TRICHOMANES. 361 



young plants thus produced had a much handsomer appearance than those 

 resulting from the division of the rhizomes, as they grew more symmetrically 

 and also more vigorously, but this hardly compensated for the length of time 

 which seedlings take to develop, for the plants which in 1886 were only in 

 2^in. pans were produced from spores sown on turfy peat in 1882. The 

 experiment, however, was interesting from the fact that the young subjects 

 thus obtained under artificial conditions were the first of which there is any 

 record, and they conclusively proved that, with a certain amount of patience, 

 Trichomanes may, like most other Ferns, be propagated from spores, especially 

 when these can be gathered and sown immediately. 



Principal Species and Varieties. 



T. achilleae folium — ach-ill-e'-aa-fol'-i-um (Achillea-leaved). Synonymous 

 with T. rigidum. 



T. alabamense^al-ab-a-men'-se (fi-om Alabama). A variety of T. radicans. 



T. alatum — al-a'-tum (winged), Swartz. 



This beautiful Fern, native of the West Indies and Brazil, is very variable 

 in dimensions and hairiness. Its more or less broadly spear-shaped fronds, 

 3in. to 12in. long, lin. to 4in. broad, and borne on tufted stalks 2in. to 4in. 

 long and winged above, are two or three times cleft nearly to the midrib, 

 with leaflets cut in the same way and lobes often again sharply toothed ; 

 they are of a delicately membranous texture, and of a very transparent pale 

 green colour, which produces a charming efi"ect when the fronds are laden 

 with moisture. This species, also known as T. attenuatum, thrives best on 

 a piece of Tree-fern stem. — Hooker, Species Filicum, i., p. 123. Hooker 

 and Greville, Icones Filicum, t. 21. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, 

 iv., p. 80. 



T. anceps — an'-ceps (double). Synonymous with T. Prieurii. 



T. angustatum — an-gus-ta'-tum (narrowed). The plant usually met with 

 in gardens under this name is T. tenerum. 



