30 BRITISH FERNS 



clearly. The second case is in some respects even more extra- 

 ordinary. In 1863 a plumose or extra feathery Lady Fern (A. f.f. 

 plumosum Axminsterense) was found by Mr. J. Trott near Axminster. 

 Its spores usually produced the parental form, but eventually an 

 improved one was raised (A . f.f. p- elegans Parsons) which was more 

 finely cut. This, showing dorsal bulbils as already described, a 

 pinna or side division was sent to the writer for inspection, and as 

 there were also spores, and the form was a fine one, a sowing was 

 made. The astounding result was only two plants of the parental 

 form, and about a hundred of tasselled forms (a feature entirely 

 absent in the parent), only two of which were free from defects, gaps, 

 and irregularities of make. The two in question were, however, 

 perfect, but one (superbum) was much more beautiful in its cresting 

 than the other. This in itself formed a unique experience as the 

 offspring of a non-crested parent, to say nothing of its scores of 

 defective but crested sisters. Naturally, when this bore spores, a 

 sowing was made at once, and again the unexpected happened, for 

 its abundant offspring turned out to constitute two sections, the 

 one entirely uncrested but extremely refined editions of the grand- 

 parent, and the other magnificently crested, even in some instances 

 to the fourth degree the pinnulets being distinctly tasselled, one 

 and all being great improvements on the immediate parent. 

 The best of the non-crested section (A. f.f. plumosum Druery) is far 

 and away the finest plumose Lady Fern extant, and the whole of 

 the two sections stand alone. This case, as will be seen, eclipses the 

 first one, by culminating in two distinct sections, crested and un- 

 crested, all derived in the fourth generation from the normal, and 

 the third from the wild Axminster find. Fig. 10 shows the pedigree 

 of A . f.f. plumosum Druery, in studying which it must be borne in 

 mind that each step shown represents the equivalent portion 

 of a frond, viz. only one pinna or side division, and on the same 

 scale, though the centre might well be taken for a frond. The third 

 case of Polystichum aculeatum is equally astounding as representing 

 a sudden metamorphosis of type, and is peculiar as affording such 

 results after many years of reputed sterility. In 1876 there was 

 found by a farm labourer, in a Dorsetshire hedge, a very fine form 

 of the Hard Shield Fern, which he took to Dr. Wills, one of our 

 most successful collectors in the locality, who named it " pul- 

 cherrimum," on account of its peculiar beauty. It was apparently 

 an entirely barren Fern, but eventually found its way into many 

 collections by virtue of offsets which it freely produced. This 

 reputation for sterility it maintained until a few years ago, when 

 upon a robust plant in Mr. Green's collection, a well-grown offset 

 from the writer's specimen, given him many years ago by Mr. G. B. 

 Wollaston, a few spores were discovered, one or two sporangia 

 occurring as minute dots on several of the pinnae. These were 

 naturally collected, and sown both by Mr. Green and the writer, 



