LIST OF PLANTS 121 
or greenhouse. If, however, a temperature of 75 degrees 
is available the process will be much hastened. 
In due course a green growth will appear on the 
surface of the soil resembling that. of the Common 
Liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha). This is the pro- 
thallium stage, during which time fertilisation takes 
place, and the motile zoospores are facilitated in their 
movements by the moisture condensed on the prothallus 
to fulfil the function of fecundation. At this period it 
is very important that there be no lack of moisture. 
Should the soil show any tendency to dryness, this may 
be corrected by standing the pot for a few minutes in a 
vessel of water nearly to the level of the soil inside. 
Before the green growth gets too crowded, pots of 
compost should be prepared as described for sowing, 
the soil being pressed lightly and level with the base of 
another flower-pot, but not watered. With a small 
pointed stick lift the tiny tufts of green growths and 
prick them in 4 inch apart. Give a good watering 
through a fine rose to settle the soil, and return them to 
their former quarters, covering each pot with a pane of 
glass as before. From these the young ferns will 
gradually develop. The glass may be first tilted to 
admit air, and after a few days be removed altogether. 
In due course the young plants will need transferring 
singly into small pots. 
A rough and ready way sometimes practised in raising 
free-growing species is by scattering the spores on the 
surface of pots in which other plants are growing or 
under the staging where the soil is kept moist and not 
likely to be soon disturbed. 
Ficus.—The species most extensively cultivated for 
ornamental purposes are F. elastica and F. stipulata 
