271 



cupressoidrs, also raised by the same grower. In this form 

 there seems to be a minute infusion oflineare blood which 



gives a peculiar sharpness of cutting to the ultimate 

 ments. The fronds are rather narrow and erect and the 

 suggestion of a Cypress is, in some conditions, very striking. 

 None of these forms, however, can be relied upon to produce 

 two fronds alike, owing to the exceeding variableness of 

 the polydactylous character. This character has even 

 invaded the pulcherrimum section, and, oddly enough, this 

 was in the first pulcherrimum ever raised from spores — my 

 own pulcherrimum polydactylum. In 1888 Col. Jones sent 

 me a large collection of spores for sowing, among which was 

 a mixed packet of decompositum grande polydactylum and 

 deorso-puinatum (both of Jones). The ferns raised from 

 this packet included one which I early recognised as a 

 pulcherrimum. The polydactylous character was not 

 noticeable for some time bat appeared when the fronds 

 were 9 or 10 inches long, somewhat to my disappointment 

 even then, for I was very anxious to raise a pidcherrimum 

 pure and simple. I still have this plant and it is a very 

 interesting but somewhat tantalizing form. Every new 

 year it seems to make good resolutions and starts the spring 

 growth with a set of fronds of most refined and exquisite 

 imlcherrimum character, generally with just a touch of 

 polydactylism here and there, but fronds are sometimes 

 produced of almost pure pulcherrimum type. These fronds 

 are thin in texture and lacking in timber in the footstalks, 

 so that they are apt to drop after a month or two of life. 

 During the summer, however, the polydactylum blood 

 seems to get the upper hand and the later fronds gradually 

 become coarser in cutting, thicker in texture, and more 

 polydactylous. until in the late autumn but little of the 

 pulcherrimum character is to be seen. The polydactylum 



