CLIMBING, TRAILING, AND DROOPING FERNS. 61 



there are many Davallias quite as handsome, and undoubtedly more deco- 

 rative, the most conspicuous, as also the most admired, species are, besides the 

 one named above, D. bullata (the Squirrel's-foot Fern) and D. Tyermanni 

 (the Bear's-foot Fern). The popular names are given to these interesting 

 species in allusion to the brown, grey, or silvery rhizomes with which they 

 are provided, and which, to a great extent, resemble, when deprived of their 

 foliage, the feet of the animals mentioned. 



Many Davallias may be used with great advantage as basket-plants ; used 

 thus they make charming objects, especially those with slender and flexuose 

 rhizomes, such as D. bullata, D. dissecta, D. (Leucostegia) immersa, D. Mariesii, 

 D. Novm-Zelandim (Acrophorus hispidus), D. pentaphylla, and D. Tyermanni, 

 whose natural habit is to twine round and to cover any material on which they 

 are allowed to grow. It is when cultivated in this way that Davallias show to 

 the best advantage. Being nearly all surface-rooting plants, they are satisfied 

 with a small layer of soil, into which their rhizomes must not be allowed to 

 plunge very deeply ; in fact, these Ferns thrive best when their rhizomes, which 

 are a constant source of attraction, remain on the surface of the soil. The 

 compost should be formed of three parts of fibrous peat and one part of chopped 

 moss, or, better still, of good leaf mould, if procurable, for all the species are 

 partial to decayed vegetable matter. When Davallias are cultivated in pots 

 or in pans, a thorough drainage is of first necessity, as they require, during 

 their growing season, an abundance of water at the roots ; while during the 

 winter, although the waterings must be less frequent, their rhizomes, even 

 those of the thoroughly deciduous species, must never be allowed to become 

 quite dry ; this is a most important point to observe in connection with their 

 culture, as if these organs are allowed to shrivel, the growth in the ensuing 

 season will be much weaker. 



The genus Nephrolepis, though not very extensive, is, amongst Ferns of 

 trailing habit, the next in importance to Dava.llia, as all its members, without 

 exception, are equally valuable for planting on decaying wood, Tree Ferns, 

 rockwork, &c. In such positions they rapidly form, on account of their 

 spreading nature, very ornamental masses of a peculiarly striking and 

 attractive character. Like the genus Davallia, Nephrolepis comprises plants 

 of exceptionally vigorous growth as well as others of very small stature, so 

 that any particular kind may, without difficulty, be accommodated in some 



