^gj-^] Lucas, Fevns Groivn in the Open. 93 



and imported species have alike thriven with a minimum of 



wilting. One rarely meets with seedlings of P. aquilina in the 



bush. I came across several at Clarence, about the highest 



point on the Blue Mountains. The young fronds were so 



delicate and finely divided, and of so pale a green, that I was 



doubtful whether the plants were really young bracken. 



However, I brought one home and planted it in a favoured 



situation, and it soon threw out thick rhizomes, and had to be 



removed or it would have trampled over its more dehcate 



neighbours. Now it is a typical bracken fern. P. tremula, 



" the Australian Bracken," as it appears to be called by 



British nurserymen, does not run like P. aquilina, but grows 



very speedily into a tall bush with copious fronds, and is useful 



in sheltering more tender ferns. I have a number of plants, 



and they have all put out fertile fronds. In the bush-house 



it propagates profusely from spores, which easily germinate 



in the original or in adjacent pots. Out of doors the ground 



is too much disturbed, as a rule, for the spores to germinate. 



P. falcata is a ground-runner, and soon spreads. It has never 



required any special attention, but forms effective clumps in 



the lower-lying beds. I have two or three plants of the variety 



nana. These have so far (for a year) maintained their dwarf 



habit. Some plants which I grew formerly in a box in the 



bush-house did gradually in the course of three or four years 



revert into the larger form of the type. There are several 



plants of P. paradoxa, from seedhngs (I beheve), with one simple 



frond to full-grown ferns with creeping rhizome and several 



pinnate leaves. The neatly cut, shapely fronds are of a deep 



green, and the ferns look well massed. Not one seemed to feel 



the heat adversely, but they were well shaded. P. incisa 



rather resented moving, but, once established, grew rapidly, 



with stout rhizomes and large fronds. These feel the heat. 



At the end of the summer plants growing in the wild state in 



the crannies of the rocks in railway cuttings or similar situations 



show a good many withered fronds. Now that the rains are 



falling the plants appear to be in the best of health, and are 



growing out vigorously. The fronds are of a particularly 



refreshing green, and are large enough to give shelter to other 



ferns. P. umhrosa grows along the banks of running creeks 



in good soil. It grows slowly at first when transplanted, but 



finally becomes very tall and strong. It takes several years 



to produce spores ; in fact, I have never myself found fertile 



fronds in my hunting. My oldest plant, grown by me for 



three years, was scorched badly by the sun, so that I do not 



expect to see fertile fronds this year. We must be patient. 



P. quadriaufita was sensitive, and, curiously, more so than the 



argyrea variety sold by the florists. This white-striped variety 



