30 



included in a group scheduled as a 'dwarf one, what 

 answer could an expert give if asked whether the said 

 plant, viz. Aspleniiim tvichomancs, was a dwarf, knowin^^ as 

 he would do that under favourable conditions, as exist in 

 some parts of Great Britain, its fronds might be a foot or 

 more long ? Obviously he could only give a negative 

 reply, and that would equally obviously disqualify it. 

 Otherwise the whole group might consist of stunted plants 

 ot large growing species. If small growing species are 

 admissible, they should be so-called in the schedule, but 

 so long as there are true 'dwarf varieties in existence, 

 as in the case in question, an expert judge has no option 

 but to accept the definition given, viz. that a plant to be 

 properly termed ' dwarf,' must be abnormally small 

 when grown to its full size. The word * dwarf,' in short, 

 implies abnormality as regards size. An ordinary baby is 

 not called a dwarf, but Tom Thumb was so-called because 

 he was abnormally small when adult — C. T. D." 



INCONSTANT FERNS {continued). 

 What, however, must we say of that peculiar Polystichiim 

 iinguhve which we found near Seaton Junction, in Dorset ? 

 Found as a mutilated plant with two robust leathery 

 aculeatum-like fronds, tripinnate or thrice divided, and with 

 truncate and thorned terminals to fronds and pinnae, it 

 had, when dug up, six withered perfectly common angulare 

 fronds attached from the previous season, and when 

 planted, has been a perfectly common form ever since. 

 Spores, however, sown from the truncate fronds have 

 yielded several heavily-crested plants, only one of which, 

 however, promises to remain so, the others having some 

 normal fronds mingled with heavily crested ones. It is 

 impossible to impute these to other parentage, as we have 

 nothing like them, and stray Polystichum seedlings occur 

 very rarely. Here we have a case of a plant assuming 

 several marked characters, apparently for one season only, 

 and then producing from its spores a batch of a quite 



