182 HAEDY FERNS. 



long, dark green; pinnae narrow, forked, pointing edge up- 

 right, spiny. Cups or involucres single, on the points of 

 the pinnules, compressed ; when opened they divide in two 

 parts, showing the spore-cases in a cluster. Stalk winged. 

 Eootstock creeping and thread-like. Increased readily by 

 division. 



H. WILSONI (Wilson's Hymen ophyllum). This is also a 

 British species, often found growing in the same locality, and 

 mixed with the former species, to which it bears a close 

 resemblance. Fronds lance-shaped, pinnate, dark green, from 

 1 to 4 inches long ; pinna? recurved, and divided into hand- 

 shaped segments, which are cut into thorny points at the 

 edges. Cups containing the fructification entire at the edges. 

 Stalk winged. Kootstock round, like a thread, and creeping 

 Increased by division. The differences between these two 

 closely-allied species are, in the latter the pinnse are recurved 

 or rolled back, whereas in the former the pinnse point their 

 edges vertically or upwards ; then, again, the latter has the 

 cups or involucres quite smooth at the edge, the former being 

 spiny or fringed. To find out the differences the cultivator 

 must use a good magnifier. 



As we have succeeded very well in cultivating these two 

 Filmy Ferns, we have great pleasure in detailing the means we 

 used, and the method we followed. The first plants we had 

 under our care were those we alluded to above as coming from 

 Ireland, wrapped round the emphatically so-called Irish Fern. 

 We were informed by the collector, an Irish gardener of the 

 name of Doran, that they grow there on a sloping wet bank 

 near waterfalls, generally on the north side : consequently 

 there were two things they did not like dryness and sunshine 

 on the contrary, a moist climate, with plenty of wet at the 

 root, and plenty of shade, were necessary adjuncts to their 

 well-being. Acting upon this information, we filled several 

 large flat pans with sandy peat and small stones intermixed; 

 upon this we laid the patches of Hymenophyllum, packing 



