194 HARDY FERNS. 



circumstance in this genus, as now constituted. Increases 

 very freely by division. It is, fortunately, for such a beautiful 

 Fern, plentiful and cheap. 



P. HEXAGONOPTERUM (Winged Polypody). We are indebted 

 to North America for this hardy, deciduous, handsome Fern. 

 Fronds 1-|- foot high, triangular, bipinnate, with the pinnae 

 opposite, and without stalk, or sessile. Pinnules bluntly 

 oblong and scalloped. The whole plant is covered thinly 

 with hairs. Spore-masses round and placed near the margin. 

 Rootstock creeping. Increased by division. 



P. PHEGOPTERIS (Beech Fern). A British Fern, very hardy, 

 being found in the northern parts of Europe, as far as Sweden 

 and Lapland. Fronds bipinnate, 9 inches high; the lower 

 pinnse project forward and reflex. Pinnules entire and very 

 narrow. Seed-vessels incline to oblong, and are placed near 

 the margin. Rootstock scaly and creeping freely ; by it the 

 species may be easily increased. 



P. VULGARE (Common). This is the Fern we see so 

 common on hedgebanks, fallen trees, and low walls near to 

 woods. The fructification is very conspicuous and beautiful. 

 There are several varieties one called P. v. cambricum, or 

 Welsh Polypody, is the most distinct. In the garden at 

 Winchester, before referred to, we noticed a variety with the 

 pinnse very deeply and sharply cut into segments. We have 

 ventured to name this P. vulgare dentatum. It is true the 

 Welsh Polypody has its pinnse deeply cut, but they are very 

 irregularly so, and are frequently curled both upwards and 

 backwards circumstances that never occur, that we are aware 

 of, in the P. v. dentatum. Mr. Weaver could give no account 

 where it came from, but stated that it was very constant in its 

 varied character. In a garden near Barnet (Wrotham Park), 

 Mr. Thomson, who was then gardener there, showed us a 

 lot of common Ferns growing in a raised bed, and, to our 

 great surprise, we observed a few fronds of the P. vulgare that 

 were dentated, like the one at Winchester. We drew Mr. 



