ADIANTUM CAPILLUS-VENERIS. 

 TRUE MAIDEN-HAIR FERN. 



NATURAL ORDER, FILICES. 



Adianti'm Capillus-Veneris, Linnaeus. — Frond ovate-lanceolate, twice to thrice pinnate ; pin- 

 nules very delicate, oblique, broadly wedge-shaped or sometimes rhomboid, rather long- 

 stalked, the upper margin deeply incised and fruit-bearing or sterile and dentate; stipe 

 slender, ebeneous ; rachis almost capillary, flexuous. (Chapman's Flora of the Southern 

 United States. See also Eaton's Ferns of North America. ) 



P^2|NCE in a while some reader of our " Native Flowers and 

 In^^ l Ferns " writes that it would be " so nice " to know more 

 about the cultivation of these pretty things. They forget for the 

 moment that we are dealing with wild flowers, and that it is not 

 possible to tell them, from experience, how to cultivate that 

 which has not been cultivated. In the present case such friends 

 may be gratified, for the True Maiden-hair is one of the best 

 known of culuvated ferns. It is extensively grown by florists 

 for ornamental work, and is a frequent denizen of fern cabinets. 

 It also adapts itself better than many other ferns to room- 

 culture ; and, if but a few ferns are favorites in some small green- 

 house, the True Maiden-hair is very likely to be one found 

 among them. If these greenhouses have any slighdy damp, or 

 partially shaded places on their walls, it is more than likely that 

 this plant will be found spontaneously there ; not only taking 

 good care of itself, but in many cases showing, by its luxuriance, 

 how much it rejoices in its freedom. The fronds in these cases 

 are often a foot in length, which is a good average growth, though 

 Dr. Chapman, in the work we have quoted, gives one foot as 

 the minimum, and speaks of three feet as the length they some- 



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