344 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



P. P. SUPERBUM. 



flower in some subtle fashion, and eventually 

 produced so utter a separation between Fern and 

 flower proper that in these days only a few dim 

 traces of surviving links appear in the Cycads 

 and the Maidenhair tree (Salisburia adiantifolia), ; 

 and these only to the keen-eyed scientific 

 botanist. Into this realm of abstr L1S6 l'6S6cirC h it 

 is not our province to stray, but we may point 

 out that it was only in 1840 that the mystery of 

 Fern reproduction was solved by the discovery 

 that practically they do produce flowers, though i 

 no man had ever seen them until then, so 

 microscopically small were they and situated in 

 such an unexpected place. Ferns as we know 

 them are on the average fairly large plants, since 

 though some are very tiny and insignificant, 

 others soar upwards to attain the majesty of 

 trees and rival stately Palms in size and 

 appearance. Hence on the one hand we have 

 the beautiful little Tunbridge filmy Fern, forming 

 a carpet of delicate Moss, and on the other the 

 gigantic Dicksonias, Cyatheas, etc., which form 

 the Fern forests of the antipodes. Small or large, however, the hunter for their flowers on 

 these plants will be disappointed, no matter how keen his eyesight or powerful his lens. The 

 so-called flowering Ferns — the Royal Fern, and exotic Osmundas, Anemias, and others — bear mere 

 imitations of inflorescence, and on examination the apparent flower scapes resolve themselves into 

 masses of little capsules containing an infinity of microscopic grains like seeds. If we pursue our 

 search, we shall find every species of Fern to bear similar capsules and similar grains, though 



arranged in different fashions, usually on the 

 under-sides of the fronds. In some they are 

 arranged in lines, in others in dots, whilst in 

 some forms they are spread out all over the 

 surface, or in little cups on the edges, and so on 

 in many various ways ; and as the particular 

 i way in which these capsules are arranged has 

 been found to be one of the most constant 

 features, that is, one least affected by variation 

 of form, botanists have divided up the Fern 

 tribe into genera and species according to their 

 arrangement. Our common Hart's-tongue, to 

 wit, has long sausage-shaped heaps of brown 

 capsules, which, carefully inspected, are seen to 

 consist in each case of two lines of capsules 

 which when ripe coalesce for want of space. 

 These lints give a fanciful resemblance to the 

 legs of a centipede (Scolopendra), and hence the 

 Hart's-tongue has been dubbed Scolopendrium, 

 and any Fern which has the same sort of 

 fructification or capsule arrangement is a 



j Scolopendrium. The common Polypody of 



BLF.c:iNUM spicant var lomario.des the hedges has round golden heaps, without 



