FERNS 259 



percristatum, corymbiferum, James ; depauperatum, orbiculatum, gem- 

 matum, and multifurcatum. The best plumose or extra feathery ones : 

 A. /. /. pi. Axminster, Horsfall, divaricatum, plumosum elegans, 

 Parsons ; and any of Mr. Druery's strain of " superbum," which are 

 the finest of all. Other " gems " of different sections are the dwarf 

 congested forms. 



The Buckler Ferns (Lastreas). The best Male Ferns (L. filix-mas 

 and L. pseudo-mas) are L. p. m. cristata (The King of the Male Ferns) 

 and its narrow form L. p. m. c. angustata, L. p. m. polydactyla, 

 L. f. m. grandiceps, crispa gracilis (dwarf), crispa cristata angustata 

 (dwarf), ramossissima, ramulosissima grandiceps Lowi, revolvens, and 



The Mountain Buckler Fern (L. montana) must be grown in moist 

 loam. It has sported freely ; the best are L. m. cristata, Barnes ; and 

 grandiceps, cristata gracile, Druery ; plumosa, Barnesii, ramo-coronans, 

 Barnes ; and congesta. 



The Broad Buckler Fern (L. dilatata) has given us L. d. cristata, 

 Oscroft ; grandiceps, Barnes ; lepidota and lepidota cristata, and others. 



The Hay-scented Fern (L. xmula), a pretty crested form, and L. &. 

 cristata. 



The Shield Ferns, or Polystichums, being evergreen, are perhaps 

 the most serviceable of all. The beautiful forms of these are innumer- 

 able. We can only indicate a few. 



The Holly Fern (P. Lonchitis). P. L. cristata is very pretty. 

 This can only be grown outside in a moist situation, facing north, and 

 under the shelter of a big piece of rock or burr ; so treated it does well, 

 but rarely in the open. The type is pretty and should be tried first. 



The Hard Shield Fern (P. aculeatum). A capital Fern in any of 

 its forms. There are several grandiceps, all good, but the prince of the 

 family is P. ac. pulcherrimum, which under glass has no equal in its 

 own particular line, a perfectly graceful shuttlecock, four feet high and 

 erect, with exquisite finish. 



The Soft Shield Fern (P. angulare). The best are the plumoso and 

 decomposition sections ; P. a. pi. densum, laxum, robustum ; P. a. pi., 

 Wollaston ; cristatum, Wollaston ; grandiceps (several, all good), tripin- 

 natum (several), acutilobum, revolvens, and congestum, represent charming 

 types of which scores of sub-types exist. 



The Hart's-tongue (Scolopendrium vulgare). As already stated the 

 forms of this number hundreds. We can only indicate all the crispums 

 as fine frilled varieties, the more beautiful being the fimbriated section 

 of Stansfield and Cropper. Tasselled forms vary from a few finger-like 

 extensions on the frond tip to division into balls of moss, such as 

 Kelway's densum. Some of the fimbriate crispums are also beautifully 

 tasselled. 



The Polypodies. The Oak Fern (P. Dryopteris), the Beech Fern 

 (P. Phegopteris), and the Limestone Polypody (P. calcareum), are three 

 pretty little Ferns, which should be grown in pans with plenty of leaf- 

 mould and a little lime for the last. There are no good varieties, but 

 they are too pretty in make and colour to ignore. In the open they 



