4 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



stems, which have, moreover, the peculiarity of branching out freely, and of 

 being provided with aerial roots — a character to be found in scarcely any 

 other cultivated Fern. All the other species make good specimens either 

 trained upon stems of dead Tree Ferns, which they readily ascend and quickly 

 cover, or grown on mounds of peat. None but very fibrous peat should, 

 however, be used ; thick turfs of it should be placed one above another, and 

 tightly skewered together by means of wooden pegs so as to form a pyramid. 



Another way of employing Oleandras is to use them for covering pillars 

 indoors ; but as they take possession of any genial surface, fastening them- 

 selves to it by means of short, fibry roots, it is indispensable that these should 

 be provided with proper nourishment as the rhizomes extend. The best plan 

 is to fix round the pillar a wire cylinder of Sin. to 3in. mesh, which should be 

 filled up, as the rhizomes extend, with a mixture of two parts of fibrous 

 peat and one of sphagnum, rammed tolerably close. For hiding pillars, walls, 

 or unsightly upright supports, the Oleandras are quite as useful as the 

 better-known Davallias, and do not require any more special attention ; 

 although not perhaps quite such rapid growers, they possess the advantage 

 of retaining their foliage longer than is the case with most Davallias. 



All the Oleandras known to cultivation require stove treatment and 

 abundance of water at the roots throughout their growing season, and they 

 are greatly benefited by occasional syringings overhead during the summer. 



Although Oleandras may be propagated from spores, they are usually 

 increased by division of the rhizomes — an operation which may safely take 

 place any time between April and September. 



Species and Principal Varieties. 



O. articulata — ar-tic-ul-a'-ta (jointed), Cavanilles. 



An evergreen species, native of Natal, the Mascarene Islands, the 

 Seychelles, and the Guinea Coast ; it is specially adapted for growing on 

 small pyramids of peat. Its simple, entire (undivided) fronds are produced 

 about 2in. apart, from firm, more or less upright, wide-climbing rhizomes 

 (stems), from which they hang gracefully. They are borne on slender stalks 

 lin. to 2in. long, with the joint close to the base, and their leafy portion, 

 6in. to 12in. long, ljin. to 2in. broad, and of a somewhat leathery nature, 



