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THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



not adapted for small cases, or to grow 

 in cocoa-nut dust alone. 



5. A. hispidulum, of diminutive 

 habit and slow growth. It has a 

 peculiar bluish tinge, and answers 

 well to fill in between larger ferns 

 with such subjects as Doodias, Lo- 

 maria spicant, etc., etc. 



6. A. pedatum, very distinct, and 

 of free growth, not at all particular 

 about conditions. 



7. A. reniforme. I received from 

 Mr. Sim two years ago a scrap of 

 rhizome from a newly-imported parcel 

 of this fern. It was planted in a case 

 kept at about 70\ and covered with a 

 small bell-glass. It grew slowly, but 

 surely, and soon made a plant. It 

 was found to require to be covered 

 with a bell-glass for about six months, 

 after being first planted, by which 

 time it was well established. Another 

 plant has been tried in a cool case, 

 and though it lives, it makes no pro- 

 gress, whereas, in the case kept con- 

 stantly supplied with hot water, the 

 original is doing well, and forms now 

 a very pretty patch, with kidney- 

 shaped fronds, each the size of a 

 shilling. I think, if it had more 

 decidedly tropical treatment, the 

 fronds would come as large as repre- 

 sented by Lowe. 



8. A. tinctum. I met with this 

 three years ago at Messrs. Veitch's 

 nursery, Chelsea, and Mr. James 

 Veitch kindly compelled me to take 

 a plant away with me. It is an 

 exquisitely beautiful species, and 

 thrives amazingly in a cool case in 

 cocoa-nut waste alone. In general 

 character it may be considered a large 

 edition of capillus-veneris, having all 

 the rare grace of that species, but in 

 all its proportions it is double the 

 size. The young fronds are richly 

 tinted with purplish rose colour, which 

 they lose as they acquire maturity, 

 but as young fronds are constantly 

 rising, the plant has always a lively 

 and peculiar appearance. 



9. A. sctulosum, a very distinct 

 and lovely fern of somewhat diminu- 

 tive growth, well adapted for sus- 

 pension. If planted in a perforated 

 receptacle, such as a cocoa-nut shell 

 pierced with holes, the rhizome soon 

 throws out crowns at the perforations, 



and the receptacle becomes com- 

 pletely covered with its elegant and 

 abundant growth. For a figure of 

 this fern, grown as above described, 

 see Flobal Woeld, vol. ii., p. 281. 



10. A. tenerum is of the same 

 general character as A. cuneatum, 

 but so much larger that it is quite 

 unfit for ordinary fern cases, except 

 when very young. In cases of great 

 size it is one of the best for a conspi- 

 cuous position, and as easily grown 

 in any case fern. Young plants may 

 be grown for one season in ordinary 

 cases, and must then be removed. 



11. Asplenium bulbiferum. — This 

 fine fern grows with rampant luxu- 

 riance in the case, needing but little 

 ventilation, and not at all impatient of 

 neglect. When the handsome fronds 

 are covered with little viviparous 

 plants, it is a very attractive obj ect. 

 It soon, however, becomes too large 

 for the case to hold it. 



12. A. fabianum has dark green 

 once-divided peculiarly graceful at- 

 tenuated fronds, which arch over on 

 all sides equally in the fashion of a 

 long-leaved grass. These fronds bear 

 viviparous plants freely, and these 

 fall off and root themselves all round 

 the plant, so that it soon becomes 

 surrounded with progeny. My best 

 plant of this has been in the same 

 case three years, and was last winter 

 without any aid from artificial heat, 

 and was once so much frozen as to be 

 quite covered with hoar frost, and 

 without the least injury. 



13. A. rhizophorum is of similar 

 habit to A. fabianum, but the fronds 

 are of a light yellowish green, some- 

 what broader and more dense for half 

 their length ; they then become very 

 attenuated or tailed, and each one 

 arches over, and produces a vivipa- 

 rous plant at its extreme point, which 

 it generally manages to plant about 

 six inches distant from its own crown. 

 If a frond does not plant its baby 

 properly, lay a stone on it, so as to 

 press the point to the soil, and the 

 plant will soon take root, the young 

 one may then be removed from the 

 frond which produced it. 



14. A. viviparum grew luxuriantly 

 in the original case in pure cocoa-nut 

 dust, and was one of the gems of the 



