I02 FERN GROWING 



there are projections, when the width is 3J inches. The 

 margin is well fimbriated and crisp, and the apex of the 

 frond is slightly crested. 



EXPERIMENT NO. XVIII. 



The fourth experiment explains the raising of three plants 

 from one prothallus of an Asplenium Filix-fcemina, the variety 

 produced having a number of marked characters that are 

 identical in all three plants. These plants are all now (1894) 

 fully grown, and exhibit their distinctive features in a marked 

 manner, so exactly alike, that they represent what would occur 

 in dividing a fully grown specimen into three plants. 



Since this time a prothallus of a Scolopendrium has pro- 

 duced three plants exactly alike ; the variety is, moreover, quite 

 distinct from any other — -it has a broad congested frond of 

 great consistency, which curls back so as to hide a muricate 

 elongated peraferent rosette that is formed at the apex on 

 the under-side ; the frond is also muricate, and of a dark 

 green colour, and the habit is perfectly erect ; in addition, 

 there rises from the apex of the rosette a thorn-like cor- 

 nution, which extends an inch above the frond, and this 

 also is warty or muricate. So many combined peculiarities 

 is certain evidence that each had sprung from the same 

 prothallus (see Fig. 38), under the name CEnone. Length 5 

 inches, breadth if inch (the stipes 2\ inches). 



This prothallus was one from the mixture of 1889 

 (Experiment No. 15). It was much smaller, and has taken 

 longer {i.e., five years) to develop than in most cases. It 

 shows the characters of all the varieties except keratoides. 

 It, however, varies from the variety sinum in substituting a 

 rosette for the peraferentary, like a change, as it were, from 

 a single to a double flower, and this is either caused by 



