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varieties into three classes ; with respect to wHch he has 

 himself supplied the following descriptive notes : — 



" Multilobum," an excess of decompositum — the whole 

 plant being more or less tripinnate, but the division of the 

 pinnules or pinnulets more or less abnormally rounded^ 

 and in this respect differing from the two that follow, 

 which have these portions much more acute. 



*' Acutilobum," tripinnate — all the divisions of the 

 frond acute, the anterior and posterior pinnules nearly 

 of the same length. 



" Divisilobum," tripinnate — the same as acutilobum, 

 except that the anterior and posterior pinnules are of 

 unequal lengths, the latter far longer and the divisions 

 altogether more highly developed — a well-grown plant, is 

 sub-quadripinnate, or even quadripinnate." 



By the almost general consent of annulare hunters and 

 cultivators, Mr. Wollaston's arrangement has been 

 adopted, and the name '' proliferum " is no longer used, 

 except as an adjunct to denote either such multilobes, 

 acutilobes, etc., as have a marked tendency to the proli- 

 ferous habit, or such as have been long called by that 

 name. 



Thus the original proliferum, — and Mr. Wollaston's are 

 proliferous acutilobes — Miss Crawford's, Mrs. Hole's and 

 Mr. Henley's are proliferous divisilobes. 



Mr. Padley, whose experience in this class of varieties is 

 perhaps unrivalled, and who has studied the matter with, 

 at least as much interest and care as any one, is in favour 

 of Mr. Wollaston's arrangement — as far as it goes ; but 

 he still retains the name conspicuilobum as descriptive of 

 the varieties which do not quite come up to multilobes 

 or acutilobes though evidently partaking of the same 

 * gentle blood." 



With reference to these matters Mr. Padley writes :. 

 " With me there are two principal divisions of the varieties 

 whose pinnules are much divided. The tripinnate or 



