229 



in "high places" angtilave is regarded as a variety of 

 aculeaUtm. To me this seems quite an obverse arrange- 

 ment, as here, except in Scotland, aculeatitm is considerably 

 less common than augulare. For garden purposes, how- 

 ever, they are sufficiently distinct, and we may so regard 

 them. 



P. actikatum, then, although less profuse in the matter of 

 varieties, has produced a few — or at least one — of surpassing 

 merit. That one — pulclierrimnm — has hitherto been described 

 as "an unique beauty." But what shall we say of its 

 progeny ? Well, I think we must " wait and see " ; for 

 they are still developing, and unfolding more charms, 

 " Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." As a 

 matter of fact, the full capacity of the variations has yet 

 to be recorded. But as this "beautiful" Fern — and its 

 progeny — has been fascinatingly dealt with from time to 

 time in the pages of our much-appreciated Gazette, I merely 

 refer to it en passant as a part of the subject I have been 

 asked to promote. (See frontispiece No. i and part of 

 parent form on p. 4, also frontispiece of No. 3, B.F.G.) 



And yet, as second thoughts are often best, and as a 

 recent visit to Mr. Druery's Fernery compelled my atten- 

 tion to one of the progeny, I feel forced to refer to this one 

 as an improved form of gvacillinmni cristulatuni, a certificated 

 plant {vide frontispiece). That this is capable of still 

 further " cristulation " is really remarkable ; and yet the 

 plant in question has pinnules from two to three inches long, 

 capped with broad sub-crests — a sort of pinnuloid growth 

 forming pseudo-tassels ! The pinnae are about six inches 

 long, the fronds lax and graceful, while the Fern, taken as 

 a whole, is extremely handsome. In fact, like Romeo, one 

 is inclined to ignore the beauty of Rosalind for the greater 

 charms of Juliet. Another of the same type occupies a 

 good deal of air space, for it has a spread of five feet over 

 and a full set of fronds. 



Other varieties are acrocladon, capitatnm, coryinhiferum, 

 cvistaio-gvacile and grand iceps Ahottcp, all of which are more 



