10 THE FLORIST. 



REMARKS ON BRITISH FERNS. 



No. I. 

 ASPLENIUM. 



The different species of this genus have for the most part the clusters 

 of fructification of an oblong shape, with their involucres opening 

 towards the mid-rib. 



1. A. ADiANTUM NIGRUM. In this I fear I shall have to dispose 

 of a rather perplexing subject, inasmuch as in some stages of its 

 growth it is but too often confounded with A. lanceolatum, which 

 is not to be wondered at, so far as the young cryptogamist is con - 

 cerned ; for even now I, for one, am willing to admit, that I am fre- 

 quently at a loss how to distinguish the two, i. e. in certain stages of 

 their growth, w'hereas in others, again, I find but little difficulty ; but 

 by the latter remark I wish it to be understood that I am speaking 

 of the two plants in their extreme states of growth, when 1 think 

 but few botanists could confound them. Respecting the extreme 

 state of A. adiantum nigrum, I can have but little hesitation in 

 asserting that it is neither more nor less than the supposed variety 

 occasionally found with linear pinnules, and which was extremely 

 plentiful some years ago in this part of West Kent ; in fact, in one 

 of my first botanical excursions I detected many splendid specimens 

 growing on a dry sandy bank ; but unfortunately they have since 

 been entirely eradicated by the hawkers who frequent the neigh- 

 bourhood in quest of Ferns. In this stage of the plant's develop- 

 ment it is invariably more divided in the fronds than A. lanceolatum 

 in the same state ; and although in this condition the}'- may readily 

 be distinguished by the experienced botanist, there is yet a very 

 strong affinity in every other stage of their growth. It is much to 

 be regretted that this elegant state of the plant is not more per- 

 manent ; when taken under cultivation, it gradually runs back, year 

 after year, until it becomes far less divided both in the fronds and 

 pinnules ; and the latter often acquire a leathery texture somewhat 

 similar to those of A. marinum. It will grow in almost every soil 

 and situation, from the wall-top to the dry sandy bank, and hence 

 the innumerable forms w^e find it affecting to grow in ; but not one 

 of these have I yet proved to be constant in cultivation ; notwith- 

 standing that I have had seedHngs and old plants from many parts 

 of Britain, still they all arrived at nearly the same state. 



2. A. LANCEOLATUM. In maturity the fronds of this are much 

 narrower and less divided than in A. adiantum nigrum ; indeed in 

 some of my specimens from Cornwall they are nearly linear, with 

 the pinnse and pinnules very much bent back, so much so as to give 

 them a convex appearance on the upper side, which I consider to be 

 the result of extreme old age. I am not certain that I ever detected 

 the plant in the same state at Tunbridge Wells ; but there it w^as 

 growing on the south face of a rock, whereas I consider the Corn- 

 wall plants to have been taken from a bank, which may in a great 



