IN CALIFORNIA 103 



glossy green. It grows readily in pots or may be 

 planted outside. 



Nephrolepis exaltata, variety Bostoniensis, is but 

 a sport from the common sword fern which is native 

 to Florida and many other parts of the world. Dur- 

 ing the past few years we have seen a most remark- 

 able development of house ferns among sports from 

 the Boston fern until at present we have a half- 

 dozen forms more ornate : Nephrolepis Whitmani, 

 Witteboldii, Washingtoniensis, Piersoni, Alice Fos- 

 ter and elegantisssima. While all have merit, none 

 are so hardy in every way as the Boston fern. 



Another neat sword fern is N. cordata compacta, 

 and for a small pot plant is to be preferred to the 

 Boston. Two plants closely related to the common 

 sword fern and representing the extremes in size, 

 are N. Philippinense, quite a dwarf, and N. Wash- 

 ingtoniensis which grows to a height of five or more 

 feet. 



The platyceriums are a group of ferns that are 

 not sufficiently grown by the amateur plant fancier. 

 Fastened on a block of wood or the bark of a tree 

 and given a shady, moist situation, with an occa- 

 sional shower of water, they thrive abundantly. To 

 prevent them from requiring too frequent spraying 

 some florist's moss may be fastened on the block 

 under the plant. These plants may also be grown 

 in pots of soil. There are now several horticultural 

 forms, but the two species common are from Aus- 

 tralia, and in their native home they are known as 

 "elkhorn fern," Platycerium alcicorne, and "stag- 

 horn fern," P. grande. 



For a large pot plant Pteris tremula, one of the 

 so-called brake ferns, will give the best satisfaction. 

 In cut-leaved ferns Onychium Japonicum, the Japa- 



