Nephrodium 



( 108 ) 



Nephrodium 



freedom. A great many of the crested forms do not 

 come true from spores, cind so further variation of 

 the type is obtained. All the species with creep- 

 ing rhizomes may be increased by division, prefer- 

 ably in early spring. Such useful pot plants as lepi- 

 duin, molle, m. corymbiferurn, decompositum, and 

 canum should be propagated frequently lepidum 

 because after two or three years the plants get 

 worn out and sickly, and the others because in their 

 mature stages they are too coarse to be useful. 

 Rather firm potting and small pots are advised. 

 Free drainage. 



Soil. For the pot plants a mixture of loam two 

 parts, peat two parts, cow manure one part, and 



JsEPHRODrUM DECOMPOSITVM GLABELLUM. 



one-sixth of the whole sand, will be found suitable. 

 For the plants in the outdoor fernery plenty of 

 humus is needed. 



Other Cultural Points. The chief insect pests 

 attacking the pot plants are snowy fly and thrips, 

 and light fumigations and careful sponging are the 

 specifics. Plenty of water is needed at all times, 

 and, during the growing season, liquid cow manure. 

 (For details as to the management of hardy Ferns, 

 tee FEBNEBY.) Molle and m. corymbiferurn are 

 favourite market plants, hispidum and decomposi- 

 tum glabellum do well in Wardian cases, erytliro- 

 soruni makes a good dwelling-room plant, and 

 montanum thrives if planted upon the rockery. 

 Cristatum likes a boggy situation and a peaty soil, 

 when it will grow fairly well for two or three years, 

 after which young plants must be raised. 

 Principal Species and Varieties : 

 [NOTE. The dimensions given apply to the size 

 of the fronds, except where otherwise stated. The 

 height of the plant is usually a little more than 

 the length of the fronds, as the height of the stipe 

 is extra.] 



aemulum, 1' to H' long, recurva). Angustipiu- 



G" to 10" broad, tn- nulum and ramosum 



pinnate, hdy. (HI/UK. are vars. Hay-scented 



Foenisecii and Lastrea Buckler Fern. 



Arbuscula, 1' to li' long, 

 6" to 8" broad, st. (,/. 

 Hookeri). 



boryauum, 6' to 8' long, 

 2 ' to 'A" broad, fronds 

 soft aud papery in tex- 

 ture,grh.,a noblespecies 

 (fi/HK. diyisutn ami 

 Lastrea divisa). 

 catopteron, 4' to 6' long, 

 2' to 3" broad, hairy, 

 grh. 



cicutariura, 1' to 2' long, 

 elongated triangular, 

 st., rare but beautiful, 

 cristatuin, 1' to 1^' long, 

 3" to 5" broad, spear- 

 shaped, not crested, 

 Inly. (British), but rare 

 (HI/IIS. Aspidium cris- 

 tatuin and La,strea cris- 

 tata). Clintoniamim, 

 floridanum, and uligi- 

 nosura are vars. Crested 

 Shield or Buckler Fern, 

 cuspidatum, 2' to 3' long, 

 8" to 12" broad, papery 

 in texture, rootstock 

 fleshy, grh. 



cyatheoides, 2' to 3' long. 

 1' or more broad, pin- 

 nate, grh., handsome, 

 but .rare. 



decompositum, 1' to 2' 

 long, 1' broad, broadly 

 triangular, soft, papery, 

 grh., good portable de- 

 corative plaut (/. 

 Lastrea decomposita, 

 .vr p, 107). 



glabellum, smaller and 

 more compact than 

 type, grh. (xyii. Lastrea 

 glabella, sec figure). 



Shepherdii, a pretty, 

 finely cut var. 



decursivo - pinnatum, 1' 

 long, 3" to 4" broad, 

 grh. or hlf-hdy. (/. 

 Laatrea decurrens of J. 

 Smith). 



deltoideum, 2' long, 8" 

 broad naturally, smaller 

 in cultivation, st. (*if>i. 

 Lastrea deltoidea). 



effusum, 4' long, 2' broad, 

 leathery in texture, St., 

 very handsome (*.'/. 

 Lastrea deltoidea). Di- 

 vcrgens is a var. 



erythrosorum, !' to H' 

 long, 8" to 12" broad, 

 papery, involucres red 

 when young, grh. aud 

 hdy. (/. Lastrea ery- 

 throsora) . 



- prolificum, a pretty 

 var., bearing gemma'. 



Filix-mas, Male Fern, 2' 

 to 3' long, 8" to 12" 

 broad, hdy. (nyn. Lastrea 

 Filix - mas). A most 

 variable and valuable 

 species, of which there 

 are almost innumerable 

 vars. (For a selection of 

 these, see separate list.) 



floridanum, H' to 2' long, 

 6" to 8" broad, leathery, 

 hdy. 



fragrans, 6" to 9" long, 

 H" to 2" broad, hdy. 

 Fragrant Wood Fern. 



glandulosum, 1' to 13' 

 long, 4" to 6" broad, 

 papery, grh. 



goldieaimrn, 2' to 3' long, 

 1' broad, hdy. A noble 

 North American Fern. 



hispidum, 1' to \\' loug, 

 8" to 12" broad, tri- 

 angular, leathery, dark 

 gm., grh., excellent for 

 Wardian cases. 



inai'quale, 1' to 2' long, 

 8" to 12" broad, soft, 

 papery, grh. 



lepidum, P to !{' long, 

 4" to G" broad, soft, 

 grh. A remarkably 

 elegant Fern, useful for 

 table decoration (sec 

 p. 109). 



Icu/eanum, 4' to 6' long, 

 triangular, stem stout, 

 almost arborescent, st. 

 (*yn. Pleocnemia leu- 

 zeana). 



macrophyllum, 2' to 3' 

 long, 1' or more broad, 

 soft, papery, pale gm., 

 st. Calvatuni is a 

 garden var. 



molle, 1' to 2' loug, 3" to 

 10" broad, soft, grh., 

 St., habit tufted. 



corymbiferurn, prettily 

 crested. 



- grandiceps, tips of 

 fronds heavily crested ; 

 a pretty var. 



montanum, \\' to 2' long, 

 G" to 8" broad, soft, 

 papery, hdy. (*i/. Ore- 

 opteris). All the vars. 

 below are hdy. also. 

 Mountain BucklerFern. 



Barnesii, fronds nar- 

 rower than in type. 



- coronaus, crested at 

 tips of pinna'. 



cristatuin, smaller, and 

 crested, fragrant. 



iiowelliamuu, narrow 

 fronds and pinna*. 



truncatum, pinna; 

 shortened. 



patens, 2' long, 8" to 

 10" broad, variable in 

 size, texture thin but 

 leathery, warm grh. 

 and st. (see p. 110). 



cristatum, crested 

 pinnae. 



pteroides, 2' to 4' long, 1' 

 or more broad, pinnate, 

 soft, papery, bright 

 grn., st. 



Richardsi, 1$' to IV long, 

 8" to 9" broad, grh. 

 (si/ii. Lastrea Richard- 

 si). Of little decora- 

 tive value, and rarely 

 cultivated. 



- multitidum, '!' long, 

 8" broad, pale gm., 

 drooping. One of the 

 handsomest of Ferns, 

 and a great improve- 

 ment on the type. 



