»7* 



OUR FRONTISPIECE. 



LASTREA MONTANA FORMOSA-CRISTATA F.L.S. 



For the photo of this very beautiful form of the Lemon- 

 scented Fern Lastrca montana we are indebted to Doctor 

 F. W. Stansfield, as representing one of the best varieties 

 raised by Mr. W. Barnes from a wild find of a species 

 considered at the outset as rarely liable to vary at all, but 

 which subsequently proved quite otherwise and most 

 prolific in this direction. 



SPECIES AND VARIETIES. 



(Continued.) 

 On the other hand, a very distinct thing, found 

 wild only once, is regarded as a variety. For 

 instance, Cystopteris (fragilis) Dickieana, found only once 

 wild, is regarded as a variety only, although it comes 

 perfectly true from spores, and might conceivably hold 

 its own as a wild plant. If a mountain side had been 

 found covered with it, or a mile or two of shore largely 

 inhabited by it, it would almost certainly have been 

 called a species. Something of the kind actually happened 

 in the case of Pseudathyrium flexile, which, when first found 

 by Mr. Backhouse "in one place only in Glen Prosen," 

 was called a variety of P. alpestre. On seeing specimens, 

 and being informed that it was " most abundant in Glen 

 Prosen," Newman immediately described it as a species. 

 It has since been found in a number of localities by our 

 president, Mr. Alex. Cowan, and others, but the plants 

 vary from each other in the degree to which they depart 

 from P. alpestre. In other words, there are connecting 

 links with alpestre, although I am not sure that it merges 

 imperceptibly into that species. Now this matter of 



