92 



THE FLORISTS MANUAL. 



Nephrolcpis Davalttoides Furcans. 



satisfactory, and what is finer than a 

 specimen plant? 



N. Piersoni is still more beautiful, 

 and the still newer N. Piersoni ele- 

 gantissima is simply superb and charms 

 all who see it. And there are others. 

 Grand as they are either in large or 

 small specimens, they are not so useful 

 for general use as Scottii or the old 

 Bostoniensis. 



The gleichenia is another beautiful 

 genus that spreads by rhizomes, and 

 for the private fernery is among the 

 handsomest but not so easily managed 

 as the davallia. Gleichenia Boryi, G. 

 circinati, G. dicarpa, G. polypoides, G. 

 rupestris, and varieties of these are 

 mentioned as fine trailing ferns, as are 

 many of the polypodiums, and of easy 

 management. P. aureum, P. Billardieri, 

 P. Paradiseae, P. repens, P. sororium 

 and P. verrucosum are highly com 

 mended for any place where ferns of a 

 creeping or trailing habit are desired. 



The drooping ferns are those having 

 drooping or pendulous fronds and are 

 more valuable for hanging baskets than 

 any other class, and none is better 

 known or better for the purpose than 

 the splendid genus nephrolepis. By 

 their stoloniferous habit young plants 

 soon emerge from the outside of the 

 baskets in all directions. Bostoniensis 

 is unequalled as a basket plant, makes 

 a grand specimen in a pot or tub, with 

 stands the dry heat of a sitting-room 

 remarkably well, equal to a kentia palm, 

 and does fairly well in the broad sun if 

 well provided with water. 



N. cordifolia is known among florists 

 generally as tuberosa because the un 

 derground stolons bear tubers. This spe 

 cies, although from tropical America, 

 lives and grows in our cool house and 

 for vases and veranda-boxes is the hard 

 iest of all; N. davallioides, and its 

 beautiful form, furcans. Then there 



are several species or varieties, one 

 known among us as cordata compacta, 

 shorter in the frond but making a very 

 compact, dark green, handsome plant. 



Several , of the adiantums have a 

 drooping form and for private collec 

 tions are beautiful, but not florists 

 plants. A. corcinnum is a beautiful 

 species, and with it are recommended for 

 baskets caudatum, digitatum, lunulatum, 

 Moorei and others. 



Class 8. Filmy or Transparent Ferns. 



To embrace all the classes it is neces 

 sary not to neglect the above, although 



even if of interest to the florist they 

 cannot be any source of profit. Yet 

 they are considered the gems of the 

 whole family of ferns. There are only 

 three genera: hymenophyllum, tricho- 

 manes and todea. To these may almost 

 be added the Xephrolepis Piersoni and 

 elegantissima. These three genera have 

 numerous representatives in many parts 

 of the world. The same difficulty would 

 be met with in their cultivation here as 

 occurs with Odontoglossum crispum 

 among orchids : our hot, dry summers 

 and the necessity of fire heat in winter. 

 To this class belongs the world famous 

 Killarney fern, which grew, and if van 

 dals have not destroyed it, yet grows 

 among the shady nooks and rocks about 

 the Lakes of Killarney. What a pity 

 travelers do not search for a section of 

 the vertebra of some extinct saint, of 

 which that island has been so prolific, 

 and leave the gem Trichomanes radicans 

 in peace. 



Some forty-five years ago, in fact, ex 

 actly that, the waiter had charge of a 

 cool conservatory. In that house on the 

 south side of the north path, about half 

 way between the east and the west 

 paths, and partly shaded by the fine 

 heads of a Dicksonia antarctica and a 

 C yathea dealbata, one on either side, 

 was a small case, perhaps about five 

 feet long and two feet wide, with a 

 hinged glass roof ; and in &quot;this case some 

 eighteen inches below the glass were 

 several clumps of the Killarney fern 

 (Triehomanes radicans) and the other 

 British filmy fern, Hymenophyllum 

 Tunbridgense. I have ueen particular 

 in locating this little greenhouse within 

 a greenhouse because I can see the Kil 

 larney fern now, although I have not 

 seen one since it was my duty to lift 

 up the lid and let in a little air if there 

 Avas too great a degree of moisture on 

 the delicate fronds. There was an older 



Pteris Tremula Smithae. 



