THE COMMON MAIDENHAIR SPLEENWOR 
ler short, tufted, scaly, erect or decumbent. Seals lanceolate, brown, cellular, often with a 
ventral stripe. Fibres wiry, branching. 
+ short, smooth, chestnut-coloured or dark brown, rounded behind, flat in front, with a raised 
face at each angle; terminal and adherent to the rhizome. Rachis, also chestnut-coloured 
roug ing but rounded behind, flat in front, and furnished with a narrow elevated 
wing-like border 
Vernation circinate 
Fronds two or three inches to twelve or fourteen inches long, linear, pinnate, Рина herbaceous, 
deep green, variablo in shay most part roundish oblong, obtuse at the apex, and obliquely 
cuneate at tho base, scarcely stalked, but attached to the rachis by the lower angle, usually erenated 
But sometimes nearly entire on the margin, and always entire on the cuneate base, Sometimes most 
of the pinnas, and usually the lower ones, are more ovate in outline and less unequal-sided ; more 
rarely the reduction of the upper basal angle gives the pinu an obovate outline. The pinn are 
readily detached from the mature fronds, and eventually fall away, leaving the rachis bare. 
Venation consisting of a midvein, from which issue forked veins, terminating within the mi 
the anterior of the venules or branches bears the sorus above the point of fureatio 
Fructification generally distributed over the frond. Sori linear, oblique, numerous, often becoming, 
confluent, indusiate, Judusium entire or slightly erenated on the free margin. Spore-cases numerous, 
globose. Spores angular, rough. 
Duration, "The caudex is perennial, The fronds are persistent, so that the plant is evergreen ; 
стор of young fronds appear in tho spring 
‘This species has much resemblance to A. viride, but may be known by its dark brown rachis, and. 
the thin raised border of the latter; and further by the attachment of the pinnio, almost stalkless in 
this, and distinctly stalked in 4. viride, Tt does not resemble any other native species. 
1t grows with tolerable facility under culture, but still is very apt to suffer if kept too damp 
under confinement, Pure and porous soil containing a considerable proportion of hard material, such 
as sand or broken sandst ж, or old mortar, should be used, and excess of moisture must be 
avoided. In country rockeries it succeeds when such precautions are taken, but in town gardens it 
requires shelter, and then even more caro is necessary to guard against excess of moisture 
In endeavouring to account for the difficulties which occur in cultivating Ferns such as the present, 
which sometimes prove to be rather shy growers under artifical treatment, the natural conditions 
under which the plant occurs should be well studied. Hore is a species abundant enough naturally 
which oftentimes refuses to maintain its natural vigour under cultivation ; and why? In most cases it 
will bo found that there is something wrong at the foundation ; the roots are suffering. Indeed, this 
appears to be the principal source of failure in cultivating the Common Maidenhair Spleenwort, The 
plant naturally grows on the perpendicular face of walls or rocks, inserting its roots into the erevices 
d fissures where it finds enough nourishment; or even when growing on banks the soil is generally 
of an open sandy texture, so that water docs not stagnate. It should not, therefore, be planted in 
lange masses of soil retentive of moisture ; the crown should be elevated between fragments of stone ; 
the pots should have an extra amount of drainage; and finally, sand, fine broken brick, broken 
sandstone, or the rubbly portions of mortar from old buildings, should be freely used. In short, above 
that portion which is kept free for drainage, the pot should be filled up with coarse pieces of brick, 
rock, or mortar, and the interstices only filled with finer soil, in which the same ingredients, mixed with 
sandy loam, should predominate, This mode of potting is suitable especially for the present species, 
the Wall Rue, and the Ceterach. Холо of these plants, moreover, require so much shade as other 
Ferns, although, if they are kept tolerably dry at the crown, they do not refuse to grow in structures. 
