638 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



North and South Wales ; in Ireland ; in the islands of Anglesey, Orkney, 

 Jersey, &c. 



From the following quotation from Gerarde it will be seen that the Wall- 

 Rue was known as one of our native Ferns by some of our earliest botanists : 

 " The Stone-Rue groweth upon old walls near unto waters, wells, and 

 fountains. I have found it upon the walls of Dartford Church, in Kent, hard 

 by the water- side, where the people ride through ; also upon the walls of the 

 churchyard of Sittingbourne, in the same county, in the middle of the town, 

 hard by a great lake of water ; and also upon church walls of Rayleigh, in 

 Essex, and in divers other places." Matthiolus was the first to call it Ruta- 

 muraria, or rather Ruta-muralis, and Gerarde names it after him " Wall- Rue 

 or Rue Maidenhair" as well as "Stone-Rue." 



The little fronds of A. Ruta-muraria, 

 lin. to 2in. long, lin. broad, and borne 

 on slender, wiry stalks 2in. to 4in. long 

 and black towards the base, are provided 

 with a- few leaflets, the lower ones of 

 which are again cut into spoon- or wedge- 

 shaped pinnules (lea-fits) finely toothed 

 round the edges. The sori (spore masses) 

 are linear (much longer than broad), and 

 vary in number according to the size 

 and shape of the pinnules, which they 

 entirely cover when fully developed (Fig. 

 124). — Hooker, Species Filicum, hi., p. 176. 

 Lowe, Our Native Ferns, ii., t. 48 ; Ferns 

 British and Exotic, v., t. 27. Beddome, 

 Ferns of British India, t. 61. Eaton, 

 Ferns of North America, i., t. 15. 

 The Wall- Rue is a somewhat difficult plant to manage under artificial 

 treatment, its removal from its native place being seldom attended with success. 

 The best time to uproot it is in April, as it only starts into growth about 

 May, when it produces young fronds which retain their freshness all through 

 the winter. This Fern requires free exposure to air, and a soil composed 

 of rough lime-rubbish, sand, and leaf-mould, with thorough drainage and 



Fig. 124. Asplenium Ruta-muraria 



(nat. size). 



