THE COMMON MAIDENHAIR SPLEENWOBT. 



(Jaudex short* tufted, scaly, orcct or decumbent. Scales lanceolate, brown, cellular, often with a 

 dark central stripe. Fibres wiry, branching. 



Stipes short, smooth, chestnut-coloured or dark brown, rounded behind, flat in front, with a raised 

 lino on the face at each angle ; terminal and adherent to the rhizome. Rmhis, also chestnut-coloured 

 throughout, projecting but rounded behind, flat in front, and furnished with a narrow elevated 

 wing-like border, 



Vernation circulate. 



Fronds two or three inches to twelve or fourteen inches long, linear, pinnate. Pinna herbaceous, 

 deep green, variable in shape, but for the most part roundish oblong, obtuse at the apex, and obliquely 

 euneatc at tlio base, scarcely stalked, but attached to the raelns by the lower angle, usually crenatcd 

 but sometimes nearly entire on the margin, and always entire on the euneatc base. Sometimes most 

 of tlio pinnie, and usually the lower ones, are more orate in outline and less unequal-sided ; more 

 rarely the reduction of the upper basal angle gives the pinna? an oboratc outline. The pinnie 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 margin ; 

 the anterior of the venules or branches bears the soma above the point of furcation. 



Fructification generally distributed over tlio frond. Sori linear, oblique, numerous, often becoming 

 confluent, indusiate. fndusium entire or slightly crenatcd on the free margin. Spore-cases numerous, 

 globose. Spores angular, rough. 



Duration. The eaudex is perennial. The fronds are persistent, so that the plant is evergreen ; a 

 crop of young fronds appear in the spring. 



This species has much resemblance to A. viride, but may bo known by its dark brown rachis, and 

 the thin raised border of the latter ; and further by the attachment of the pinna), almost stalklcss in 

 this, and distinctly stalked in A. wide. It does not resemble any other native species. 



It 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 sandstone, bricks, 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 care is necessary to guard against excess of moisture. 



In endeavouring to account for the difficulties which occur in cultivating Perns such as the present, 

 which sometimes prove to be rather shy growers under artificial treatment, the natural conditions 

 under which the plant occurs should be well studied. Here is a species abundant enough naturally, 

 which oftentimes refuses to maintain its natural vigour under cultivation ; and why 1 In most cases it 

 will be found that there is something wrong at the foundation ; the roots are suffering. Indeed, this 

 appears to bo 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 crevices 

 and fissures where it finds enough nourishment; or even when growing on banks the soil is generally 

 of an open sandy texture, so that water does not stagnate. It should not, therefore, be planted in 

 largo masses of soil retentive of moisture ; tlio crown should bo 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 ]>ortious of mortar from old buildings, should be freely used. In short, above 

 that portion which is kept free for drainage, the pot should bo filled up with coarse pieces of brick, 

 rock, or mortar, ami the interstices only filled with liner 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 Hue, and tlio Ceterach. None of these plants, moreover, require so much shade as other 

 Kerns, although, if they are kept tolerably dry at the crown, they do not refuse to grow in structures 



