43 



way, and who when subsequently visited showed us a 

 very different find of the same varietal section filling a 

 large pot as a fire-place ornament in a well-lighted 

 drawing-room. Of all these, when we modestly revealed 

 our exalted status in the British Fern cult, we were 

 eaabled, by offering an exchange, to obtain divisions, these 

 now forming fine specimens in Mr. Cranfield's collection 

 as the Colyton group. Curiously enough, all the first 

 three being grown in small pots were themselves so small 

 that one in particular we regarded as a dwarf for some 

 time, but subsequently it took a sudden start and assumed 

 even an extra robust habit of growth. That four such 

 prizes should fall in such a fashion to these two ladies 

 seemed somewhat unkind in view of the fact that for over 

 thirty years one of the writer's ambitions has been to find 

 a "crispum" for himself, and yet despite innumerable 

 hunts in likely localities, not one has rewarded his search. 

 To revert to our opening remark, the specimen shown by 

 Mr. Cranfield has been named by Dr. F. W. Stansfield 

 Scol. v. crispum speciosum, and is not only an extremely 

 robust grower, the plant shown being fully a yard through 

 and nearly as much high, but is very deeply frilled. It was 

 found many years ago by the late Mr. Moly, and is one 

 of the many beautiful things saved from extinction by Mr. 

 Cranfield's acquisition of his collection just before the 

 death of the finder. The frilled or " crispum " Harts- 

 tongues constitute the equivalents of the " plumose " 

 or extra feathery varieties of divided species, and are 

 perfectly bnrren in the thoroughbreds, next to which stand 

 the fertile crispums which bear spores in an irregular 

 fashion, but always at the expense of the frill. Obviously, 

 in an undivided strap-like frond like that of the Harts- 

 tongue, the actual " feathery " character assumed by 

 divided ones, as seen in Polystichums, Athyria, etc., is 

 impossible. The normal venation or vein system of the 

 species consists of a central midrib, from both sides of 



