454 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



December S, 1870. 



to'cover the whole underside. When placed in genial situations 

 these plants are a great acquisition to a Fern house. 



S. scaxbens. — A noble plant, -with large pinnate fronds from 

 2 to 3 feet in length. The pinna? are 6 or 8 inches in length, 

 somewhat pendent", broad, oblong-acuminate, and dark shining 

 green, the edges furnished with spiny teeth. The fertile fronds 



Stenochliem scandens: — Pinna of barren frond and part of a pinna of 

 fertile frond, medium size. 



are also pinnate with linear pinna;. The latter, however, are 

 rarely produced. Tt requires stove heat, and is a native of the 

 East Indies. 



S. Meyertaxa, sometimes called S. tenuifolia, is another very 

 handsome scandent species, producing pinnate barren fronds; 

 the pinnae being somewhat distant, thin in texture, serrate at 

 the edges, and bright light green. The fertile fronds are con- 

 tracted and bipinnate. It thrives in a lower temperature than 

 the preceding, and is a native of South Africa. 



S. heteromobpha. — A plant of somewhat recent introduction, 

 and too much neglected by Fern-growers, It is a very neat- 

 growing species, producing from its thin wiry rhizomes pinnate 

 fronds some 6 or 8 inches in length, the rhizome and rachis 

 being clo'hed with reddish brown chaffy scales. The pinnae are 

 sub-rotund, becoming oblong in old plants, petiolate, and have 

 the margins deeply dentate. The fact of its being a small-grow- 

 ing plant and succeeding well in a cool house, should recommend 

 it to the favourable netiee of all Fern-cultivators. Its fertile 

 fronds I have never seen. Native of New Zealand. 

 NEPHP.OLEPIS. 



This genus contains some very handsome species which should 

 recommend themselves to the notice of lovers of Ferns, from the 

 rapidity with which their long wiry rhizomes climb over and 

 about the walls or any rough surface in the fernery, and soon 

 give the house a furnished and established appearance by drap- 

 ing them with beautiful, pendent, dark gTeen fronds. The genus 

 Nephrolepis is distinguished by its long, creeping, wiry rhizomes 

 and pinnate fronds, the pinna? of which are articulated and sessile ; 

 they have free-forked veins and round sori, which are furnished 

 with a reniform or orbicular indusium. 



The species of Nephrolepis are stove Ferns of remarkably rapid 

 growth ; they produce long stolons which form young plants at 

 short intervals, and these again produce others, so that in ferne- 

 ries of limited extent, in which the plants are not grown in pots, 

 some care will be necessary to prevent their overrunning and 

 destroying other and more slow-growing kinds. I am not an 

 advocate for withholding water from Ferns, and neither will this 

 genus suffer such treatment with impunity, for on account of the 

 pinna? being articulated with the rachis they readily fall out of 

 their joints if neglected, and the consequence is the cultivator is 

 rewarded by bare stems instead of bright green cheerful fronds. 

 When grown as pot plants a mixture of loam, peat, and sand 

 suits them well ; but when planted out in the rockwork of a 

 natural fernery they are by no means particular, but attach them- 

 selves in any moist crevices, and send down roots until they 

 reach a genial soil. 



N. hiesl'tula. — This is an exceedingly interesting and elegant 

 species, yet somewhat rare. The fronds measure from 18 to 

 36 inches in length, lanceolate in shape, pinnate, and sparingly 

 clothed with reddish brown hairy scales ; the pinnae are about 

 3 inches in length and full green. It is a native of the East 

 Indies. 



N. pectinata. — An elegant slender-growing kind, which 

 quickly drapes a wall or pillar with its light green pendent 

 fronds. These are from 18 to 30 inches in length and pinnate, 

 with the pinna? much crowded, oblong, and derjtate at the edges. 

 Although this plant is somewhat common, on account of its being 

 so readily increased, it is, nevertheless, very handsome either 

 planted in the open fernery or grown in a pot. It is a native of 

 various parts of tropical America. 



N. davalltoides. — This is the largest and strongest-growing 

 species in the whole genus ; the fronds are from 1 to 4 feet in 

 length, pinnate, with beautifully curved pinna? from 3 to 6 inches 

 in length. The barren p inn a? are sligb tly dentate at the edges,- 

 much broader than the fertile ones, and dark green ; the fertile 

 pinna? are narrow, deeply lobed at the edges. Upon the apes 

 of each lobe the sori are situated, producing an effect somewhat 

 similar to that of Lygodium. In a young state the plant pro- 

 duces only sterile fronds, but as it attains maturity the upper 

 portions become fertile, and ultimately a few barren pinna? are 

 only developed at the base. It is a very fine plant, and a native 

 of the Malayan Archipelago. 



N. cxdvlata is a tuberous-rooted plant, producing fronds from 

 12 to 18 inches in length. The pinna? are narrow, oblong-acu- 

 minate, and at the base slightly eared on the upper margin, and 

 crenate ; colour light green. This is a very elegant dwarf-grow- 

 ing species. It sheds its fronds in winter, and care must be 



taken that the tubers are 

 not dried too much, or 

 they will be found in spring 

 quite dead. Native of West 

 Africa. 



N. ENSiPOLiA. — A robust 

 handsome plant. Fronds 

 pinnate, from 12 to 30 ins. 

 in length, and somewhat 

 pendulous. Finna? about 

 4 inches long, sword- 

 shaped, and bright green. 

 It forms a beautiful speci- 

 men in a pot, but displays 

 its full beauty when climb- 

 ing over rockwork or upon 

 an artificial pillar in the 

 stove fernery. Native of 

 the East Indies and South 

 America. 



N. exaltata. — This is 

 perhaps the commonest 

 species of the whole genus, 

 but at the sa me time one 

 of the handsomest. It 

 succeeds admirably in al- 

 most any situation, but if 

 planted " out it must be 

 checked from extending it- 

 self to the detriment of the 

 other plants. Its fronds 

 are from 1 to 3 feet in 

 length, or even more, and 

 some 3 inches broad, linear 

 lanceolate, serrate at the margins, cared at the base on the upper 



Nephrolepis exaltata.— Part of frond 

 fall size. 



