1 8; 



The freer the growth, as a rule, the more the fronds are cut 

 into sub-divisions, this extending even to the third degree 

 (tripinnate) under the conditions described. The fern is 

 quite deciduous, the fronds dying to the ground in autumn, 

 a fact which the amateur cultivator must bear in mind, as 

 undoubtedly many deciduous plants perish by being 

 assumed to die in the autumn instead of simply going to 

 sleep, subsequent neglect in watering, confirming the 

 wrong assumption. In cultivation ordinary garden soil 

 does quite well, but a good leafy compost does better ; the 

 chief thing is protection from drought. 



{To he contimied.) 



BLECHNUM SPICANT VAR. CONCINNUM. 



In 1 88 1 I was fortunate enough to find a very beautiful 

 form of Blechnum spicant on Exmoor, which was named by 

 Mr. T. Moore " concinnum," or neat, and pronounced by 

 him to be a new form, which has been confirmed since by 

 every specialist. In this variety the normally long lance- 

 shaped fronds, with smooth edged side divisions, is trans- 

 formed into a long narrow even one of ribbon-like outline, 

 but with round divisions, evenly serrated and resembling 

 small scallop shells, the fronds being nine inches long by 

 only a quarter an inch wide. Since that time, although a 

 number of " strictum " varieties have been found, in which 

 a similar narrow and serrate character is seen for some 

 distance up from the frond base, it is succeeded by pinnae 

 of the normal length, while Mr. Barnes' lineave, which is 

 similarly narrow throughout, has the round or confluent 

 division quite smooth edged. 



As wild finds rarely agree exactly in character, I was 

 greatly interested recently on receiving among a number of 

 other fronds for naming from Mr. W. A. Barker, Vale 

 View, Backbarrow, Ulverstone, a long nine inch frond of 

 B. s. concinnum, precisely similar to my own and marked 

 •'wild find," and on enquiry I learn that this was found in 



