ABNORMAL FERNS. 



billing together of two or three characters in one frond, such as the 

 ■narrow-cri^:p-d, the multlfid-crixpcd, or the narrow multijid as examples. 

 In a wild state abnormal forma are found most commonly where, from 

 various causes, ferns do not grow luxuriantly, i.e., grow under difficulties. 

 When ferns flourish in a high degree, it is almost useless to hunt for 

 abnormal forms. 



It seems that spores gathered from one portion of an abnormal frond 

 will produce different varieties from those of spores gathered from 

 another portion of the same frond ; so that if an accidental abnormal 

 portion of a frond be fertile it is not impossible to reproduce from ita 

 spores plants having fronds in imitation of the accidental abnormal 

 form. 



The method adopted by the author of this paper in raising plants 

 from spores is one that can be recommended. Ha\ing carefully prepared 

 the soil, and then roasted or boiled it, in order to destroy all animal and 

 vegetable life, it is placed in a Wardian case or pan, ha\-ing a glass cover. 

 The soil if roasted will require to be wetted with boiled or distilled water 

 in order to be of a proper moistuess. It is then pressed until there is a 

 smooth surface, and after this so^ii vnth. spores, which should not be 

 covered with soil. All watering must be done from below, i.e., the pan 

 placed in a saucer full of water, immersed about one-third of its 

 depth, and this must either be boiled or distilled water, to prevent 

 a confervoid growth on the surface, which would kill the young fern 

 germs. On the surface becoming green with growing ferns, transplant 

 with the point of a knife into much larger pans ; and this can 

 be best done by making small indents in the surface, and placing 

 in them small patches of the spores, and lightly pressing each uath a 

 finger, taking care to wipe the finger dry after every pressure, or the 

 young plants will cling to it. To procure new varieties, spores are scraped 

 off portions of a number of curious fi-onds or parts of fronds of the name 

 species, and sown thickly together ; and the reason for sowing thickly is 

 that the germinal fronds by being pressed closely together by each other 

 become more or less vertical, a position thought to be more easily 

 fertilised by the male organs falling more readily into the female cells 

 than when in a more or less horizontal position, as they would be if sown 

 very thinly. Nature does, to some extent, pro\'ide for this by curling the 

 thickened edges ; yet under these circumstances, with thin sowing, the 

 male spiral is more likely to be one from the same individual, and would 

 therefore more probably produce a form identical with the parent germ 

 frond ; whereas, if the spores of many forms be sown together the chances 

 seem to be much more in favour of the fertilizntion by another variety 

 being accomplished. After gathering the fronds for spores, it is better to 

 place them in di-ying papers for a day or tv.'o, and then scrape off the 

 spores and sow immediately. Freshly gathered spores germinate much 

 more quicldy than those that have been kept for a time. 



It has been said, sow together only varieties of the same species, 

 though occasionally, but i^erij rarehj, two species may be crossed and a 

 hi/hrid s^;(t/<'.s- produced. Still, it is so difficult to cross species that 

 we have at the most only a few examples to quote. These instances are 

 probably, — first, Lastrea remota, a cross between Lantrea dilatata, and 

 Lastrea filix-mas; second, Anpleniiim microdon, a cross between Aapleniitm 

 viariiium and Aspleuiitm Uniceolatum ; and third, Aspleniiuii Germanicuin 

 a possible cross betv/een Aapleiiium riita-inuraria and Asplenium septen- 

 triouale. The author has failed to raise spores from any of these, and is 

 not aware of any one else succeeding, whilst in a wild state the two 

 so-called parents appear always to tie grov/iug together wliere tlie third 

 form is found. 



