Copyright, 1898, by 

 FL.ORISTS' PUBLISHING CO., 520-535 Caxton Bulldind, GHlGftGO. 



Vol. n. 



CHICAGO AND NEW YORK, JUNE 9, J898. 



No. 28. 





Gymnogramme Decomposita. 



GYMNOGRAMME DECOMPOSITA. 



The Gold Perns, as several of the 

 gymnogrammes are frequently called, 

 are more often looked upon as curiosi- 



ties by many of our trade growers, 

 rather than in the light of gold pro- 

 ducers. This opinion is no doubt the 

 fruit of experience, for ferns to be use- 

 ful to the trade must be more endur- 



ing than many of the gymnogrammes 

 are. and be less liable to breakage. 



But, apart from their trade use, this 

 family of ferns is a very interesting 

 one, some of the species being thor- 

 oughly dusted over with a golden pow- 

 der, others whitened by a silvery coat- 

 ing, a few species without powder on 

 the fronds, and at least one variegated 

 form. In addition to these peculiari- 

 ties there are two members of this 

 family that are annuals, a very un- 

 usual thing among ferns. 



The gymnogrammes are also very 

 widely distributed, the various species 

 having been found in North and South 

 America, the East and West Indies, 

 Japan and parts of Europe, so it would 

 appear that this could safely be termed 

 a cosmopolitan family. 



The subject of our illustration, G. 

 decomposita, is a native of South 

 America, from whence it was intro- 

 duced to cultivation about twenty-five 

 years ago. It is a free growing sub- 

 ject, with dark green, finely divided 

 fronds, the under side and stems of 

 which are well-covered with golden 

 farinose powder. The fronds of G. de- 

 composita often grow two feet in 

 height, and bear quantities of spores, 

 and as the latter germinate very read- 

 ily, no great difficulty is experienced 

 in getting up a stock. 



In order to form bushy little plants 

 from the seedlings, it is best to pot 

 them up in small clusters, just as one 

 would with seedlings of Onychium 

 japonicum, and. treated in this way, 

 pretty little plants may be had in 3- 

 inch or -(-inch pots. No special compost 

 is required for the cultivation of G. de- 

 composita, but to keep the plants in 

 good condition shade is needed, and it 

 is advisable not to water them over- 

 head with a heavy pressure of water, 

 or much of the farinose powder will be 

 washed off. 



As has been already intimated, the 

 fronds of G. decomposita are rather 

 brittle, this being one of the objec- 

 tions to its extended use for trade 



