FERNERIES. 



399 



The Scolopendrium of our English woods (fig. 867), with its curious 

 sports, varieties, and deformities, is a magnificent fern, which thrives 

 better out of doors than in the outdoor fernery. Another species, 

 S. rhizophylliim or, as it is sometimes called, the Camptosorus rhizo- 

 pliyllus, or Walking Leaf is an in- 

 teresting fern from British America, 

 which I have not yet tried out of 

 doors. 



The indoor fernery contains a 

 fine fern called the Didymochlcena 

 lunulata (fig. 912) from tropical 

 America, which has metallic-looking FlG . 9I2 .-Did^ochLna lunulata. 



fronds. The plant has the curious property, when not in health, of 

 dropping its pinnules, which gives it a woe-begone look. 



The genus Aspidium yields us the noble A. aculeatum, which grows 

 all over the world. There are many varieties, of which A. proliferum, 

 from Australia, is a most elegant fern, and will grow either out of 

 doors or in the fernery ; it is frequently called Polystichum angulare 

 (fig. 873). The A. LoncJiitis, or Holly Fern (fig. 874), from the High- 

 land mountains, is a beautiful fern for greenhouses or for outdoor 

 ferneries. The A. falcatum, generally called Cyrtomium falcatum, is 

 a useful greenhouse fern, but hardly succeeds out of doors. 



The Aspidium coriaccum, or Poly podium capcnse, as it is sometimes 

 called, is a fine hard fern with fronds from one to three feet long. 



The genus Nephrodium, in which Hooker and Baker comprise all 

 the Lastreae, is another very large genus, which affords us many 

 important species. The N. Sieboldii, from Japan, is a fine fern, nearly 

 hardy if not quite. The N. patens is another fine fern, which readily 

 multiplies itself. This genus also gives to us the beautiful N. Thely- 

 pteris (fig. 876), the N. Oreopteris, called by Baker montanum y and the 

 noble Male Fern, or N. Filix-mas (fig. 875), which has an extensive 

 geographical distribution, and presents many varieties ; also the 

 N. cristatum, the N. spimdosum, with its varieties, and especially 

 N. dilatatum, or Broad Fern, and the N. <zmuluin, the Hay-scented or 



