THE FERN PARADISE. 



tors believe, its abundance lias remained, as yet, 

 the secret of some, probably, inaccessible locali- 

 ties. 



The present species might somewhat appro- 

 priately be likened in a general way to small 

 specimens of Asplenium lanceolatum. The fronds 

 are of an average length of some four or five 

 inches, bright green in colour, and thick in texture. 

 They have short, dark, purplish stems, their leafy 

 portions being narrowly lance-shaped, tapering 

 to their bases as well as to their apices. The tiny 

 branches of the frond are placed in alternation 

 along on each side of the rachis, and are furnished 

 with alternately- placed triangular or four- sided 

 lobes, which are deeply and sharply incised, the 

 incisions giving a beautifully serrated appearance 

 to the lobes. 



Under green-house cultivation the fronds of 

 this beautiful little Fern w T ill sometimes attain a 

 length of twelve inches. The soil for growing it 

 should be sandy loam and leaf-mould ; and small 

 pieces of soft, broken stone should be mixed with 

 the compost, the root-stock of Fontanum being 

 placed between little blocks of the stone. It is a 



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