CULTIVATION. 361 



in another respect in being one of the few Ferns that 

 are only annual. It is widely dispersed throughout the 

 tropics, growing in wet places, often flooded; its 

 sterile, viviparous fronds floating on or below the 

 surface of the water, as may be yearly seen in the 

 Victoria Lily tanks at Kew. Being annual, care must 

 be taken to preserve spores, which in the spring 

 should be sown in a shallow pan of loamy soil made 

 wet like mud, kept moist ; and when the plants are of 

 sufficient size, the pan may be either filled with water, 

 or be placed about an inch deep in a tank. Acrostichum 

 aureum is mentioned as growing in wet places; for 

 instance, in Jamaica and other of the West-India 

 Islands it is described as taking the place of the Euro- 

 pean TypJta latifolia, attaining the height of seven or 

 eight feet. By imitating its natural condition, placing 

 it in a pan of water, or in a tank, specimens have been 

 grown at Kew to the height of six feet ; but although 

 it enjoys and luxuriates in water, it also grows in dry 

 places, its height then not exceeding one to two feet, 

 and often with simple fronds. 



The delicately beautiful Selaginellas, on account of 

 the large share of notice they receive and meet from 

 the admirers of the Cryptogamic family, deserve 

 here an especial notice. Originally the species were 

 included under Lycopodium ; but have been separated 

 on account of differing in the character of their 

 spore-cases. The species are numerous, and their 

 habit and free growth mark them as a very distinct 

 group from true Lycopodium. With a knowledge of 

 a few species, two very distinct modes of growth are 

 easily understood ; the upright or climbing ones, such 

 as S. Africana and 8. filicina, are examples, and the 



