244 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



But it is not for cutting purposes only that Adiantums are so justly 

 appreciated. As " collection plants " there is no genus equal to them amongst 

 Ferns ; indeed, a judicious selection of the hest sorts only will produce a 

 greater variety of forms and tints than could be found in any other. There 

 are numerous dwarf- growing forms of A. cuneatum and of A. Capillus- Veneris, 

 all very pretty, and equally useful for edgings in the Fernery. Then there are, 

 besides the gigantic forms already mentioned, the deservedly-popular A. trapezi- 

 forme, A. peruvianum, A. Seemanni, and others too numerous to be mentioned 

 here. Again, we have some whose shape and general habit are totally 

 different from ordinary Adiantums : such as, for instance, the curious A. reni- 

 forme, with its kidney- shaped fronds borne on slender, shining stalks ; or the 

 lesser-known form, A. asarifolium, with broad, entire fronds perfectly round, 

 and measuring sometimes as much as 3|in. across. Very strange, also, is the 

 general appearance of A. Feei, whose climbing fronds expand to very great 

 dimensions, and whose stalks are quite hairy and of a perculiarly ferruginous 

 (rusty) colour. There are also various kinds whose foliage is of a peculiarly 

 metallic hue, and numerous others, such as A, macrophyllum, A. tinctum, &c, 

 which are exceedingly interesting through the beautiful rosy colour of their 

 splendidly-tinted fronds in their young state. Then we have the golden and 

 silvered forms of A. cethiopicum, respectively called sulphureum and scabrum, 

 which of late years have become exceedingly rare ; and also the pendulous 

 kinds, A. caudatum and A. .lunulatum, so well adapted for growing in sus- 

 pended baskets, that one may confidently assert that a collection composed 

 exclusively of Adiantums is most interesting. 



Culture. 



With the exception of the North American A. pedatum, none of the 

 Adiantums are truly hardy ; even our native species, A. Capillus- Veneris, 

 requires protection. They are, as a rule, easy to manage. Plenty of light 

 should be allowed to all of them, but the full rays of the sun should, as 

 with nearly all other Ferns, be carefully avoided. A mixture of fibrous peat, 

 or of partly-decayed leaf mould, loam, and silver sand, in about equal parts, 

 will suit most of them. None of them like to be potted very hard, and 



