1022 PBACTICAL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS ophioglossum 



H. unilaterale (H. Wilsord). — Also a 

 native species found growing under simi- 

 lar conditions to H. tunbridgense. It is 

 a small moss-like plant with a mass of 

 semi - drooping browmsh - green semi- 

 transparent fronds, oblong lanee-shaped 

 in form, and pinnately divided, the 

 pinnules being decurved and spiny ser- 

 rate. 



Culture dc. as above. 



TRICHOMANES (Bkistle or 

 KiLLABNEY Feen). — T. radicoms is the 

 best known plant of this genus. It is now 

 almost exclusively confined to the lakes of 

 Killarney in a wild state, where it forms 

 luxuriant masses amid the dripping rooks 

 over which its membranous semi-trans- 

 parent fronds hang in clusters. It is so 

 beautiful that it should if possible be grown 

 in specially adapted quarters in the garden. 



Tribe III. OsMUNDEiE. — Fronds leathery or membranous, circinate in vernation. 

 Indusium absent. Spore-cases clustered in a branched panicle terminating the frond, 

 vertically 2-valved, and furnished with a short horizontal ring. 



OS M U N DA (Royal Feen). — A genus 

 of Ferns vidth tuberous, densely branched 

 rootstocks, and tufts of leathery fronds 

 once or tvnce pinnate. Some of the 

 pinnse are altered, contracted, and covered 

 with naked confluent sori. 



Culture and Propagation. — The 

 Osmundas form another group of the 

 so-called 'flowering' Ferns, and constitute 

 a very ornamental class of plants. They 

 flourish in marshy or boggy soil composed 

 of peat and sandy loam, and are very 

 effective near the margins of ponds, lakes 

 &o. in shaded or sunny situations where 

 they can obtain plenty of moisture. They 

 may be increased by spores, as described 

 at p. 1009, or division. 



O. cinnamomea. — A graceful N. 

 American and Japanese species, having 

 simply pumate barren fronds 2-3 ft. 

 high and 6-8 in. broad, on stalks 12-18 

 in. long, the strap-shaped pinnae being 

 closely arranged and cut down nearly to 

 the midrib. The fertile fronds are much 

 smaller. The form known as angustata 

 is dwarfer than the type, and the fronds 

 are smaller in all their parts. 



Culture dc. as above. 



O. claytoniana (O. interrupta). — A 

 splendid species, native of N. America 

 and the Himalayas. It grows only 1^-2 

 ft. high, and is clothed with a rusty down 

 or fur when young, the barren and fertile 

 pinnse being intermixed. 



Culture dc. as above. All the above 

 Ferns lose their leaves in winter, but it is 

 safer to allow the withered mass to remain 

 until spring as a protection from frost. 



O. regalis. — A stately British Fern, 

 often producing fronds 6-8 ft. or more 

 high, on stout brown stalks, in spring. 

 The barren pinnse are bluntly oblong in 

 shape and 3-12 inches in length, more 

 or-less unequally lobed at the base. The 

 upper ones gradually change into cylin- 

 drical fertile ones, forming a large panicle 

 of spore -clusters, which looks very hand- 

 some. The form called cristata has the 

 ends of the fronds and all the pinnae 

 finely crested; oorymbifera is curiously 

 forked and crested; and revohietis has 

 the edges of the pinnules recurved, giving 

 the plant a distinct appearance. 0. pahis- 

 tris is a form of the Eoyal Fern in which 

 the young fronds are reddish in colour 

 and never attain the size of the type. 



Culture dc. as above. 



Tribe IV. Ophioglossb^ Fronds straight in vernation. Spore-cases large, 2- 



valved, without a ring, arranged in spikes or panicles. 



OPHIOGLOSSUM (Adder's 

 Tongue). — 0. vidgatum is a small stem- 

 less Fern, native of the damp pastures, 

 banks, woods &o. of parts of the British 

 Islands. The oblong linear or lance- 

 shaped barren fronds appear about May 

 from a short rootstock, and reach a 

 height of 6-12 in., having a. smooth, 

 round, fleshy stalk below. In summer 



the blade branches into a flattened 

 stalked spike 1-2 in. long, with 2 rows of 

 confluent roundish spore-cases that burst 

 transversely. 0. lusitanicum is a form 

 with narrow lance -shaped fronds and 

 spikes less than 1 in. long. 



Culture and Propagation. — The 

 Adder's Tongue Fern is easily grown 

 in rich, moist, sandy loam and peat in 



