338 addee's tongue. 



they grow. The detached external bud at the base of the stem 

 contains the frond for the ensuing year, in a perfectly erect 

 position, and having the leafy part of the frond wrapped round 

 the spike of fructification. The frond comes above ground in 

 May, still retaining its erect position ; it is composed of a long, 

 smooth, pale-coloured, succulent stipes, an ovate, rather acute, 

 slanting, deep green leaf, and a straight erect spike, issuing 

 from within the base of the leaf : the leaf is traversed in every 

 direction by irregular anastomosing veins. The spike is dis- 

 tinctly stalked, the stalk being sometimes three or four inches 

 in length, but generally scarcely more than one inch : the 

 spike itself is rather stouter at the base, very gradually taper- 

 ing to the apex ; it is composed of two series of large, imbed- 

 ded, crowded capsules ; these capsules appear to be spherical 

 cavities, filled with a pollen-like dust : when mature, each cap- 

 sule opens by a transverse fissure, the pollen-like dust escapes, 

 and the lips of the capsules remain separate and gaping. 



farifto. 



Instances of monstrosities occur, in which two, three, four, 

 five, and even six spikes issue from a single leaf. 



€uMl 



The adder's tongue, in order to succeed well in a garden or 

 pot, must be removed with a large sod of the herbage amongst 

 which it is found. If its connexion with the herbage, of 

 whatever nature this may be, is once disturbed, it is extremely 

 difficult to get the plant to gro\^ : it may perhaps live out the 

 usual duration of the frond, but will be almost sure to be found 

 wanting when looked for during the ensuing spring. 



Most cultivators consider this genus, like Botrychium, per- 

 fectly unmanageable. But this need no longer be the case : 

 and it will be a boon to science if any one will attentively 

 study both genera under cultivation, keeping in mind the con- 

 ditions indispensibly essential to success. First, dig up the 

 plants when perfectly mature, and with every particle of their 



