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aculeaUim has been found wild, but Mr. E. J. Lowe suc- 

 ceeded in infusing this character (in which the pinnae or 

 side divisions are in duplicate and set on at such angles as to 

 form crosses with the opposite pairs, whence the name) 

 into this species by a cross with a cruciate form of 

 P. angiilave known as Wakeleyanum, by which cross he 

 was the first to practically demonstrate the possibility of 

 hybridizing Ferns. The aculeatum parent, however, was 

 not the normal form but a congested variety known as 

 *' denstim,'' and the result in all the offspring has been 

 somewhat congested or sub-imbricate types of an easily 

 recognised character. We have, however, recently received 

 from our member Mrs. Thatcher, a frond of P. aculeatum 

 in her possession, which, while shewing the true normal 

 aculeatum character throughout is markedly cruciate plus 

 a well developed terminal crest. This plant she obtained- 

 as a seedling some twenty years ago from Dr. Fox, who 

 was associated with Col. A. M. Jones, in the development 

 of the wonderful Jones and Fox divisilobe plumosums of 

 angulare, and Dr. Stansfield is of opinion that it is there- 

 fore one of the original hybrid offspring in question which 

 has thrown off the densum character and while retaining 

 the lucent leathery foliage and habit of aculeatum proper, 

 owes its cruciate and crested character to Wakeleyanum 

 of the other species. Despite the age of the plant, it has 

 never produced an offset and is still a single crown. Spore 

 sowings so far have failed, but as it is fairly fertile, another 

 attempt is now being made, and if successful the progeny 

 may throw some light on its genesis. In any case it is an 

 extremely interesting plant. 



From Mr. J. W. Tucker we have received fronds of a 

 very curious Scolopendrium, of which the fronds for two- 

 thirds of the normal length are normal but extra broad, 

 they then, however, suddenly contract to form a narrow 

 neck, whence springs a fanshaped thoroughly ramb- 

 marginate crest of many narrow segments. We have 

 named it S. v. ramo-cvistatum Tucker il. 



