50 



Milady's House Plants 



spores which form on the underside of the fronds and 

 which are sometimes mistaken for insects. Some 

 ferns have rhizomes or roots that crawl on the sur- 

 face of the soil and these produce young plants at 

 frequent intervals; others bear young ones all around 

 the edges of the fronds and these drop oflF and grow. 

 Sometimes young plants from either of these sources 

 develop forms and markings quite distinct from the 

 parent plant. These are eagerly seized by the florist 

 in the hope that some valuable new variety has thus 

 accidentally come into his possession. 



Pteris VictorisB, a vari^ated variety (see page 46) 



