NEPHEODIUM 



HABDY FEBNS 



NEPHRODIUM 1019 



Other species of Aspidium not so 

 well known but worthy of a place with 

 the others are A. acrostichoidea from 

 N. America, with fronds 1-2 ft. long, and A. 

 munHmm., a fine Californian species with 

 fronds 1-2 ft. long and 4-8 in. broad. 

 These are best in warm sheltered shady 

 nooks in the milder parts of the country. 



Culture do. as above. See also p. 1009. 



NEPHRODIUM (Bccklee Fern). 

 This genus is closely related to Aspidium, 

 from which however it may be readily 

 distinguished by the kidney-shaped (not 

 roundish) indusium which is attached by 

 the sinus and not the centre. All the 

 British Buclder Ferns are probably better 

 known in gardens under the name of 

 Lastrea, which has now been discarded 

 by the best botanical authorities. 



Culture and Propagation. — The cul- 

 tivation of the Buckler Ferns is practically 

 the same as for the Shield Ferns (Aspi- 

 dium), and they grow well together under 

 the same conditions. A good compost of 

 sandy loam, peat and leaf mould suits 

 them well, and during the summer they 

 like an abundance of moisture. See also 

 p. 1009. 



N. aemulum {Lastrea tsmula). — Hay- 

 scented BucMer Fern. — An elegant 

 Scottish and Irish Pern closely related to 

 N. spinulosum, but with more triangular 

 and divided fronds remarkably concave 

 and curved upwards, and possessing a 

 crisped appearance from the recurving 

 edges of the segments. There is a crested 

 form known as cristatum. 



Culture dc. as above. This species 

 flourishes in damp sheltered places and 

 is suitable for moist shady banks and 

 between large stones in the rockery. See 

 also p. 1009. 



N. cristatum — A rare native species 

 with oblong lance-shaped fronds about 

 18 in. long, pinnately divided, the shortly 

 stalked pinnse having short teeth. 



Culture dc. as above. This species 

 grows in bogs and marshes in a few places, 

 and may be grovm in damp shady banks 

 or rockwork in peaty soil, vnth plenty 

 of water in summer. See also p. 1009. 



N. dilatatum (Lastrea dilatata). 

 Broad BucMer Fern. — This well-known 

 hardy Fern is closely related to N. spinu- 

 losum, and is indeed only a form of it. 

 It has however larger fronds ovate lance 



shaped in outline, twice or thrice pinnate, 

 and more deeply cut. There are several 

 fine forms of it including cristatum., cris- 

 pium, foKoso-digitatum, foUoso-gramdi- 

 eeps, polydactyium, ramosum &c. 



Culture dc. as above. See also p. 1009. 

 N. Filix-Mas (Lastrea and Aspidium 

 FiUx-Mas). — Male BucMer Fern. — The 

 native Pern receives its name from its 

 robust appearance in contrast with the 

 more delicate though similar ' Lady Fern ' 

 (Asplenium Filix-fcemina). Its beautiful 

 i-2 pinnate fronds are 1-3 ft. long, spring- 

 ing from a short thick rootstock, and are 

 oblong lance-shaped in outline, rather 

 rigid in texture, with oblong pinnules 

 more or less toothed. There are several 

 natural forms of this species, the best 

 known being abbreviatum, in which the 

 piunse are piimatifid or bluntly crenate 

 oblong with only one row of sori along 

 the midrib; ajffine (or incisum), with oblong 

 lance-shaped deeply cut phmules; and 

 Borreri (orpaleacetom) , with bright golden- 

 yellow fronds and obtuse almost truncate 

 and less serrate pinnules. The garden 

 forms are also numerous, and include 

 Barnesi (or curtum), with rather narrow 

 fronds ; Bollamdice, a feathered form ; 

 cristatum, a curious and handsome crested 

 form ; fluctuosum, a pretty crisped form ; 

 grandiceps, feathery; lux-lunce, the 

 fronds of which become whitish when 

 grown in sunshine, besides many others. 

 Culture dc. as above. See also p. 1009. 



N. Oreopteris (N. montanum). — An 

 elegant native species often called the 

 ' Mountain Buckler Fern ' owing to its 

 being found among the motmtainous 

 heaths and pastures, often at an elevation 

 of 3000 ft., in the Highlands. It has «• 

 fragrant smell when drawn through the 

 hands, and sends up tufts of lance-shaped 

 pinnate fi'onds li-3 ft. long, the pinnse 

 being deeply pinnatifid and glandular 

 beneath. It is a fine Fern for shady parts 

 of the rockery or border, and likes plenty 

 of moisture in summer. There are several 

 handsome forms of it known, such as Bar- 

 nesi,congestum, coronans, cristatum., cris- 

 tatum gracile, prettily tasselled ; grandA- 

 ceps, nowellianum, a curious but rather 

 pretty irregular form ; and tru/ncatum, the 

 pinnse of which end abruptly with project- 

 ing horns. 



Culture dc. as above. See also p. 1009. 



N. rigidum (Lastrea and Aspidium 

 rigidum).~An elegant British Fern of 



