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one-third were true acrocladon. The remaining two-thirds 

 were mostly weeds — i.e., irregular forms, worthless from 

 the decorative point of view. There were two plants, 

 however, which were considered to be advances upon 

 acrocladon in the matter of extreme development. One of 

 them was A. Filix-foemina, var. unco-glomeratum, so named 

 by the late Colonel A. M. Jones because, along with the 

 glomerate character of acrocladon, it possessed the peculiar 

 subdivision of parts which is characteristic of the variety 

 uncum of Barnes. Whether it was the result of a cross 

 between uncum and acrocladon it is impossible to say, but 

 it is not improbable that this was the case, inasmuch as the 

 parent acrocladon was growing in a house with a large 

 number of other ferns ; and under these circumstances (or, 

 indeed, under almost any circumstances) it is impossible 

 to exclude stray spores of other ferns which may settle 

 upon the spore-bearer. 



A. Filix-foemina, var. unco-glomeratum proved to be a 

 very beautiful form, but exceedingly refractory in the hands 

 of the propagator. During nearly twenty years only some 

 three or four divisions were obtained, and two years ago 

 there is reason to believe that only two or three plants 

 were in existence. The plant had shown in my hands no 

 tendency to produce spores or bulbils, nor did there seem 

 the slightest reason to suppose that it was capable of 

 apospory. All its vital energy seemed to be expended in 

 branching and subdividing, so that a frond consisted of a 

 solid mass of ramifications ending in myriads of minute 

 green points. 



Matters were at this pass when in October, 1896, as the 

 plant in my garden was dying down for the winter, I noticed 

 that, in the case of one or two immature fronds, although 

 the greater part of the frond was turning brown, the extreme 





