28; 



The Sea Spleenwort (Asplenium Marinum). 



This Fern, as its name implies, is entirely a coast one, 

 it is found in abundance on sea cliffs and in caves where 

 access is difficult or in unfrequented localities. It lives 

 well within the reach of spray and even of waves in stormy 

 weather. It is one of the few Ferns which are not quite 

 hardy, under culture a few degrees of frost kill it, but in a 

 warm house it grows most luxuriantly quite independent 

 of saline baths. In a vinery we have seen it form a bush 

 two feet high and as much through, while seedlings of it 

 were weed-like in their abundance. Normally its fronds 

 are eight or nine inches long, very leathery, bright green 

 and lucent, with once divided side divisions, set apart on 

 the midrib to form a somewhat narrow frond of a lance- 

 like outline, commencing with a moderate length of stalk. 

 Its position practically indicates the species as only the 

 true Maidenhair, Adiantum capillns veneris ever keeps it 

 company, and that only on cliff faces and not in the caves. 



AsPLENIUxM LaNCEOLATUM 



is also a coastal Fern, rarely reaching very far inland. It 

 is very much like Asp. ad. nigrum^ but the side divisions are not 

 stalked so obviously, and the frond is therefore compacter 

 in make and somewhat thicker in substance, and the stalks 

 are not so black. It is found in chinks in walls, and stone 

 dykes near the sea. We found it once about two miles 

 inland from Falmouth, growing in a hedge with Asp. ad. 

 nigvum. It is by no means easy to grow in our experience, 

 but after many failures we have succeeded by installing 

 it in some soil wrapped round with living moss and rammed 

 into a tumbler with a little water in the bottom into which 

 a wisp or two of the moss dipped and drew up a supply 

 as needed by capillary attraction. The plant was all but 

 dead when installed as an experiment, but started a fresh 

 lease at once and is doing well. 



The rest of the family native to Great Britain are small 



