TRICHOMANES EADICANS. 



293 



the Killarney plant the involucre stands out distinctly from the 

 membranous frond, and appears almost stalked; while in aU 

 my specimens of the Glouin Caragh plant, it is more or less 

 united with the frond by a continuous margin or wing : this 

 will, perhaps, become more evident from an inspection of the 

 magnified figures below. 



:'(. Involucre of the Killarney plant. h, c, d, e. Involucres of the 

 Glouin Caragh plant. 



C«ItM. 



The cultivation of this beautiful fern has occupied the atten- 

 tion of many botanists : I believe Dr. Mackay of Dublin, and 

 Mr. Ward of London, were the first whose efforts were attended 

 with success. Mr. Ward possesses a plant, which for many 

 years has been in the most healthy and vigorous condition, but 

 it has rarely shown awj indication of producing seed. Mr. 

 Andrews appears to have been still more successful. He says : 

 — "In September, 1841, I formed a case purposely for cultivat- 

 ing this fern. I lined the bottom with zinc, and covered the 

 frame-work with oiled lawn. I then planted my specimens in 

 weU-drained pots, in a compost of loam and coarse sand, inter- 

 spersed with pieces of turf. I also suspended the roots across 

 the roof of the case, attached to rods covered with bass matting 



