FOLIAGE PLANTS 373 



they make excellent house plants. When small, they are 

 particularly nice for fern dishes. The culture is the same 

 as for aspleniums. This genus is closely related to the 

 polystichums. 



603. Sword ferns, botanical classification. Order, 

 Polypodiacea? ; genus, Xephrolepis (Greek, meaning kidney 

 and scale, referring to the shape of the indusia) ; species : 

 exaltata, cordifolia, and davalUoides. The most common 

 types of N. .exaltata, with their dates of introduction, 

 are as follows : 



American origin : 

 Nephrolepis exaltata, short compact fronds. 



var. bostoniensis . .... . . . . Date unknown 



Whitboldi . . . . 1900 



Hilda Fruck 1900 



Anna Foster (Fosteri) . . 1902 



Piersoni (Gold Medal Fern) 1903 



elegantissima (Philadelphia Lace Fern) . . 1904 



Barrowsii 1905 



Whitmanii (Ostrich Plume Fern) .... 1906 



robusta 1907 



Amerpholi (Filagree Fern) 1907 



Goodii . . . . . . . -. previous to 1907 



magnifica 1908 



superbissima (Fluffy Ruffles Fern) .... 1908 



Elberti 1908 



Giatrasii 1908 (?) 



Scholzeli 1909 



W. K. Harris (Harrisii) 1909 



Scottii .. .... 1909 (?) 



elegantissima compacta . .... . . . 1909 



Preussneri . . . . . . -". . . . . . 1909 



Galvestoni .....*.. 1909 



Roosevelt.. ... 1910 



viridissima 1911 



muscosa (Moss Fern) 1911 



splendens (Big Four Fern) 1914 



Teddy Jr 1914 



Whitmanii compacta Unknown 



Smithii ..,,....,.,.. 1914 (?) 



