142 



peculiarly pretty crisped Oak Fern which had appeared in 

 one of his sowings of that species. The fronds sent appear 

 to be thoroughbred, but we have some doubts as to their true 

 varietal character, since though no obvious disease or dis- 

 coloration appears which may cause the curling by a check 

 to normal development, there is associated with it a slight 

 discoloration of the midribs. The fronds are freely fertile, 

 and, with Mr. Francis's permission, a sowing has been 

 made to test its constancy. If it stands the test, a possi- 

 bility by no means precluded by the doubt felt, we should 

 at last have a very pretty variant of this hitherto constant 

 species. Some years back we recollect seeing some 

 similar fronds of P. cakaveum found in the Lake District, 

 and as nothing more has been heard of this, we fear that 

 that also might have been due to disease of a similar nature 

 to that suspected in this case. 



From an outside source, Mr. W. A. Barber of Back- 

 barrow, some very fine fronds of scolopendrium were sent 

 for naming, accompanied by a frond of a Blechnum, which 

 appears to be an exact replica of our own B. s. concinmim, 

 as it is very narrow and even, the lobes being like small 

 scallop shells. This was found wild close to Backbarrow, 

 near Windermere, by Mr. W. Lancaster in July last, and 

 may therefore be legitimately reckoned as one of the best 

 finds of the season. 



From Mr. F. N. Adkin we have received fronds of some 

 interesting seedling P. aculeatums^ in which the fronds are 

 narrow and crested, the peculiarity in each being that the 

 pinnae are ramose and almost fan-shaped, an indication we 

 think of cruciate blood, though they cannot be termed 

 cruciate. This feature is very thorough in each case. 

 We have suggested the name of P. aculeatum vamo-pinnatum 

 angustatum for the strain. 



Mr. H. Stansfield, of Sale, reports the raising of a form 

 of A. f.f. excuvvens with inch long points, which he has 

 named " spinosum." 



A cruciate P. aculeatum. So far no cruciate form of P. 



