295 



there shown hanging down the side of the pot was indeed 



feather-like in its h'ghtness and fulness. Good as this 



reproduction is, much of the detail is lost in the process. 



The full beauty of its mossy development is more apparent 



in the original stereograph* ; in this the thousand little 



tongue-like extensions are clearly seen, and the depth of the 



feathery development more fully realized. Unfortunately, 



but few of your readers ever saw this plant, and it may be 



interesting to mention that when the above-mentioned 



stereograph was taken the little tongue-like divisions of 



the pinules were still growing and had assumed the thin 



texture and paler green tint peculiar to apical apospory. 



I ventured to suggest this to the Messrs. Birkenhead, and 



shortly afterwards some of the material was placed under 



culture both at their own and INIr. Stansfield's nurseries. 



Unfortunately, while these cultures were developing the 



parent plant died, but as quite a number of youngsters had 



resulted from the cultures, we hoped to see the glories of 



the original reproduced in the offspring. Alas ! the hope, 



so far, has not been realized, for while the plants have been 



in most cases fine examples of plumose development, they 



have not, so far as I know, produced the long tongues 



ending in apospory which was such a striking characteristic 



of the original plant. 



The parent of Birkenhead's plumosissimum is a matter of 

 doubt. The raisers thought it was a sporeling from 

 P. ang. decorum. Doubtful as this may seem, any of your 

 readers who can secure spores from P. ang. decorum might try 

 to repeat Messrs. Birkenhead's success by raising an 

 experimental crop. 



P. ANG. PLUMOSISSIMUM PELLUCIDUM StANSFIELD. 



It has been my good fortune on several occasions during 

 the past few months to have seen and feasted my eyes upon 



* If any of our members would care to see the original stereograph, 

 and will send me their addresses, I will try to arrange to send it round 



J. E. 



