THE BOSTON FERN AND ITS SPORTS 



By Willard N. Clute. 

 In Southern Florida, the West Indies and almost 

 around the world in the tropics grows a species of sword 

 fern called Nephrolepis exaltata. It has handsome, long, 

 slender drooping fronds and was soon regarded as a fine 

 fern for cultivation in the conservatories of cooler lands. 

 Brought to Massachusetts, the fern or a form of it so 

 nearly like it as to be indistinguishable was sent out as 

 the Boston fern. This form is often called Nephrolepis 

 exaltata Bostoniensis, and until recently was one of the 

 most abundant of cultivated ferns. In most places, how- 

 ever, it is now being rapidly supplanted by a numerous 

 progeny that is considered far handsomer. These latter 

 forms have arisen as sports from the original plant and 

 have doubtless been called forth in response to the varia- 

 tions in culture to which it has been subjected for these 

 many years. Only the head of a large establishment for 

 the growing of fern specialties could hope to keep track 

 of all the newly named varieties, but it is proposed here to 

 make a start at it and to add to the list as new forms come 

 under notice. Our country is affected at present by sev- 

 eral cults devoted to single species as the dahlia, the sweet 

 pea and the peony. In time we may have a sword fern 

 cult that deals only with the forms of this one species and 

 considers all else as dross. A peculiarity of the gardening 

 fraternity is their fondness for specific values and so we 

 have most of these forms named as if they were distinct 

 species. All of them properly belong to the single species 

 Nephrolepis exaltata and will be so listed in this note. 

 Most, if not all of the forms are due to variations in the 

 cutting of the pinnae, such as may be found in the incised 

 forms of the nearly related Polystichum acrostichoides, 

 only in these forms the cutting has been carried much 



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