THE FLOKA.L WORLD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 243 



A first-rate fern for a "Wardian case or for pot culture, and does 

 well on the shady parts of rockwork, and a general favourite. 



Scolopendrium vulgare, or the hart's tongue fern, is very common 

 on old walls, hedge-banks, rocks and river-sides. It is an evergreen 

 fern of tufted growth, the fronds being simple or undivided, of a 

 beautiful bright green colour, and stout leathery texture, varying 

 from six inches to a foot in length, supported on rough scaly brown 

 stipes or steins. The fronds are slightly waved at the margin, strap- 

 shaped, forming a circular drooping tuft, elegant of outline, contrast- 

 ing very distinctly with the usual feathery appearance of ferns, and 

 is a general favourite. 



In shady moist situations it forms beautiful specimens. It is one 

 of the very best ferns for open rockwork, and makes a beautiful pot 

 plant for the window. 



Some of the varieties of this fern are very beautiful and curious. 

 Crispum has the margins of the fronds greatly developed, giving them 

 a rich wavy crisped appearance. There are numerous other varieties, 

 such as polyschides, midtifidum, laceratum, and ravw-marginatum, all 

 worthy your attention and very suitable. 



Tricliomanes radicans, or European bristle fern, is a very lovely 

 and elegant little plant of a delicate half transparent texture, found 

 only upon dripping rocks in the immediate neighbourhood of water- 

 falls. It has a scaly wirelike creeping stem, nearly black in colour, 

 from which the fronds rise supported by dark-looking stripes, having 

 a thin pellucid texture or continuation of the leafy parts embracing 

 them continued along the rachis or midrib. The fronds are three or 

 four times divided, and cut again into small-lobed segments of a 

 delicately thin semi-membranous texture. 



It is only found in Ireland, where it creeps and grows most 

 luxuriantly among the rocks where constant moisture is maintained. 

 In cultivation the same moist atmosphere must be kept up. It can 

 only be grown therefore by being kept close in a Wardian case, or 

 under a bell-glass, and often watered overhead. It shrivels up if it 

 gets dry or exposed to the sun. Its transparent loveliness has made 

 it a great favourite with cultivators. 



Woodseallvensis, or Alpine woodsia, is a tufted diminutive species, 

 and very rare ; found in the crevices of moistened rocks in high 

 mountainous regions. Its fronds, which appear in the spring and die 

 down in autumn, rise from a crown, and are longish and narrow, 

 divided into several lobed divisions or pinna?, placed alternately along 

 the midrib. This is an excellent little fern for a case, and does well 

 along with filmy ferns. 



Asplenium ruta-muravia, or the wall rue, is a very diminutive 

 tufted-growing fern, found abundantly, in some localities, on old 

 walls and bridges. It has hard wiry roots that insinuate themselves 

 into the crevices of masonry, and are difficult to remove. The fronds 

 rise in a tuft from the root, and are dark green and hard, very like 

 the leaves of the garden rue in shape. It is a nice little fern for 

 small rockwork in fern cases, and is very easily cultivated. It is also 

 very suitable for outdoor rockwork when once established. It is an 

 evergreen fern. 



August. 



