9^ ATHVRIUM FILIX-FCEMINA. 



minus the ultimate pinnae. The pinnules are variable in size 

 and form, sometimes wanting, more frequently depauperated, 

 and grotesque in shape. The upper half of the pinna? more 

 or less decurrent. I am indebted to Mr. Eiworthy for fronds. 



ViCTORi.E, 3Ioore. (Fig. 423.)— This Queen of Ferns was 

 accidentally discovered by Mr. James Cosh, while on a botanical 

 ramble in the year 1861, by the side of a bye-way that runs along 

 the margin of a wood on the Buchanan estate, Stirlingshire, 

 the property of His Grace the Duke of Montrose. Being a 

 large plant it attracted the attention of Mr. Cosh, who however 

 allowed it to remain in its original situation till the summer 

 of 1863, when Mr. John Connon, the gardener at Buchanan, 

 having had his attention drawn to this curious Fern, and 

 being aware of how great an acquisition it was, had it 

 transferred to the garden. Mr. Moore gave it the name of 

 Victorice, considering it worthy of that high distinction, and 

 the editor of the "West of Scotland Horticultural Magazine" 

 fully described it in May, 1864. The original plant is still 

 at Buchanan; but by some means, not altogether legitimate, 

 a portion of this plant got into other hands. Length of frond 

 eighteen inches, width five inches. The pinnae, which average 

 three inches in length, in the centre of the frond are branched. 

 The secondary rachis divides close to the junction with the 

 main rachis into twin pinna?, one of which ascends at an 

 angle of about 50°, and the other descends at the same 

 angle; therefore each ascending pinna crosses the next two 

 descending pinnre, and vice versa, thus forming a number of 

 diamond-shaped spaces. The pinna? are linear, and an inch 

 below their apices divide into three or four linear branches, 

 which are multifid-crested. The pinnae are slightly shorter 

 towards the base, and gradually diminish in length towards 

 the apex of the frond, which is also digitately multifid. 

 Two inches below the multifid apex of the frond the pinn® 

 become very small, and are not branched at their tips. Pimife 

 sub-opposite below, alternate above. Pinnules small and entire, 

 divided to the rachides for half the length of the pinn^, and 

 then decurrent to the apex, being merely a row of small 

 teeth on either side of the rachides. Mr. John Sadler has 

 described this variety in the "Bot. Soc. Edin. Trans.," vol. 



