ASPLENIUM. 177 



Park, a very successful cultivator of hardy Ferns, even in 

 that locality. A third variety has been named ramosum ; 

 the pinnas branching out, flat-shaped, not particularly hand- 

 some, but very curious. Found in Ireland by the late Dr. 

 Mackay, the curator of the Trinity College Gardens, Dublin. 

 This is one of the most variable of all Ferns, and there are 

 a number of well-marked and distinct forms of it. Frizellia 

 (Miss Frizell's) is a very narrow-fronded variety, in which 

 the fronds are simply pinnate, and the pinnae small and fan- 

 shaped. In plumosa (Feather-like), we find just the other 

 extreme : here the frond is very broad and repeatedly- divided. 

 This is a very beautiful kind for pot-culture, as is also the 

 last-named. Then again we have another variety, also brought 

 out by Mr. Veitch, and called multiceps (Often-divided). In 

 this we find the much-branched frond combined with another 

 interesting character that is, with all the points of the 

 frond tasselled. On strong plants the tassel at the apex 

 of the frond has been seen as much as 5 inches across. In 

 the curious form called depauperatum (Depauperised), we find 

 the divisions of the fronds reduced almost to their midribs, 

 a mere skeleton as it were ; but then at the points spreading 

 into fan-shaped tassels. This is a very striking and remark- 

 able plant. Most of these varieties come true from spores, or 

 nearly so. 



A. FONTANUM (Fountain). A British Fern of a neat, dwarf, 

 compact habit. Fronds long and narrow, lance-shaped, and 

 twice-cut, growing 6 inches long. We have had plants of this 

 pretty Fern nearly a foot across. Should be grown in moist 

 shady places. Increased readily by division when the plant 

 is large enough. This is really a desirable Fern, and no 

 -collection ought to be without it. 



A. LANCEOLATUM (Lance-shaped). Another elegant British 

 Fern, something like the A. fontanum, but the pinnae are 

 placed much more distant from each other, and the fronds 

 grow taller, often attaining a foot in length, and the pinnse 



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