20I 



to stamp the Lady Fern as standing alone among the 



varied ferns for versatility of taste and exquisite delicacy 



in expressing it. 



Chas. T. Druery, V.M.H., F.L.S. 



THE BENBOW HERBARIUM COLLECTION 



OF FERNS {continued). 



POLYPODIUM VULGARE. 



Three very good forms were found, viz., onmilacevum 

 cristatum, a very promising deeply serrate form with furcate 

 pinnae, Holford, 1866 ; omnilaceriim, a thoroughbred deeper 

 cut form, Cleve Abbey, on wall, 1864; and crenatiun, a 

 deltoid form, near Fulmer, Bucks., 1892. 



Cystopteris fragilis. 

 A good crested form was found on a wall near Totnes, 

 which yielded fairly true progeny from its spores. 



Lastrea filex-mas. 

 Three forms only worthy of note of this species were 

 found. L. f.-in. brachlatum, a very marked variety, foliose 

 and ramose, but not tasselled, Fulmer, 1866; ^^sevrata" 

 (£).), a beautiful deeply serrate form with fringed pinnae, 

 Axmouth, 1864 ; and polydactyla, strongly resembling 

 Dadd's Ilfracombe form, Kingsbridge, 1865. 



It will be noted that no varieties of Athyvium filix foemina 

 or Blechnuni spicant appear in this list, since though a 

 considerable number of both figure in the Herbarium, the 

 curious fact transpires on inspection that all of them were 

 found either in Black Park, Bucks., or its vicinity, and in 

 the case of the Lady Ferns, appear to be variable seedlings 

 of the Craigii type, while the Blechnum are variants, 

 sometimes very singular ones, of the *' strictum " type. 

 The inevitable inference, therefore, is that Mr. Benbow 

 here struck either upon a favourable locality in which 

 spores of these forms had been previously scattered or had 

 unwittingly raided a collection of planted out seedlings, no 



