278 



and it is only occasionally that it can be propagated by 

 apospory. I have raised several batches, consisting of 

 hundreds of plants, in this way, but the offspring are 

 almost invariably rags.and tatters of the most disgraceful 

 kind, fit only for the rubbish heap. There has been, how- 

 ever, one exception to this rule — a plant which is not only 

 symmetrical when young, like the parent, but which 

 remains almost perfectly symmetrical when fully developed. 

 [ say almost, because even this plant shows traces of ihe 

 parental vice by an occasional abortive pinna or pinnule. 

 The majority of the fronds are, however, quite perfect, only 

 one in half a dozen or more showing a detective pinnule or 

 so. In this respect it is a great advance upon the parent. 



Another (probable) exception is a plant, from the same 

 batch of pvotlialU, which is neither a rogue nor a pulcherviimim 

 nor a vaviegatum, but a strong green divisilohe. Inasmuch 

 as this is the only one of the offspring which shows no 

 variegation (even the worst of the rogues showing some 

 trace of that character), it is arguable that it probably 

 originated from a stray spore — was, in fact, a cuckoo in the 

 nest — and not from the piilchervimiim at all. While it is 

 impossible to prove that this was not the case, the fact that 

 this plant shows traces, when mature, of the parental 

 depauperation in an occasional abortive pinna towards the 

 tip of the frond, is fairly strong evidence of its legitimate 

 descent from the pnlcheyvimum^ especially as no other divisi. 

 lohiim is known to have a similar tendency to depauperation.''^' 



The remaining (wild find) pulchevvimum is Moly's green 



'-'= With regard to this plant we hardly share the doubts of its origin 

 suggested by Dr. Stansfield's notes. Some years back he showed us 

 a robust plant of it, and asked us if we could form an idea of its origin, 

 without, however, giving us the slightest clue. Examining it closely, 

 we immediately asked if it had not the blood of Moly's pitlcherrimtnn 

 vaiiegatuvi in it, so strongly did the make of its sub-divisions suggest 

 full parentage. His reply indicated little or no dou,bt of such origin, and 

 as we still possess a strong plant, from a division which he kindly 

 supplied on that occasion, our opinion, after a fresh examination, is 

 decidedly in favour of its being a " sport " from that beautiful fern. 



Editor. 



