548 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



furnished with leaflets Sin. to 4in. long, lin. broad at the base, of a soft, papery 

 texture, and of a brilliant green colour. These leaflets are cut down to 

 a broadly -winged stalk into close, oblong, blunt lobes, the lower ones, distantly 

 placed, being gradually dwarfed to mere auricles. The round and moderate- 

 sized sori (spore masses) are disposed in rows near the edge of the lobes, and 

 covered with a thin involucre of a peculiarly white colour. — Hooker^ Species 

 Filicum, iv., p. 90 ; British Ferns, t. 14. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, 

 ii., p. 442. Lowe, Ferns British and Exotic, vi., t. 17. Correvon, Les Fougeres 

 Rustiques, p. 133. 



The Mountain Buckler Fern is most effective when planted in masses on 

 the rockery ; but it is one of the few species which do not take to transplanting 

 very kindly, although, with a little care, it may successfully be removed. It 

 also makes a handsome specimen when grown in a pot ; in either case 

 thorough drainage is necessary, and the soil best suited to its cultivation is 

 a compost of four parts of fibry peat and one part each of leaf mould and 

 sandy loam, with a free admixture of silver sand. 



Though N. montanum is one of the least variable of the British 

 Ferns, it has produced a few varieties, some of which have been considered 

 of sufficient importance to occupy a permanent place in collections, and to 

 deserve the careful attention of the late Thomas Moore, who named and 

 described most of them. The following are the most distinct forms : 



N. m. caudatum — cau-da'-tum (tailed), Moo7^e. 



This variety, of normal size, but very distinct in appearance, origmally 

 found at Windermere, has remained permanent under cultivation. In some 

 respects it is normal, but it differs in its leaflets, variable in length and 6in. 

 broad at the base, being narrowed and drawn out to a considerable length, 

 and furnished with rounded leafits. The extremity of the fronds is frequently 

 three times divided. — Loive, Our Native Ferns, i., fig. 179. 



N. m. crispum — cris'-pum (curled), Moore. 



A variety originally found on the Clova Mountains. It is normal in 

 outline and size, but differs essentially from the species in having its pinnules 

 (leafits) undulated, so that the frond has a crispy appearance. — Lowe, Our 

 Native Ferns, i., fig. 175. 



