44 DUBLIN NATIJRAi HISTOKT SOCIETI. 



and fructification at once showed its identity with Trichomanes radicans of 

 Swartz, and comparison with specimens from the Mauritius, from the West 

 Indies, and from South America, established its affinity with those tropical 

 species, and, as Sir William Hooker observed, spoke volumes in favour of the 

 climate of the south-west of Ireland. Mr. Andrews said that the treatment 

 adopted by Mr. Callwell, by regulating the temperature, would be applicable to 

 the culture of the exotic species of these beautiful ferns. The West India 

 Islands, particularly those of volcanic origin, are remarkable for the variety and 

 beauty of the family of the Hymenophyllee. The Iveragh plants, in the al- 

 ternate numerous pinnated, almost pellucid fronds, bear, as to growth, a near 

 resemblance to the Trichomanes radicans and Trichomanes brachypus of 

 Jamaica and St. Vincent's, which beautiful plants in those islands, at the highest 

 elevations, spread like a velvet carpet over the moist and massive trunks of 

 aged trees. The Rev. Lansdowne Guilding describes the T. radicans of 

 St. Vincent's to have long, creeping main stems or caudices. The true T. 

 pyxidiferum of Jamaica grows abundantly in the Island of St. Vincent's, at an 

 elevation of 2000 feet above the level of the sea, thus showing that this tribe 

 in the tropics affect a much higher elevation, where the temperature, being lower, 

 is more conductive to their healthy existence. The pyxidiferum is distinguished 

 by the broad revolute mouths of the involucres, the involucres being broadly 

 winged and sunk to the pinnules of the frond ; the receptacles are of consider- 

 able length. The plant from Kerry is similar in form to the Trichomanes 

 alatum of Jamaica, but from that it is separated by the more membranous 

 structure of the frond of the alatum, and the forked cilia existing at the 

 termination of the pinnae. Many of the Hymenophyllae are extremely beautiful, 

 and several bear striking resemblance to our native plants, Wilsoni and Tun- 

 bridgense. Thus, H. polyanthus has its reticulated ovate involucra divided 

 similarly to H. Wilsoni. H. dilatatum and semibivalve of New Zealand, Cris- 

 patum from Nepaul, and the West Indian Undulatum, are all beautiful examples 

 of the same ferns. The fruit of the H. cristatum bears in the character of its 

 orbicular involucre, and the position of growth, much resemblance to H. Tun- 

 bridgense. This beautiful plant is found in the Peruvian Andes, near the limits 

 of perpetual snow, embracing with its creeping rhizomata the trunks of trees. 

 But the handsomest is the Hymenophyllum elasticum from the Mauritius, which 

 covers the moist and shaded trunks of trees. Its pinnules are elastic, and its 

 shining appearance contrasts with beautiful effect with the black midribs. 



Mr. Andrews, in showing the specimens of this beautiful fern, said that his 

 friend, Dr. Alexander, R. N., a most zealous botanist, had seen H. elasticum in 

 great abundance in a monster cave at Kow-Loon, the side opposite Hong-Kong. 

 He had also met that rare fern, Anthropium Boryanum, in shaded places on the 

 banks of the Sarawak, Borneo, near Rajah Brooke's residence. Mr. Callwell had 

 spoken of the manner he had grown the Trichomanes suspended — the plants ap- 

 peared to delight in that position of growth, and Mr. Andrews had successfully 

 cultured them in that manner, and the plants had produced fructification in per- 

 fection. In this manner, creeping over a moistened surface, none would appear 

 more beautiful than Trichomanes membranaceus, or those beautiful plants 

 T. reptans, apodum, and parvulum, which, like frondose Jungermania, 

 spread over the branches of trees. He would mention a very pretty Junger- 

 mania, peculiar as a parasite, to T. radicans, which he found on the Kerry 

 plants — the Jungermania minutissima. On receiving a specimen of T. radicans 

 from the Mauritius, he found this Jungermania on the frond identical with the 

 Kerry parasite. Jungermania Hutchinsea, and Protenema cryptorum, are also 

 favourite companions of Trichomanes. Mr. Andrews would mention a singular 

 character of the fern — that fronds that he had collected and planted in a case 

 in 1842 still were green and healthy. 



Mr. Callwell said he would bear evidence to the same effect, that fronds that 

 he originally obtained were now in healthy condition ; and he would also state 

 that the only fern that he found to grow with Trichomanes in the same case 

 was the Aspleniam marinum. 



