68 FERN GROWING 



Mr. Druery's discovery of apospory in Ferns is a case in 

 point. We know that in the lowest orders of organisation 

 we do not see any reproductive organs, and that fully de- 

 veloped forms break into separate pieces, each of which 

 becomes a distinct individual ; between this and the ordinary 

 manner of reproduction both in the animal and vegetable 

 kingdoms, which are so well understood, we have the families 

 of Ferns, acknowledged to have two separate existences, the 

 prothalloid life and the frond life ; and also it is known that, 

 differing from the higher forms of existence, they have in the 

 prothalloid life a number of female and male organs, instead 

 of only one. Why should only a single sperm from any one 

 of these male organs be able to impregnate a single female 

 cell, or why should not more than one female cell become 

 impregnated ? The natural conclusion must be that, as 

 multiples of these organs are formed, they are for the 

 purpose of multiple impregnation. 



In nature, varieties of Ferns are the exception, the normal 

 species predominating, and therefore young plants are as 

 normal as their parents ; yet, as in every other rule, there are 

 exceptions, for Mr. Padley found in one lane more than 

 fifty crested Polystichums more or less alike, being so 

 abundant that the seedlings found in this lane were crested. 

 Mostly only one solitary example is found of any peculiar wild 

 variety. Mr. Phillips, however, found a batch of the Royal 

 Fern having revolved fronds. In the neighbourhood of Shire- 

 newton the normal form of the Hart's-tongue has partially 

 undulate fronds. The Troggy variety of the Asplenium 

 Trichomanes is the only form of Asplenium Trichomanes where 

 it grows. In the sea-caves at Auchmithy, near Arbroath, the 

 only form of the Sea Spleenwort is one with prominent ribs ; 

 the ordinary form is not to be found, although the caves are 

 full of plants of this species. 



Along the sea-coast at Dawlish there is a locality in which 



