442 



JOURNAIi OP HOBTICDLTURB AND COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



[ Jnne 4, 1874. 



country and not see such perfect, handy, decorative plants as 

 those I refer to, about 1 foot to 18 inches high and through. — W. 



THE FEENS OP ST. HELENA.— No. 2. 



Lasteea NAroLEONis. — This very beautiful plant is extremely 

 rare in cultivation, and indeed would not appear to be plentiful 

 in the island to which it is peculiar. The caudex and base of 

 the fronds are covered with large dark-brown-coloured chaffy 

 scales. Fronds somewhat triangular in outline and deep green 

 in colour; they vary from 2 to 1.5 inches in height, pinnate, 

 the pinnas being closely set and deeply lobed, the lower pair 

 being usually twice-divided. It must be reckoned amongst 

 the most handsome of the genus for the decoration of the 

 cool fernery. The only recorded localities of this species are 

 near the summit of Diana's Peak and in the vicinity of Napo- 

 leon's tomb, St. Helena. 



L. coRucEA. — This has been quoted to me as a native of this 

 island, but as I have never seen an authentic specimen or a 

 recorded locality I am anxious for more information ; perhaps 

 Bome of my readers can enlighten me. 



L. OOGNATA. — A large bold-growing plant, resembling a 

 gigantic form of L. Napoleonis, and evidently nearly allied to 

 that species. It varies from 2 to 4 feet or more in height, 

 broad and spreading ; caudex very stout, densely clothed with 

 large dark-coloured chaffy scales, which also ascend the stipes ; 

 fronds bipinnate at the lower extremity but pinnate above, the 

 pinnae being closely set, very coriaceous, and dark green. It is 

 found near the summit of Diana's Peak and is peculiar to the 

 island, but hitherto, as far as I am aware, has not been intro- 

 duced in a living state to this country. 



L. PATENS. — This species has a wide distribution, and has 

 long been in cultivation. If planted-out in the stove fernery 

 it makes an extremely handsome specimen, throwing-up pin- 

 nate fronds nearly 3 feet high ; the pinnie are deeply lobed, 

 prettily eared at the base, and vivid green. It is a very effec- 

 tive and robust plant, which should find a place in every 

 fernery where space can be afforded it. It is found in many 

 parts of Tropical America, the West Indies, and St. Helena. 



PHEGorTEiiis DiAN.E. — A maguificent bold-growing cool- 

 house Fern, which I was delighted to find had been intro- 

 duced in a living state during the past year. The caudex is 

 stout and decumbent, clothed with large coarse chaffy scales, 

 2 feet or more in length and about a foot broad, pinnate, 

 saving at tlie bluntly-acuminate apex, where they are pin- 

 natifid. The pinnaj measure some 6 or 7 inches in length ; 

 they are stout and leathery, dark green on the upper side, 

 below furnished with short woolly haus. It has been sug- 

 gested to me that this is probably the same plant as Lastrca 

 Napoleonis. With this, however, I cannot agree ; its character 

 of being uniformly pinnate to the base at once takes away 

 that deltoid appearance which is such a marked peculiarity 

 in the outline of the fronds of L. Napoleonis, independently 

 of other widely distinct characters. It is found upon Diana's 

 Peak at considerable elevations. 



Htpolepis eugulosa. — This forms a beautiful object if planted 

 in the fernery near some jutting boulder, over which it may 

 scramble and thus clothe its surface with beautiful verdure, 

 or it may be made very effective treated as a basket plant. 

 Caudex creeping, reddish brown in colour. Fronds varying 

 from 10 to 30 inches in length, according to the locality in 

 which it is found ; they are tripinnate and somewhat deltoid 

 in outline, but in this also it is extremely variable. It is not 

 peculiar to St. Helena, but is found in New Zealand, Australia, 

 the East Indies, China, and various parts of South America. 



Pleopeltis lanceolata. — In this species we have a beautiful, 

 dwarf-growing, erect plant, which may be grown as an ordinary 

 pot plant, or it will thrive admirably in the Wardian case. 

 The fronds are rendered strikingly handsome by the large sori. 

 It is a free-growing plant, known to some by the names of 

 P. lepidota, or Polypodium macrocarpum. Native of various 

 parts of Tropical America, the Cape of Good Hope, Isle of 

 Bourbon, and St. Helena. 



PoLypopim maeginellum.— A pretty little species, which if 

 introduced in a living state would prove very attractive in a 

 Ward's case. It varies in height from 3 to 6 inches. The 

 fronds are linear lanceolate in shape and entire, deep green on 

 the upper side, paler below. This species is found in various 

 parts of the West Indies and America, as well as upon Diana's 

 Peak, St. Helena. 



MiCROsTAPHYLA liiFUECATA. — This is a Very curious Stag's- 

 hom-fronded little species, one which I have frequently received 



in a living state, but it is extremely difficult to establish. It 

 is found in sheltered moist places at about 1000 feet elevation, 

 which sufliciently indicates the atmosphere it requires. The 

 whole plant seldom exceeds 6 or 8 inches in height, and fre- 

 quently is not more than 4 or 5. The sterile fronds are some- 

 what lanceolate in outline and pinnate, with a narrow decurrent 

 border to the rachis ; the pinnse are variously forked, and re- 

 semble miniature stags' horns ; fertile fronds shorter than the 

 sterile ones and much less divided, the under side being wholly 

 occupied by the sporangia. The peculiar structure and habit 

 of this little Acrostiehoid plant has been the subject of a variety 

 of opinions amongst pteridologists. Some place it with the 

 tiymnogrammas, others make it an Osmunda ; it is, again, 

 often referred to Polybotrya, &c. ; but as far as I can judge it 

 does not seem to agree comfortably with any of them. It ia 

 peculiar to St. Helena. 



M. FOBCATA, known also by the name of Acrostichum dimor- 

 phum, is another curious and highly interesting plant, very 

 neai-ly aUied to the previously named species ; iudeed by some 

 it is considered identical, but it certainly appeared distinct to 

 me the only time I saw it introduced in a living state. It 

 grows to about the same height as M. bifurcata. The barren 

 fronds are oblong or oblong-lanceolate in outline, pinnatifid or 

 deeply lobed, and light green in colour. The fertile fronds I 

 have never seen. It has hitherto only been found near the top 

 of the celebrated Diana's Mount. 



Acon-iopteris suediaphana. — A simple-fronded plant, which 

 would be an Elaphoglossum, but it has the apices of the other- 

 wise free veins joined to 

 a continuous marginal 

 vein. Fronds about afoot 

 long and upwards of an 

 inch wide, simple and en- 

 tire in outline, lanceolate, 

 and dark green. Stipes 

 and crown of plant clothed 

 with numerous light 

 brown chaffy scales. It 

 grows upon the stems and 

 branches of trees natur- 

 ally, but thrives very well 

 under pot culture. It is 

 peculiar to the island. 



Elaphoolossum con- 

 FOEME (fig. 1).— A simple- 

 fronded plant with free 

 veins, somewhat abun- 

 dant in cultivation, and 

 not peculiar to this his- 

 torical little place. On 

 the contrary, it has a very 

 wide geographical range, 

 and consequently is ex- 

 tremely variable. The 

 fronds are usually from 6 

 to 12 inches long and 

 nearly an inch wide, co- 

 riaceous in texture, and 

 bright green. 



Pteris paleacea. — A 

 fine bold-growing species, 

 which will be acceptable 

 in large cool ferneries, but 

 it is not a plant for ama- 

 teurs. In but limited 

 space it grows 3 or 4 feet 

 high, or even more, re- 

 sembling a gigantic form 

 of P. quadriaurita, but 

 having stipes and rachis 

 clothed with large dark- 

 coloured chaffy scales. It 

 is peculiar to the island. 



P. FLAllELLATA. The 



plant which bears this 

 name resembles in every 

 respect the well-known 

 P. arguta, which well de- 

 serves a place in every 

 large cool-house fernery. 



The form bearing the name of flabeUata does not, however, 



withstand uninjured a very low temperature. 



F ig. 1. — ElaphogloBBum confonne. Eaneu 

 and fertile fronds medium size. 



