CHAPTER XVIII 



Pteris 



The species generally cultivated under this generic 

 name are not numerous, but there are a great many 

 garden varieties, and there are several sub-genera which 

 botanists now include, yet for garden purposes they 

 retain the distinctive generic names, Doryopteris and Lito- 

 brochia are examples. 



Taking the ordinary species as known in gardens, 

 P. serrulata is one of the most popular, and of this there 

 are a great many varieties. The ordinary type, which is 

 known as the "ribbon fern," has long, narrow pinnae, 

 and of this there are many pretty crested varieties. 

 P. serrulata major grows from two to three feet high and 

 makes a fine specimen. There is a crested form of this 

 known as the " Chiswick Variety," which I have 

 seen with fronds standing fully four feet high. There 

 are also many intermediate varieties. P. cretica comes 

 next, and it is rather difficult to divide the two species, 

 for, since garden varieties have been so numerous, they 

 appear to have been intercrossed, the chief character- 

 istic of Cretica is that the fronds are shorter and 

 broader. In this we have a major variety, or rather 

 there are several slight variations under different names. 

 Ouvrardi is one of the best. In the crested varieties 

 Wimsetti is one of the most popular. In this the pinnas 

 have a terminal crest, and are also cut down into narrow 

 segments on the lower portion of the side pinnules. 

 And there are now several improved varieties. The 

 84 



