable of reproducing the parent form by direct
bud-development. A portion of a frond was consequently sent
to me, and upon examining it under the microscope, I found
that there were very material structural differences between
the unmistakable bulbils of A. F.-f. divaricatum and the
singular growths upon A. F.-f. Clarissima, the former being
solitary, bud-like growths, seated in the centre of a number
of brown, lanceolate scales, and without a trace of indusium;
while the latter were composed of five or six or more flask-
shaped bodies, each one larger than the bulbils aforesaid,
and seated within an undoubted indusium. The masses were
sufficiently large for their formation to be clearly distinguish-
able by the naked eye, covering more than the space of an
ordinary sorus. At this stage no signs of spores or spore-
cases could be detected, nor could any axis of growth be
perceived ; so that it was impossible to form any theory as
to the eventual mode of reproduction which might result ;
for although the tips of the flask-shaped pseudo-bulbils were
in some cases elongated into filiform processes, no sign of

* It is, of course, open to question whether the excrescences formed prior to
1883 were of exactly the same nature. Col. Jones inclines to the belief that they
approached more nearly the character of sori, and did not in previous years present
the same appearance as now described.

APOSPORY IN FERNS.

151

circination or resemblance to fronds was visible; added to
which, the presence of an indusium, in the place of the scales
common to true bulbils, led to the assumption that they
were abnormal sporoid growths, and not proliferous ones, likely
to produce plants by direct bud-growth.

To test their capabilities I laid down, on Nov. 27, in a
duly prepared seed-pan, numerous pinnae, which I embedded
edgewise, halfway in the soil, the growths being thus brought
into immediate contact with it, lying as they did along the
rhachides of the pinnae. I then placed the pan in slight
heat, with the result that the pseudo-bulbils immediately
began to increase in size, and to develop in such a fashion
that on Dec. 24 I was able to record an evident foliaceous
extension and division of the tips of the pseudo-bulbils, and
the appearance of numerous long, rigid, glassy-looking rods
or hairs, which sprang from their bases. These rods bore a
strong resemblance to the root-hairs common to the under-
sides of prothalli ; but their decided upward growth, radiating
stiffly, seemed opposed to this view, as also the fact that
they sprang from the bases and sides of the pseudo-bulbils.
It is probable, however, that they acted as aerial roots, for
the growth of the tips of the pseudo-bulbils proceeded rapidly,
until, on Feb. 10 of the present year, I recorded that they
had assumed a decided prothalloid form, while the upright
rods had either become deflected or absorbed. Eventually,
all the tips of the flask-shaped bulbils assumed the form
of perfect prothalli of the usual size and shape, the pseudo-
bulbils themselves being absorbed and disappearing, and the
usual root-hairs developing under the prothalli. On March 17
several of these prothalli were examined microscopically, both
by myself and by the Rev. Mr. Aubrey, of Salisbury (to
whom I am indebted for aid in observing the flnal stages of
growth), and well-developed archegonia were found in the
usual place and number, but so far neither of us was able
to detect antheridia. Early in May, however, I succeeded in
finding a single antheridium; and it is manifest that many
others must have been present on the prothalli not examined,
as on May 21 the final stage was reached, small fronds

152

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

being visible in several cases, projecting from the bifurcation
of the prothallus, and evidently, therefore, produced from
the archegonia by the ordinary sexual mode of reproduction;
though the prothalli, as has been shown, had developed from
growths that differed widely from spores in their form, their
size, persistent adherence to the pinnae, their production of
root-hairs from their surface, and, finally, in the development
of the prothallus from their apices by simple extension of
growth.

Lest it might be assumed that these prothalli may after all
have resulted from true spores scattered amongst the ex-
crescences described, it should be borne in mind — first, that
no spores or spore-cases could be distinguished when the pinnae
were laid down ; secondly, that all attempts to raise this Fern
from spores have failed; and finally, that the entire develop-
ment of the prothallus from the pointed tip of the pear-shaped
pseudo-bulb — its dilatation, bifurcation, and gradual assumption
of the true prothallus form — has been carefully watched and
noted step by step, not merely in one case, but in many, in
all of which the prothallus was evolved precisely in the same
way.

Where, as in this case, the whole phenomenon is new to
the observer, many points of interest are apt to be overlooked,
their importance being unknown until too late. Another
season’s growth may therefore confidently be expected to
throw more light upon this development, and especially in
relation to the first appearance of the pseudo-bulbils them-
selves, which only came under close observation when already
of considerable size.

In framing this account of the occurrence, I have confined
myself as strictly as possible to a simple, and I hope clear,
record, of the phenomena observed during the various stages
of growth of the abnormal sporoid excrescences under obser-
vation. In conclusion, however, I may be permitted to point
out, in connection with such phenomena, that, so far as formal
records are concerned, the family of Athyria has hitherto
been remarkable for the non-proliferous character of the fronds,
which, considering, first, its near relation to the Asplenia, so

APOSPORY IN FERNS.

153

many of which are profusely proliferous, and, secondly, the
protean nature of the family itself, is a singular fact. The
discovery, however, of numerous proliferous buds which appeared
upon some very small plants which I exhibited here in 1882,
led me to institute further inquiries into this subject. I then
ascertained that Mr. Mapplebeck had already observed the
same phenomenon, and raised plants from similar bulbils, which
appeared identical in position and character with those of the
Asplenia. Last year, as already remarked, I found another
and very distinct form of proliferation on a mature plant of
A. F.-f. plumosum divaricatum, upon which numerous bulbils
were evolved in the place of the sori, this, be it observed,
being on the under side of the pinnae, a most unlikely place
for such growths. This same transformation of the repro-
ductive energy had already been observed on three other
kindred forms of Athyrium, upon one of which the bulbils
and sori were scattered almost indiscriminately over the back
of the fronds, some of the sori seeming to be in an inter-
mediate amorphous condition; though in all other cases, so
far as I could see, the sori and bulbils were distinctly diffe-
rentiated by the presence, in the former case of an indusium,
and in the latter of lanceolate scales arranged shuttlecock
fashion around the bulbil, no trace of indusium existing.
Such bulbils had, until this season, failed invariably to yield
plants, and seemed incapable of forming a proper axis of
growth. Mr. G. B. Wollaston has, however, succeeded in
obtaining plants this spring from A. F.-f. plumosum elegans,
and one or two of those from A. F.-f. plumosum divaricatum
have developed fresh fronds with me.

From this it will be seen that no less than three distinct
forms of proliferation have now been observed on the Athyria :

1. Bulbils of the ordinary character, developed in the axils
and on the superior surface of the pinnae, and agreeing in
character with the ordinary bulbils of the Asplenia.

2. Bulbils formed apparently by transmuted spore-producing
energy, and occupying the place of sori, i.e., on the under side
of the pinnae — a position so far, I believe, quite unrecorded
in connection with any of the Filices.

154

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

3. A new form of proliferation altogether, viz., proliferous
prothalli arising from pseudo-bulbils produced by a different
transmutation of the reproductive force, and evolving plants
only after the prothalli have produced the usual sexual organs
common to prothalli resulting from spores.

Further Notes on a Singular Mode of Reproduction in Athyrium
Filix-foemina, var. Clarissima. By Charles T. Druert.
Communicated by Dr. J. Murie, F.L.S.

[Read 20th November, 1884.]

At a meeting of the Linnean Society in June last I had the
honour of bringing before your notice a record of certain
phenomena which I had observed during the past winter in
connection with the reproduction of a form of Athyrium Filix-
foemina through prothalli, which were not produced from

A B

Fig. 34.

A — Pyriform Pseudo-bulbils or Abnormal Sporoid Growths of 1883, enlarged.

B— a, Clavate Abnormal Sporoid Growths of 1884 ; b, Ragged Indusium.

spores, but from certain excrescences evolved in their stead
upon the under surface of the pinnae. The Athyrium in
question, which was found wild in Devon, had been for
many years reputed barren, the fructification, which appeared
copiously, yielding no perfect spores, the result being that
after a long period only two plants existed, the original
plant having permitted but one division. In 1883, one of
these plants, which had been grown under cover, was observed
to produce upon the inferior surface of the pinnaB a large

APOSPORy IN FERNS.

155

number of curious excrescences, consisting of pear-shaped,
bulbilloid growths, attached firmly to the frond by their
thicker extremities, and seated in every case within indusia,
thus occupying the place of sporangia, to which, however,
they bore no resemblance whatever. Mr. G. B. Wollaston,
whose attention was drawn to them by the previous discovery
of bulbils proper upon other Athyria in the same year, which
bulbils* also occupied the place of sori, was of opinion that
they were also bulbils. However, on comparing them with
the bulbils produced on these other Athyria, I was struck
by the fact that, while in the other cases the bulbils were
seated in the centre of scales arranged shuttlecock fashion
around them, in this case indusia were present instead, which
led me to look upon them as sporoid growths of a character
essentially di:fierent from the bulbils common to many Ferns.
I consequently laid down a number of pinnae, with the result
that 1 read before you in June, viz., the production of perfect
prothalli by the bifurcation of the points of the pear-shaped
pseudo-bulbils, which prothalli eventually developed archegonia
and antheridia, and finally yielded plants of the same type
as the parent.

At the meeting in June I could do no more than lay the
consecutive record of my observations before you, since all
traces of the preliminary stages had vanished when the young
plants appeared, and these were then too diminutive for their
character to be determined; they also afforded no evidence
whatever that they had originated in other than the usual
way, viz., from spores, and I consequently did not exhibit them.

To-night, however, I have pleasure in exhibiting some of
the plants produced as I have described. I had hoped, too,
to be able to bring pinnae bearing pseudo-bulbils as described
and sketched by me last year; but owing, partly, I believe,
to the long, dry summer, and partly to the fact that the
parent plant (which is not under my control) was placed out
of doors for a time, I am only able to produce pinnae
showing the fructification in a very immature state — not so
immature, however, but that they afford ample evidence of
abnormality.

156

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

To anyone accustomed to deal witli Athyrium Filix-foemina,
the first glance will strike one with surprise at the presence
of fresh, green, unripe fructification with, in most cases, unlifted
indusia, upon a deciduous Fern in November, months after the
time when sporangia proper have ripened and scattered their
spores, and when the indusia are usually in a ruinous and
fragmentary state. Here and there the indusia on the pinnae
exhibited will be seen to be lifted and to partially disclose
a number of curious, club-shaped and occasionally serpentine,
cellular masses which, though very different from the swollen,
pear-shaped bodies of last year, differ as widely from embryo
sori, showing no signs whatever of annulation or of the
symmetry which would characterise immature sporangia when
sufficiently advanced to protrude from the indusium. While,
however, the pear-shaped pseudo-bulbils are conspicuous by
their absence, it will be seen that some of the club-shaped
excrescences are larger than others. From their general
appearance, I believe that, given a more favourable season,
some few would assume predominance, and form the pear-
shaped pseudo-bulbils at the expense of the weaker growths,
which would abort, as in many analogous cases. I incline
the more strongly to this opinion, as among the bases of the
pear-shaped bodies produced last year there were numerous
thin, thready, and shapeless growths, exactly such as would
be likely to originate in such a way.

My present object being to confirm as far as possible the
data I gave in June, I would call your attention — first, to the
existence of the young plants upon the table, raised as
described ; and, secondly, to the manifestly non-soriferous
form of fructification borne by the parent plant, an ex-
amination of which will, I think, go far to convince you
that its offspring are engendered neither through spores
nor by bulbils, but by some other mode of reproduction —
a mode which, from constant and careful watching through
all its stages, I believe to be one so far unrecorded in
connection with any other Fern — viz., through prothalli pro-
duced, not from spores, but by direct bud-growth from the
parent frond.

APOSPOEY IN FERNS.

157

On Apospory in Ferns (with special reference to Mr. Charles T.

Druery’s Observations). By F. O. Bower, M.A., F.L.S.

(Extract).

[Read 18th December, 1884.]

Mr. C. T. Drueey has already drawn the attention of the
Society, in two successive papers, to Athyrium Filix-fcemina,
var. Clarissima, ascribing to that plant a mode of transition
from the sporophore generation (or Fern-plant), to the oophore
(or prothallus), without the intervention of spores. He has
pursued the subject with success, as far as it is possible with-
out subjecting the matter to a detailed microscopical investiga-
tion. We are indebted to this observer, not only for the
communications already received from him, but also for his
generosity in supplying to the Royal Gardens at Kew material
fitted for the more detailed microscopical analysis of the pro-
cess. Without further recapitulation of Mr. Druery’s results,
I may at once proceed briefly to describe the observations
which I have made on the cultures now in progress at Kew.
Many minute details will be deferred for the present, till the
investigation is completed ; the chief results are, however, of
such importance as to justify a preliminary notice of them.

The sori in Athyrium Filix-foemina, var. Clarissima, appear
in the normal position with a normal indusium. In the con-
dition in which the specimens were when first I received
them (Kov. 29), the large majority of the sporangia presented
an abnormal appearance. Some few appeared of nearly normal
structure, with an annulus, but were arrested at a point of
development before the formation of the spores; others, and
indeed the majority of them, showed more or less distinctly
the central archespore, together with the cells which would
normally form the wall of the sporangium; but there the
normal development seemed to have been suddenly arrested
— the archespore had not in these cases divided further to
form either the tapetum or the mother-cells of the spores. The
arrest of development of the archespore is, however, compensated
in these cases by the more active vegetative development of
the stalk of the sporangium and of the superficial cells of

158

THE FERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

the head, the result being that the arrested sporangium
ultimately appears as a club-shaped body of larger size than
the normal sporangium. The individual cells also are of
larger size ; they contain numerous chlorophyll granules, which,
if present at all in normal sporangia, are relatively few in
number. Further, the more rudimentary the head of the
sporangium is, the more marked is the vegetative develop-
ment of the remaining parts.

If pinnules showing the above characters be subjected to
favourable conditions of heat and moisture, the vegetative
development of the sporangia may proceed at once. On pin-
nules laid on damp soil, and forced quickly in the propagating-
pits at Kew, the earlier stages of this further development
have been traced. The details show great irregularity ; and
they are found to correspond to the greater or less complete-
ness of arrest in the normal development of the sporangium.
Thus, sporangia which show a clearly marked annulus do not
usually assume any further vegetative activity ; those, how-
ever, which are aiTested at an earlier stage in their normal
development may produce, by a purely vegetative process,
outgrowths of very irregular form. Sometimes all the super-
ficial cells of the club-shaped body may take part in the pro-
cess, and this is most clearly seen where the arrest of the
normal development is most complete. In other cases the
head of the arrested sporangium may be thrown off, while
the stalk continues its vegetative growth. The result is in
either case the formation of flattened structures, consisting
only of parenchymatous, chlorophyll- containing cells, which,
sooner or later, show at one or more points on their margins
that growth with a wedge-shaped, apical cell, which is well
known as characteristic of the Fern prothallus ; root-hairs
are at the same time formed by the outgrowth of individual
cells. None of my cultures have as yet formed sexual organs :
this we must wait for; but meanwhile it may be remarked
that Mr. Druery’s observations during the last two years
show that, in the cases observed by him, sexual organs were
formed, and young Fern-plants were produced by them. In
any case, however, the above observations show that in the

APOSPORY IN PERNS.

159

Fern in question there is a transition from the sporophore
generation to a structure of a prothalloid nature, without the
intervention of spores, and that it is formed, by a process of
purely vegetative growth, from more or less reduced sporangia.
Finally, it may be stated that my observations do not exclude
the possibility of a formation of such structures by a vege-
tative outgrowth of the base of the sorus itself; whether this
actually occurs must be decided by further investigation.*

Through Mr. Druery I have Mr. G. B. Wollaston’s per-
mission to mention a still more interesting example of apo-
spory, of which the latter gentleman is the discoverer, viz.,
Polysticlium angulare, var. pulcJierrimum. Here flattened
organs, of undoubted prothalloid nature, are formed by simple
vegetative outgrowth of the tips of the pinnules, and without
any connection with sori or sporangia. At first the tip of the
pinnule merely extends, so as to form a flattened expansion
one layer of cells in thickness, and with a very irregular
margin; while the whole tip curves downwards, and often
forms a spiral coil of one or one and a half turns, closely
covered above by the more expanded portion of the pinnule.
In other cases the outgrowth may assume very irregular forms.
Ultimately the characteristic marginal growth begins at some
point, sometimes terminal, but more frequently lateral. The
details of this development have not yet been fully investi-
gated. The result, however, is the formation of a flattened,
often heart-shaped, expansion, with a thickened cushion similar
in structure to that found in normal prothalli ; it bears
antheridia and archegonia of normal structure ; sometimes, as
occurs also in ordinary prothalli, they are found both on the
lower and upper surfaces. A point worthy of note is that in
those prothalloid structures which are taken directly from
living leaves in the normal position, without further culti-
vation, the antheridia and archegonia have not opened; no
doubt this is due to the want of water, which, as is well
known, is necessary for this process. I have not yet been

* Since the above was written the cultures at Kew have progressed, so that
prothalli bearing archegonia and antheridia may be seen, still connected at
their bases with the pinnule of the parent plant.— Feb. 11, 1885.

160

THE PERN FAMILIES OF BRITAIN.

able to observe tbe formation of young Fern-plants on these
protballi; but it may be hoped that from cultures now in
progress at Kew and elsewhere further evidence may be
obtained on this point.

This Polystichum is thus an example of the formation of an
expansion of undoubted prothalloid nature, bearing sexual
organs by a process of purely vegetative outgrowth from the
Fern-plant — that is, there is a transition in this case from
the sporophore generation to the oophore by a vegetative
growth, and without any connection either with spores or,
indeed, with sporangia or sori. It may be regarded as a still
more complete example of apospory than that of Athyrium
Filix-foemina, var. Clarissima.

INDEX.

Adderstongue (Ophioglossum vul-
gatum), 9, 98

Adiantum Capillus- Veneris, 28,
32, 71

C.-V. cornubiense, 71
C.-V. daphnites, 72
C.-V. magnificnm, 72
C.-V. plumosnm, 72
cnneatum, 71
Allosoras crispns, 28, 73
crispns cristata, 73
Aniline dyes, 8
Antberidia, 38
Antherozoids, 38
Antiquity of Fern family, 7
Apogamy, 40

Apospory, 33, 40, 130, 149
Archegonia, 37

Asplenia, the (Plate II.), 28, 29, 76
Aspleninm Adiantum-nigrum, 77
A.-n. caudifolium, 78
A.-n. cristatum, 78
A.-n. grandieeps, 78
A.-n. microdon, 78
(Athyrinm) Filix-foemina, 85
Ceterach (Ceterach officina-
rum), 28, 29, 84
fontanum, 82
f. refractum, 82
germanicnm, 83
lanceolatum, 78
1. eristatnm, 78

l. microdon, 78
marinum, 28, 78

m. capitatnm, 78

Aspleninm marinnm imbricatum,
78

m. plnmosum, 78
m. ramosum, 78
Euta-mnraria, 83
septentrionale, 83
Trichomanes, 79
T. confluens, 79
T. cristatum, 80
T. incisum, 80
T. Mouleii, 81
T. ramo- cristatum, 81
viride, 81

V., McLean’s find, 82
Athyrinm Filix-foemina (Plate II).,
20, 21, 28, 30, 85; buds
on, 32, 89, 150
F.-f. acrocladon, 20, 86
F.-f. acr. densum, 86
F.-f. acr. laciniato-acrocladon,
86

F.-f. acr. magnicapitatum, 86
F.-f. acr. ramosissimnm fim-
briatum, 86

F.-f. acr. nnco-glomeratum, 86
F.-f. acr. velutinnm, 86
F.-f. alpestre, 85
F.-f. Applebyanum, 88
F.-f. Clarissima, 87, 150
F.-f. congestum, 87
F.-f. cong. cristatum, 87
F.-f. cong. minus, 87
F.-f. corymbiferum, 87
F.-f. crispum, 87
F.-f. cristatum, 87
F.-f. Edwardsii, 87
F.-f. Elworthii, 87

162

INDEX.

Athyrium F.-f. Fieldias, 87
F.-f. Findlayanmn, 87
F.-f. Frizellise, 88
F.-f. Friz, cristatum, 88
F.-f. Friz, ramosissimum, 88
F.-f. Friz, ramosiim, 88
F.-f. Girdlestoneii, 88
F.-f. glomeratum, 88
F.-f. Grantise, 87
F.-f. Kalothrix, 88
F.-f. orbiculare, 89
F.-f. percristatum, 89
F.-f. plum., Axminster, 21,
89

F.-f. plum., Barnes, 90
F.-f. plum, cristatum su-
perbum, 21, 90

F.-f. plum, elegans, 21, 89,
153

F.-f. plum, divaricatum, 90,
153

F.-f. plum., Horsfall, 89
F.-f. plum, multifidum, 90
F.-f. pulcberrimum, 90
F.-f. ramulosissima, 90
F.-f. reflexum, 90
F.-f. regale, 90
F.-f. setigerum, 90
F.-f. set. cristatum, 90
F.-f. splendens, 91
F.-f. Vernonige, 91
F.-f. Vern. corymbiferum, 91
F.-f. Vern. cristatum, 91
F.-f. Victorise, 20, 35, 91
F.-f. Viet, gracile, 91
F.-f. Viet, magnificum, 91

Beech Fern (Polypodium Phegop-
teris), 28, 29, 118
Bell-glasses, 59

Bladder Fern (Cystopteris), 32,
100

Fern, Alpine (C. regia), 101
Fern, brittle (C. fragilis), 100
Fern, mountain (C. montana),
101

Blecbnum Spicant (Plate III.), 20,
25, 28, 29, 30, 93
S. Aitkenianum, 94
S. cladopborum, 94
S. concinnum, 94
S. congestum, 94
S. contractum, 94
S. crispissimum, 94
S. cristatum, Kinahan, 95
S. crist., Stansfield, 95
S. glomeratum, 95
S. imbricatum, 95
S. lineare, Barnes, 95
S. Maunderii, 95
S. multifurcatum, 97
S. paradoxum, 95
S. polydactylum, 95
S. ramo-crist., Druery, 96
S. ramo-cr^st., Maunder, 95
S. ramosum, 95
S. serratum, Airey, No. 1, 97
S. serratum, Airey, No. 2, 97
S. sub-plumosum, 97
S. trinervium coronans, 96, 97
S. trinervium, Hodgson, 97
S. trinervium, Phillips, 97
Botrychium lunaria, 9, 98
Bower, Prof. F. O., on Apospory,
157

Bracken (Pteris aquilina), 9, 11, 12,
13, 132

Bristle Fern (Trichomanes radi-
cans), 58, 147

Buckler Ferns (Lastrea), (Plate IV.),
9, 104

Ferns, Broad (L. dilatata),
105

Ferns, Common (L. Filix-mas),
107

Ferns, Hay-scented (L. aemula),
105

Ferns, Lemon-scented (L. mon-
tana), 110

Ferns, Marsh (L. Thely pteris),
112

Ferns, Mountain (L. montana),
110

Ferns, Eigid (L. rigida), 112
Buds and bulbils, 23, 31, 32
Bud sports, 20

INDEX.

163

Camptosorus rhizophyllus, 14

Caterpillars, 62

Caudate forms, 24

Ceterach officinarum, 28, 29, 84

Coal Exchange, fossil Ferns at, 7

Coal, origin of, 7

Congestion, 23

Cool treatment, need for, 61

Cork baskets, &c., 45

Cormite forms, 24

Cristation, 22

Cryptogramme crispa, 28, 73
Culture, 27
Cystopteris, 32, 100
alpina, 101
fragilis, 100
f. Dickieana, 101
f. Dick, crispa, 101
f. sempervirens, 101
f. semp. cristata, 101
montana, 101
regia, 101

Depauperation, 24
Division, Fern mode of, 31
Drainage, 27
Dwarf forms, 23

Economic value of Ferns, 8
Evolution in Ferns (Plate I.), 21,
90

Ferneries, 56

in windows, 57, 60
Fern foes, 61

hunting, 7, 10
pots, pans, &c., 45

Fern wall-tiles. Booty’s, 51
Ferns, antiquity of, 7
deciduous, 29

distinctive characters of, 9,
36

economic value, 8
evergreen, 29
fecundity of, 13, 35
filmy, 32, 58, 59, 145
fossil, 7

inconstancy in, 20, 22, 96
in sunny gardens, 53
vitality of, 15
Flower-pots, Scotch, 54
Fossil Ferns, 7
Fumigation, 65

Green-fly, 64
Grubs, 62

Gymnogramma leptophylla, 102
Gymnogram, small-leaved (G. lep-
tophylla), 102

Habitats, congenial, 8
Hard Fern (Blechnum Spicant),
(Plate III.), 20, 25, 28,
29, 30, 93

Hartstongue (Scolopendrium vul-
gare), (Plate VIL), 9, 13,
14, 20, 24, 25, 28, 29,
42, 135

Holly Fern (Polystichum Lonchi-
tis), 125
Hybridisation, 43
Hymenophyllum tunbridgense, 58,
59, 145

unilaterale, 58, 59, 146

Inconstancy in Ferns, 20, 22, 96
Indusium, 71

164

INDEX.

Kew, collection at, 3
Killarney Fern (Trichomanes radi-
cans), 58, 147

Lady Fern (Athyrium Filix-
foemina) (Plate II.), 20,
21, 28, 30, 85; buds on,
32, 89, 150

Lastreas (Plate IV.), 9, 104

Lastrea semula, 105

semula cristata, 105
dilatata, 105
d. alpina plumosa, 106
d. crispata cristata, 106
d. cristata gracilis, 106
d. foliosa- cristata, 106
d. foliosa-digitata, 106
d. grandiceps, 106
d. Howardii, 106
d. lepidota, 106
d. polydactyla, 106
Filix-mas, 12, 107, 109
F.-m. Barnesii, 109
F.-m. Bollandiae, 109
F.-m. cristata, 110
F.-m. fluctuosa, 110
F.-m. grandiceps. Berry, 110
F.-m. grandiceps, Sim, 110
F.-m. grandiceps, Wills, 110
F.-m. linearis, 110
montana, 29, 110
m. Barnesii, 111
m. congesta. 111
m. coronans. 111
m. cristata. 111
m. grandiceps. 111
m. Nowelliana, 111
m. plumosa, 112
m. ramo-coronans, 112
propinqua, 107, 110
p. crispata incisa, 110
p. cristata, 110
p. grandiceps, 110
pseudo-mas, 29, 107

Lastrea pseudo-mas crispa, 108
p.-m. crispa cristata, 108
p.-m. crispa cristata angus-
tata, 108

p.-m. crispa gracilis, 108
p.-m. cristata, 31, 40, 107
p.-m. crist. angustata, 108
p.-m. polydactyla, Dadds, 108
p.-m. polydactyla, Mapplebeck,
108

p.-m. polydactyla. Wills, 108
p.-m. ramo- cristata, Fitt, 109
p.-m. ramulosissima, 25, 109
p.-m. revolvens, 109
p.-m. Schofieldii, 109
oreopteris (L. montana), 29,

recurva (L. aemula), 105
rigida, 112
Thelypteris, 28, 112
Lemon-scented Fern (Lastrea mon-
tana), 29, 110
Light, necessity of, 64
Lomaria Spicant (Blechnum Spi-
cant), 93

Lowe’s, E. J., “ Our Native Ferns,”
2

Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum Capil-
lus-Veneris), 28, 32, 71
Male Fern, Hard (Lastrea pseudo-
mas), 107

Fern, Intermediate (L. pro-
pinqua), 110

Fern, Soft (Filix-mas), 109
Marginate forms, 24
Marsh Fern (Lastrea Thelypteris),
28, 112

Moonwort (Botrychium Lunaria),
9, 98

Nature Prints, Col. Jones’s, 4
Prints, Moore’s, 2
Nephrodium (Lastrea) (Plate IV.),
9, 104

INDEX.

165

Oak Fern (Polypodium Dry op -
teris), 28, 29, 117
Opkioglossum vulgatum, 9, 98
Osmunda regalis, 40, 113
regalis cristata, 114
r. ramo-cristata, 114

Parsley Fern (Allosorus crispus),
28, 73

Plumation, 23
Polypodium calcareum, 118
Dryopteris, 28, 29, 117
Phegopteris, 28, 29, 118
P. multifidum, 119
Eobertianum (P, calcareum),
118

vulgare (Plate V.), 9, 11, 25,
28, 29, 32, 35, 119
V. bifido-cristatum, 44, 120
V. cambricum, 20, 120
V. camb. Prestonii, 120
V. Clapbamii, 44, 121
V. cornubiense, 120
V. cristatum, 121
V. crist., Forster, 121
V. crist., Scarboro’, 121
V. elegantissimum, 44, 120
V. Fowlerii, 120
V. glomeratum, 122
V. grandiceps, 122
V. grandiceps, Parker, 122
V. multifido-cristatum, 122
V. omnilacerum, 122
V. parvissimum, 122
V. plumosum, Hadwin, 122
V. pulcherrimum, 122
V. ramosum, Hillman, 122
V. trichomanoides, 120
Polypody, Common (Polypodium
vulgare) (Plate V.), 9, 11,
25, 28, 29, 32, 35, 119
Limestone (P. calcareum), 118
Polystichums (Plate VI.), 9, 22,
25, 28, 29, 124

Polysticbum aculeatum, 125
ac. acrocladon, 126
ac. acutilobum, 126
ac. corymbiferum, 126
ac. cristato-gracile, 126
ac. pulcberrimum, 126
angulare, 126
ang. acrocladon, 127
ang. attenuato-cristatum, 127
ang. bracbiato-crist., Keall,
127

ang. brachiato- cristatum, W ills
and Gray, 127
ang. capitatum, 128
ang. congestum, 128
ang. crispato-foliosum, 128
ang. cristato-gracile, 128
ang. cristatum, Wollaston, 128
ang. cruciatum, 128
ang. divisilobum cristatum,
Ivery, 128

ang. div. densum, 129
ang. div. laxum, 128
ang. div. plumosum densum,
Jones, 128

ang. div. robustum, 128
ang. div. stipulatum, 129
ang. grandiceps, J. Jones, 129
ang. grandiceps, Moly, 129
ang. grandiceps, Talbot, 129
ang. Lyellii, 129
ang. multilobum densum, Car-
bonell, 129

ang. parvissimum, 129
ang. Pateyii, 129
ang. pendens, Wills, 130
ang. perserratum, Patey, 130
ang. plumosum, Patey, 129
ang. plum., Wollaston, 129
ang. polydactylum, 130
ang. polyd. grande, 130
ang. polyd. splendens, 130
ang. proliferum, Allchinii, 130
ang. prol. Craufordianum, 130
ang. prol. densum, 130
ang. prol. Henleyse, 130
ang. prol. Lyellii, 130
ang. prol. Wollastonii, 130
ang. pulcherrimum, Moly, 130
ang. pulch., Padley, 130, 159

166

INDEX.

Polystichnm angulare pulch.,
Thompson, 130

ang. pulch. variegatum, Moly,
130

ang. pulch., Wills, 130
ang. ramo-furcillatum, 131
' ang. revolvens, 131
ang. rotundatum, 131
ang. Thompsonise, 131
ang. tripinnatum, 131
Lonchitis, 125
L. cristatum, 125
Pot-culture, 30
Proliferation, 25, 31, 32, 150
Propagation, 31
Prothallus, 37

division of, 39
Pseudo-bulbils, 154
Pteris aquilina, 9, 11, 12, 13, 132
aq. congesta, 133
aq. crispa, 133
aq. cristata, 133
aq. glomerata, 133
aq. grandiceps, 133
aq. integerrima, 132
aq. polydactyla, 133
aq. ramo-cristata, 133
aq. vera, 132

Eed spider, 64
Eeplanting, 29
Eepotting, 29
Ee volute forms, 24
Eockwork, 51
Eogues, 12

Eoyal Fern (Osmunda regalis), 40,
113

Saccharine, 8

Scolopendrium vulgare (Plate VII.),
9, 13, 14, 20, 24, 25, 28,
29, 42, 135 ; buds on, 32

Scolopendrium vulgare Baxterii,
137

V. bimarginato-cordatum, 136
V. capitatum, 137
V. capit., Forsteri, 137
V. cervi-cornu, 137
V. conglomeratum, 137
V. congl. densum, 137
V. Coolingii, 137
V. cornutum, 137
V. Cousensii, 138
V. corymbiferum, 137
V. crispum, 20, 23, 137
V. crispum, Bowden, 137
V. crispum, Clapham, 137
V. crispum diver sifrons, 138
V. crispum fimbriatum, 138
V. crispum fimbriatum crista-
tum, 138

V. crispum. Gray, 137
V. crispum latum, 137
V. crispum majus, 137
V. crispum, Mrs. Stabler, 138
V. crispum multifidum, 138
V. crispum robustum, Stans-
field, 137

V. crispum, Eoundstone, 138
V. crispum sagittatum, 138
V. crispum. Wills, 137
V. cristatum, 138
V. crist., Keall, 138
V. crist., Millett, 138
V. crist. viviparum, O’Kelly,
138, 139

V. cristulatum, 137
V. digitatum, 140
V. endivaefolium, 140
V. fissum, 140
V. grandiceps, 140
V. hemionitioides, 140
V. inequale furcans, 140
V. keratoides, 140
V. laceratum, 140
V. limbo-spermo cristatum, 140
v; Malcolmsonii, 141
V. marginatum, 140
V. marg. multiceps, 140
V. multifidum, 140
V. muricatum, 141
V. mur. inequale, 141

INDEX.

167

Scolopendrium vulgare peraferens, I

141

V. polycuspis undosTim, 141
V. ramo-cristatum, Clapham,

142

V. ramo-cristatum, Moly, 142
V. ramo-digitatum, 142
V. ramo-marginatum, 142
V. sagittato-cristatum, Dadds,
142

V. sagittato-cristatum, Han-
key, 142

V. sagittato-projectum, Scla-
ter, 142

V. sag.-proj., Westropp, 142
V. sag.-proj. variegatum, 142
V. spirale, 142
V. sp. ramosum, 142
V. subcornutum, 142
V. supralineatum, 142
V. transverso-lobatum, 143
V. undulato-rigidum, 138, 143
V. undulato-supralineatum,143
V. undulatum, 143
V. unguiceps, 143
Seedlings, wild, 13
Selection, results of, 19 i

Serpentine forms, 24
Shield Ferns (Polystichum) (Plate
VI.), 9, 22, 25, 28, 29,124
Shield Fern, Hard Prickly (P. acu-
leatum), 125

Fern, Soft Prickly (P. angu-
lare), 126
Slate shelves, 51
Slates, roofing and ridge, 46
pocket, &c., 47
Slugs and snails, 61
Species, how distinguished, 9
Spleenworts (Asplenium) (Plate
IL), 28, 29, 76

Spleenwort, Black Maidenhair (A.
Adiantum-nigrum), 77
Common (A. Trichomanes), 79
Forked (A. septentrionale), 83
Fountain (A. fontanum), 82
German (A. germanicum), 83
Green (A. viride), 81
Lanceolote (A. lanceolatum), 78

Spleenwort, Scaly (Ceterach offici-
narum), 28, 29, 84
Sea (A. marinum), 78
Spores, how to sow, 40

immense numbers of, 13, 34
Spore, wonders of the, 35
Sports, sudden, 19, 26
Sunny gardens, Ferns in, 53

Thrips, 64
Todea superba, 59
Tree Ferns, 31, 34
Trichomanes radicans, 58, 147
radicans Andre wsii, 148
r. crispum, 148
r. dilatatum, 148
r. dissectum, 148
r. proliferum, 148
reniforme, 60
Truncate forms, 24
Tunbridge Fern (Hymenophyllum
tunbridgense), 58, 59, 145

Variation generally, 17
by jumps, 19, 26
Variegation, 24

Wall-Eue (Asplenium Euta-mu-
raria), 83

Wall-tiles, Booty’s, 51
Wardian cases, 58, 60
Watering, 30

West Ham Park, collection at, 4
White fly, 64
Woodlice, 63
Woodsia hyperborea, 144
ilvensis, 144

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COLUMBARIUM, MOORB’S. Reprinted Verbatim from the original-
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BESIG-NINO, HARMONIC. Explaining a System whereby an
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BOOS, BREAKING AND TRAINING ; ' Being Concise Directions
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BOG'S, DISEASES OP: Their Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment;

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FISHERMAN, THE PRACTICAL. Dealing with the Natural
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POX TEBBIER STUD BOOK. Edited by Hugh Baiziel. Price I
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Vol. I., containing Pedigrees of over 1400 of tbe best-known Bogs, j
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FE.ETWOKK AND MARQUETItY. A Practical Manual of j
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GAME AND GAME SHOOTING, NOTES ON. Grouse, Par-
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GARDENING, DICTIONARY OP. A Practical Eneyclopmdia of i
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GARDENING IN EGYPT. A Handbook of Gardening for Lower
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GOAT-KEEPING FOR AMATEURS : Being the Practical Manage-
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GRAPE GROWING FOR AMATEURS. A Thoroughly Practical ’
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GREYHOUND, THE ; Its History, Points, Breeding, Bearing, Training,
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GUINEA PIG, THE, for Food, Fur, and Fancy. Illustrated with
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HAWK MOTHS, BOOK OP BRITISH. A Popular and Practical
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HORSES, DISEASES OP : Their Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment.
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INLAND WATERING PLACES. A Description of the Spas of
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LAYING HENS, HOW TO KEEP and to Eear Chickens in Large
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LIBRARY MANUAL, THE. A Guide to the Formation of a Library,
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MAGIC LANTERNS, MODERN, A Guide to the Management
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MODEL YACHTS AH’D BOATS s Their Designing, Making, and? i
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NATURAL HISTORY SKETCHES among the Carnivora — Wild andl I
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NEEDLEWORK, DICTIONARY OF. An Encyclopsedia of Artistic, I -;
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ORCHIDS : Their Culture and Management, with Descriptions ;

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PAINTERS AND THEIR WORKS. A Work of the Greatest
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PARROT, THE GREY, and How to Treat it. By "W. T. Greene,
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PARROTS. THE SPEAKING. The Art of Keeping and Breeding
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PATIENCE, GAMES OP, for one or more Players. How to Play
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PSaSPECTIVE, THE ESSENTIALS OF. With numerous
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PIG, BOOK OP THE. The Selection, Breeding, Feeding, s.nd
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POKER BOOK, THE. How to Play Poker with Success. By E.
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POLISHES AND STAINS POK. WOODS : A Complete Guide to |
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POOL, GAMES OP. Describing Various English and American |:
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POULTRY-KEEPING, POPULAR. A Practical and Complete v
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POULTRY POR PRIZES AND PROPIT. Contains . Breeding |
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RABBIT, BOOK OP THE. A Complete Work on Breeding and
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BUTTERFLY AND MOTH COLLECTING: Where to Search,
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CANARY, THE PET. With some Instructions as to its Purchase,
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CATS, DOMESTIC OR FANCY: A Practical Treatise on their
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COINS, A GUIDE TO ENGLISH PATTERN, in Gold, Silver,
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COINS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, A GUIDE
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COLLIE, THE. Its History, Points, and Breeding. By Hugh Dalziel.
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Vol. I., containing Pedigrees of 1308 of the best-known Dogs, traced :
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COLUMBARIUM, MOOBB’S. Eeprinted Verbatim from the original ^ I
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CUCUMBER CULTURE FOR AMATBURS. Including also
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DESIGNING, HARMONIC. Explaining a System whereby an
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DOGS, BREAKING AND TRAINING : Being Concise Directions
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DO&S, PISS ASPS OP: Their Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment;

Modes of Administering Medicines ; Treatment in cases of Poisoning, &c.
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ENTERTAINMENTS, AMATEUR, POR CHARITABLE ANB
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FANCY WORK SERIES, ARTISTIC. A Series of Illustrated
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PERNS, CHOICE BRITISH. Descriptive of the most beautiful
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PARROTS, THE SPEAKING. The Art of Keeping and Breeding
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TAXIDERMY, PRACTICAL. A Manual of Instruction to the
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TOMATO AND FRUIT GROWING as a-n Industry for Women.
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TRAPPING, PRACTICAL: Being some Papers on Traps and
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VAMP, HOW TO. A Praoti cal Guide to the Accompaniment of Songs
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170, Strand, London, W.C.

VEGETABLE CULTURE TOR AMATEURS. Containing Concise
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WHIPPET AND RACE-DOG, THE : How to Breed, Bear, Train,
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WILDFOWLING, PRACTICAL : A Book on Wildfowl and Wildfowl
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