2134 



XKPHROLKPIS 



NEPHROLEPIS 



to be in actual cultivation for the trade in the United 

 States, topether with some formerly in the trade but 

 imjHirtunt becaus(> the moiloni varieties li:ivt' sprung . 

 frtim them. Whenever vxissible, other varieties have 

 Invn piven incidental description by comparison with 

 the more im(x)rlant fonns. In some ciises it has not 

 Ihh'u jHissible to si-ttle the claims advanced for two or 

 mori> similar v;u"ieties and in such cases the varieties 

 have Imhmi given coordinate treatment with a single 

 description. English varieties about wliich little infor- 

 mation hiis been available have been mentioned where 

 jHissible in connection with similar American forms. 



2470. Nephrolepis Harrisii. ( X H : pinna X i-Q 



In the key below dimensions given are for well- 

 grown plants in (>-inch pots. In the smaller varieties, 

 these dimensions are maximum, but some of the larger 

 tj-pes may develop leaves as long as 6 feet. 



A. Exallala forms with Ivs. 1-jnnnate or sometimes 



pinnate- pinnalifid. 



B. Length of Ivs. 2]/r-S ft. 



c. Pinnx plane, the margins straight. 



5. bostoniensis. Fig. 24C9. Intro, by F. C. Becker, 

 189.5. I'rec-growing, the Ivs. dark green, spreading or 

 hanging according to the light, the petioles rather suc- 

 culent, the pinna^ hnear-lanceolate, acute, 3-4 in. long, 

 ''i~M in. wide, entire or crenulate, plane or slightly 

 undulate, herbaceous, less stiff than t>7)e form, with 

 more graceful and broader pinna;. The standard vari- 

 ety and best of all for general purposes. Good a-s a 

 pot-plant (6 in. or more) or in baskets, on palm trunks 

 or in the rockery. It may be planted out in the south- 

 em .states. 



cc. Pinnx wavy. 



6. Harrisii. Fig. 2470. \Vm. K. Harris, from hostoni- 

 erigix. Wm. K. Harris, Win. K. Harris, from Harrisii 

 is merely Harrisii selected for the greater wavine.ss of 

 the pinna:. See Rooseveltii. 



7. Rodseveltii, Amer. Rose and Plant Co., from bos- 

 toniensis. Like bostoniensis, except for the pinna; which 

 are beautifully waved and usually auriculate. Roose- 

 vellii is exactly like the Harris forms as to the undiila^ 

 tion of the pinna;, but is not quite so large a form and 

 can (M>nHf;gviently br: bettor growii in 6-inch pots. Both 

 make beautiful plants when well grown. Harrisii and 

 HooseieUii probably repre.s<;nt .s(;parate sports of two 

 distinct tyyxis of Boston fern which exist in 

 the tra/le, one taller than the other. 



8. New York, Giatras, I'.iVi, from Gia- 

 traxii. 8f)rriewhat smaller than bostoniensis, 

 the IvH. slender, narrow, the j)inna; some- 

 what undulate, 2-3 in. long, often blunt, 

 the petiole slender, wiry. Good when well 

 grown but rather slow. Like (Halrasii but 



larger. 2471 



BB. Length of Ins. 16-24 in. 



C. All the pimur entire, not innnalifid. 



D. Pinnx not wavy or tirisled. 



9. Scfittii, Jno. Scott, from hiislonictisis. Lvs. spread- 

 ing, recurved, the pinna' close, rcvohite and recurved, 

 the petioles stoutish, rather .succulent, strong. This is 

 the conunonest of t,he dwarf varieties. When well 

 gro\\^l, it forms a compact dense cluster of Ivs. wliich 

 have good lasting iiualities. It is .somewhat subject to 

 white scale, and is slower than Teddy Jr. 



10. falcata, \\'agner, from Scollii. Like Scottii, ex- 

 cept that ends of piniue are 1- or 2-forked. 



11. Giatrasii, Giatras, 1909, from bostonietisis. 

 About the same size as Seottii, perhaps a little smaller, 

 but different in having more flexible lvs., wiry petioles 

 and midribs, nearly i)lane pintKc. Well-grown plants 

 jjcrhaps more grac(;ful than iScattii but slower-growing 

 and therefore not so much used. 



12. Dwarf Boston, F. R. Picrson, from elcganlissima 

 compacta. A little taller and more free-growing than 

 Scollii, lvs. straighter, the pinna; nearly plane. 



DD. Pinnx wavy or twisted. 



13. Teddy Jr., Amer. Rose and Plant Co., from 

 Rooscvellii. Free-growing, dark green, with wavy pinniE 

 as in Harrisii or Rooscuellii. The pinna; are broader 

 than those of Scottii, the color is darker, and the plants 

 fiuicker-growing. Replacing Scottii to some extent. 



14. Wagneri, Wagner, from Scottii. A dwarf sport 

 of Scollii with the pinna; very close and somewhat 

 curved. Resembles viridissima, but more regular. 



15. viridissima, Pierson, from superhissiina. Lvs. 

 dark green, rigitl, erect, with twisted, closely imbricated 

 pinna;. Inherits the irregularity of superbissima and 

 represents a 1-pinnate reversion. Found to be too 

 slow-growing and too stiff to be valuable for trade. 



cc. All or sotiie of the pinnx deeply lohed or pinnalifid. 



16. Wanamaker Boston, Craig, 1915, from Scholzelii. 

 Lvs. rather narrow, erect and .spreading, the pinnae 

 wavy, sometimes deeply lobed or pinnatifid in the outer 

 halves, auriculate or with a single separate pinnule at 

 the bases, often bent forward or backward. (This 

 form represents the selection and prop, of the once- 

 pinnate type of If. often found on Scholzelii.) 



AA. Exallala forms with lvs. 2-pinnale or 2-pinnate- 

 pinnalijid. 



B. Length of lvs. 2 ft. or more. 



17. Piersonii, F. R. Pierson, 1902, from bostoniensis. 

 The first of the 2-pinnate fonns and now discarded. 

 Tall-growing, with the habit of A^. bostoniensis, the lvs. 

 unevenly divided, some 1-pinnate, some partly once- 

 and partly twice-pinnate, and some entirely 2-pinnate. 

 Important, liccause nearly all the later 2-pinnate types 

 have come from it, but not itself desirable. 



18. B^rrowsii, Barrows, 1905, from Piersonii. Much 

 like Piersonii, but somewhat differently divided. An- 

 other form of this type was called ".4nna Foster." 

 From this have come Whilmanii and Magnifica. 



fv 



m 







Nephrolepis elegantissima compacta. ( X ^3; pinna X ? -l) 



