88 



Group III. 



The third group is that which is formed of plants either bearing one 

 solitary bulbil situated at or near to the extremity of the fronds, or whose tailed 

 appendage is formed by the production of a young plant partaking of the same 

 characters as the parent. To this group belong most of the Ferns best adapted 

 for growing in hanging baskets. It is undoubtedly the most extensive, or, at 

 any rate, the most varied, as it comprises many more genera than any of the 

 other three groups into which Viviparous and Proliferous Ferns are here divided. 

 Species belonging to this third group are so numerous, and of such various 

 habits, that they might be divided into strong and small growers. 



The genus Asplenium is undoubtedly the one which supplies the greatest 

 number of such Ferns, and some of these, such as A. caudatum and A. longissi- 

 mum, belong to the strong-growing kinds. Both are grand species, from the 

 East Indies, producing in great abundance simply-pinnate fronds • these 

 frequently reach from 4ft. to 5ft. in length, and are provided at their extremity 

 with an adventitious bulbil which, by its development while still on the parent 

 plant, considerably adds to the size of the fronds. Although closely allied, 

 these two species are totally distinct from each other ; for in A. longissimum 

 the pinna3 are somewhat roundish and smooth at the edges, whereas those of 

 A, caudatum are long, deeply cut when fertile, and attenuated towards their 

 extremities, thus making the fronds of a much greater width than those of the 

 former species ; for in well-grown and vigorous specimens they usually measure 

 from Tin. to Sin. in width. The truly magnificent, but unfortunately now very 

 rare, A. rhizopliorum (A. rachirhizon of commerce) might be classed with the 

 above but for the general appearance of its fronds, which are tripinnate, with 

 pinnas finely divided, and apex lengthened into a tail bearing a young plant 

 at the end ; it is an evergreen species from the West Indies, and is well 

 adapted for basket-culture. 



To the genus Gymno gramme we are indebted for perhaps the most beautiful 

 of these viviparous Ferns, G. schizophylla and its splendid variety gloriosa, 

 which are essentially distinct from all other known Grymnogrammes, and whose 

 fronds are produced in abundance on very slender stalks of a reddish-brown 

 colour, and of a very glossy nature. These fronds, which arch gracefully on 

 all sides, are from 20in. to 24in. long, their leafy portion being about 4in. wide 



