THE FLORISTS' MANUAL. 



Adiantum Legrandi. 



bright pink in color, finally changing 

 to deep green. 



The pinnae of the fertile fronds are 

 usually smaller, the spores being found 

 in an almost continuous band around 

 the margin. These spores germinate 

 fairly well if carefully gathered and 

 preserved, and the young plants thus 

 secured are much better than those ob- 

 tained from division of the old crowns, 

 as they grow more freely and in better 

 form. 



No special difficulty is experienced 

 in the culture of A. macrophyllum, 

 the main features being a moderately 

 light soil, good drainage, and the glass 

 shaded throughout the greater portion 

 of the year. In regard to temperature, 

 the same may be given as to A. Far- 

 leyense, namely, from 65 to 70 degrees 

 at night, and also like the latter va- 

 riety it may be said that A. macro- 

 phyllum does not like a strong draught 

 over the young foliage while unfold- 

 ing, else it is likely to be crippled, 

 though after the fronds of this species 

 are fully hardened they will stand 

 quite a good deal of exposure without 

 injury. 



A. macrophyllum is a native of the 

 West Indies and tropical America, and 

 has been in cultivation for a little 

 more than a century, though yet un- 

 common in trade collections. 



A. MUNDULUM. This is one of the 

 many interesting and useful forms of 

 Adiantum cuneatum, and is correctly 

 termed Adiantum cuneatum mundu- 



ferns that are more sturdy and less 

 brittle. 



The culture of A. Legrandi presents 

 no special difficulty, apart from the 

 liability to damping that has already 

 been alluded to, and by keeping the 

 water off the foliage and giving free 

 ventilation, the trouble from this 

 cause may be reduced greatly. 



In getting up specimens of these 

 small growing adiantums for exhibi- 

 tion purposes, it is a good plan to 

 group several young plants in a pan 

 about 10 inches in diameter, and a 

 shapely plant may thus be formed in 

 a few months by treating them in the 

 same manner as one would A. cune- 

 atum for a similar purpose. 



A. MACROPHYLLUM. This is one 

 of the most distinct of the large fam- 

 ily of maidenhair ferns, and as a mat- 

 ter of fact to many persons to whom 

 the idea of a maidenhair fern is asso- 

 ciated with the light and airy fronds 

 of A. cuneatum, the rather stiff and 

 heavy looking leaves of this species 

 would seem to belong to an entirely 

 different genus. 



The large pinnated species of adian- 

 tum, among which we find A. macro- 

 phyllum, A. peruvianum, A. See- 

 mannii and A. Wilsonii, form a very 

 interesting group, and one which adds 

 greatly to the beauty and variety of a 

 collection of ferns. Adiantum macro- 

 phyllum is a moderate growing spe- 

 cies, the fronds being erect, from one 

 to two feet high, simple pinnate, and 

 having stiff black stems. 



Adiantum Macrophyllum. 



The pinnae of the barren fronds are 

 very large, being frequently three to 

 four inches long, by about two inches 

 wide, and when first unfolding are 



lum. The varietal name, which signi- 

 fies neat, is well applied in this case, 

 the plant being of dwarf and com- 

 pact habit, and is better adapted for 



