94 



FERNS. 



or wires. It may also be used with equal advantage as a drooping 

 plant for baskets or vases. 



Niphobolus Lingua Corybiferum, an evergreen species from 

 Japan, China and the East Indies ; fronds simple, entire, dark 

 green on the upper surface, spread with white stellate scales, their 

 under surface covered with drab or brown scales, easily grown in a 

 cool atmosphere. 



Platy cerium Grande, or Elk-horn Fern, so named from its 

 branched form, a curious species of epiphytal Fern from Australia 

 and neighboring islands ; can be grown on corks or pieces of wood 

 with Sphagnum Moss, if kept liberally showered ; a curious and 

 beautiful ornament, 



Pteris Cretica Alba Lineata, fronds with a clear white center and 

 mid-rib, the only variegated Fern which will thrive in the house. 



Pteris Serrulata> the most common of exotic Ferns, native of the 

 East Indies, a large, rapid-growing species, comes up so readily 

 from spores in Fern-houses as to become a weed. 



RARE NATIVE FERNS. 



Lygodium Palmatum, or climbing Fern, a beautiful, somewhat 

 rare native species, growing on moist, shady banks of some 

 parts of New England and Pennsylvania. It has slight running 

 root-stalks, from which proceed slender twining flexible stalks, 

 with smooth palmate frondlets, which are sterile. The fertile 

 frondlets are on the ends of the stalks in compound terminal pan- 

 icles. The rurming stalks are often three or more feet long, and 

 the whole plant is suggestive of a delicate miniature ivy. It is in 

 great demand for house decoration in a dried, pressed form, which 

 process does not in the least injure its beautiful green, and if taste- 

 fully arranged on walls it appears as if actually gro wing there. It 

 is not recommended for house culture except in Ferneries where 

 it is surpassingly beautiful. 



Walking Leaf Fern, a rare and curious native Fern, growing in 

 tufts with simple spreading, evergreen fronds, heart-shaped at the 

 base, tapering gradually into a runner-like appendage, which roots 

 at the apex, and a new plant is produced, that in time sends forth 

 another stepping leaf. Borne irregularly on the reticulate veins of 

 the frond, are the oblong fruit-dots, those towards the edge of the 

 frond seemingly arranged in pairs. 



