92 FERN GROWING 



phrodium paleaceum var. cristatum ; there was not a solitary 

 plant uncrested. As yet the author has failed to raise any 

 seedlings from these crested seedling plants of N. abbreviatum. 

 This is evidence that Nephrodium paleaceum is a species 

 distinct from Nephrodium abbreviatum, thus confirming Mr. 

 Wollaston's views. 



We have in this experiment another proof that it requires 

 more than one sperm to effect impregnation, or some of the 

 seedlings would have been without crests. 



EXPERIMENT NO. XI. 



In 1888 four distinct varieties of Scolopendrium vulgare 

 were sown together — undulatum (a wavy fronded Fern), spirale 

 (a dwarf variety with a spirally twisted apex), muricatum (a 

 muricate form), and keratoides (a branching crested form). 

 (Figs. 20, 21, 25, 26.) These became mature in 1891 : all 

 the seedlings are more congested than undulatum. There are 

 between two and three hundred plants, out of which four 

 unmistakably show the character of all the four parents, and 

 have received the names of Darwiniana, Psyche, Blossie, and 

 quadriparens :" they are distinct, but all are undulate, muricate, 

 branch-crested, the crestings being spirally twisted. The 

 author's son photographed these in 1892 ; they are now 

 larger. 



The greater number in this experiment show the charac- 

 ters of only two parents, a diminished although a consider- 

 able number those of three, and only four those of all 

 the four parents. There are none showing the characters of 

 only one parent. A few are much congested, being only 

 an inch or two in height ; they are undulate and twisted in 

 a ball-like manner. In 1891 thirteen of these plants were 

 exhibited at the Royal Horticultural Society, and although 



* See Figs. 27, 28, 29, and 30. 



