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POLYSTICHUM ANG. PLUMOSISSIMUM 

 STANSFIELD, AND PELLUCIDUM 



STANSFIELD. 



I was interested in Mr. Edwards's note on the above 

 ferns in No. 12 of the " Gazette." I had an opportunity of 

 seeing the plants in fine condition last autumn, and have 

 been favoured with a bulbil from one of each type. Both, 

 I believe, have sprung from a plant of the plumose 

 divisilobe section, and both have the broad deltoid outline 

 of the true plumose divisilobes, differing in this respect 

 from plumosissimum Birkenhead, which has a narrower and 

 more lanceolate outline. With this exception the new 

 plumosissimum strongly resembles plnmosissiiniun Birken- 

 head at its best, but is more mossy than that fine 

 form has ever shown itself under similar conditions (i.e. 

 when grown in a cold house). The original plant of 

 Birkenhead's form when photographed, was, I believe, 

 growing in a close, moist house with some artificial heat. 

 The condition there shown has probably never been 

 equalled by any- of the plant's offspring, though it has been 

 at times fairly closely approached even by plants grown 

 under cool conditions. It is not to be expected, however, 

 that these aposporous or semi-aposporous developments 

 can be produced without a permanently moist atmosphere 

 and rarely, if ever, without glass protection. 



If the plumosissimums are fine the pellucidums are, to 

 my mind, finer still, inasmuch as the whole frond has a sea- 

 weed-like semitranslucent texture. In the young frond 

 this character is very noticeable, and it remains, to a certain 

 extent, in the fully developed condition, although, with age, 

 the texture gradually becomes more opaque. One plant, 

 now in the possession of Mr. Henvvood, is suggestive of 

 Todea siiperha, both in texture and cutting — at all events, 

 during the growing state. 



Reading. F. W. Stansfield. 



