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THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



Wollaston, no traces of sporangia can ever be detected. We particularly 

 mention these two varieties as beins; those on which the most interestina; 

 experiments made by Mr. Druery and by Mr. Wollaston were based. The 

 welfare of these plants is of the utmost interest to us, on account of several 

 specimens of Asplenium Filix-foemina Clarissima, which were presented to 

 us by Col. Jones personally, being still in our possession. But either 

 through their not being sufficiently developed, or through their being culti- 

 vated out of doors under unfavourable circumstances, these do not appear to 

 share the character of their parent • and, although we have never succeeded 

 in raising seedlings from any of them, we have equally, up to the present 

 time, been unable to detect on them any traces of Apospory. The original 

 plant of this beautiful and exceedingly interesting form was bought by 

 Col. Jones, of Clifton, from Mr. Moule, who found it in a wild state in 

 North Devon. Considering how easily most of the varieties of the Lady 

 Fern are raised from spores, it was thought very remarkable that failure 

 should follow upon failure in attempts at its reproduction from what were 

 supposed to be, and what had all the appearances of, spores. It was at last 

 decided to treat the peculiar growths produced by that Fern as merely 

 abortive spore-cases which, like those of some other abnormal forms, were 

 produced by this one, lacking the special vigour necessary for the formation 

 of perfect reproductive spores. All attempts at raising it from spores having 

 proved abortive, further trials were abandoned until, later on, Mr. Druery 

 having discovered upon another form of the Lady Fern (A, F.-f. plumosum 

 divaricatwn) numerous proliferous bulbils occupying the place of the sori 

 on the back of the fronds, and having reported the fact to Mr. Wollaston, 

 this latter gentleman was led to re-examine A. F.-f. Clarissima, as the 

 Fern had been named by Col. Jones. As the results of his examinations, 

 Mr. Wollaston came to the conclusion that these so -far barren excrescences 

 might be viviparous growths of a kindred nature, and capable of reproducing 

 the parent form by direct bud-development. Later on, Mr. Druery found, 

 upon microscopical examination of a portion of a frond sent him, that 

 "there were material structural differences between the unmistakable bulbils 

 of A. F.-f. divaricatum and the singular growths found upon A. F.-f. 

 Clarissima, the former being solitary, bud-like growths, seated in the centre 

 of a number of brown, lanceolate scales, and without a trace of indusium ; 



