FERNS — HARDY AND EXOTIC. 



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in position. Then if watered and kept in a humid atmosphere they will continue to grow, 

 and after a time push up fronds, when they may be potted into tiny pots. Small Ferns 

 are grown in this way by thousands in many nurseries. The months of February and 

 March are suitable for sowing the spores, as they have then the entire season's growth 

 before them. Young plants on the fronds need only be taken off and pegged securely on a 

 pot or pan of light soil, when they will soon root. 



The number of exotic Ferns in cultivation is enormous, hence a selection of the 

 best in each family is given in the following list: 



AcPOStichlim. —An extensive family, the members of 

 which differ widely from each other in many particulars ; 

 indeed, the various plants now included under this head 

 were formerly split up amongst half-a-dozen families. 

 Most of them are more or less of a creeping nature, and 

 some in a native state attach themselves to neigh- 

 bouring trees, and mount upward alter the manner 

 of Ivy. They prefer a mixture of peat and sand. The 

 best are : A. acuminatum, with much divided deep green 

 fronds. It reaches a height of about 2ft. A. aureum, 

 with pinnate fronds, sometimes 5ft. or 6ft. long, very 

 bright green and leathery in texture. It is a native of 

 the swamps of Florida, and must be treated as a semi- 

 aquatic. A. Genopteris, with creeping stems which will 

 encircle the stem of a dead Tree Fern, the pinnate leaves 

 depending gracefully therefrom. A. crinitum, known 

 also as Hymenodium crinitum. This, the Elephant's 

 Ear Fern, has large undivided fronds which are borne on 

 short stout stalks. These fronds are very hairy, and 

 suggest the popular name of this kind. A. drynarioides, 

 w ith large, once divided fronds, which are pushed up direct 

 from the ground without any visible stem. A. Her- 

 minieri, sword-shaped fronds, from 2ft. to 3 ft . long. A. 

 osnumdaceum, the creeping stems of which mount up 

 into large trees in a native state. The fronds, which are 

 2it. long, are thrice divided, and of a deep green tint. 

 A. quercifolium, a little creeping kind, with Oak-like 

 leaves 2in. long. A. scandens, known also as Stenoch- 

 kena scandens, with long trailing stems furnished with 

 leathery pinnate leaves. Most of the Acrostichums 

 require the temperature of a warm greenhouse or stove. 



AetiniopteriS radiata. The only species of the family. 

 The plant from a central stem pushes up numerous 

 fronds rayed like a Palm, to which the entire plant, 

 though only 6in. to Sin. high, bears a considerable 

 resemblance. It needs a mixture of peat, loam, sand, 

 and broken bricks, while the pots must be thoroughly 

 drained. The cool part of the stove suits it best. 



Adiantum (Maidenhair). — This is an extensive class, 

 many members of which are among the most popular of 

 Ferns, the common Maidenhair (A. cuneatum) in par- 

 ticular being a universal favourite. The greater part of 

 them are of comparatively simple requirements, and many 

 will succeed in a greenhouse temperature. A mixture of 

 loam, peat or leaf mould, and silver sand, is suitable. 

 The best would include A. assimile, a loose-growing 

 Maidenhair, well suited for suspended baskets. A. assi- 

 mile cristatum, with crested tufts on the end of the 

 fronds. A. aneitense, bold arching fronds about 2ft. 

 long, well adapted for growing into a large specimen. 

 A. Bausei, like a bold Maidenhair, with peculiar drooping 

 leaflets. A. Birkenheadi, large thrice divided fronds, 

 nearly lyd. long when fully developed. A. Capillus- 

 Veneris occurs in a wild state throughout the greater 

 part of the globe, and is the only Maidenhair native of 

 this country. There are many distinct varieties, one of 

 which, imbricatum, is much like a miniature form of 

 A. Farleyense. A. caudatum, with long once divided 

 fronds that produce young plants at the tips. It is best 

 grown in a suspended basket. A. Collisi, a garden plant 

 with massive triangular-shaped fronds. It makes a grand 

 specimen, and is useful in a cut state. A. concinnum has 

 wide-spreading fronds, a Fern seen to great advantage in 

 ' basket. A. concinnum latum is larger and more upright 

 ktiun the last. A. cuneatum is the universally grown 



Maidenhair, and its fronds are in great demand in a cut 

 state, while the plants are used lor various decorations. 

 The varieties ar2 numerous, chief among them being : 

 A. cuneatum deliexum, with drooping segments; A. c. 

 elegans, very slender ; A. c. gracillimum, a spreading 

 plant with remarkably minute pinnules ; A. c. grandiceps, 

 w ith tassel-like tufts on the ends ol the Ironds ; A. c. 

 Pacotti, a dense-growing plant, with peculiarly clustered 

 pinnules ; A. decorum, a larger and bolder plant than 

 .V. cuneatum, with the young Ironds ol a reddish hue ; 

 A. Farleyense (Queen of Maidenhairs) — the bonds are 

 very massive, and droop considerably from the weight of 

 the large crisped pinnules ; A. Fergusoni, an upright 

 plant with deeply-lobed pinnules ; A. lormosum, a large 

 spreading kind lyd. high ; A. fulvum, a neat little Fern, 

 with young leaves of a bronzy tint ; A. Henslowianum, 

 beautifully arching fronds 18m. long, thickly clothed willi 

 overlapping pinnules ; A. hispidulum, fronds distinctly- 

 forked, and the pinnules hairy — the young fronds are 

 of a metallic hue ; A. lunulatum, with long slender 

 fronds that produce young plants from the tips — it should 

 be suspended, and is quite deciduous during the winter ; 

 A. macrophyllum, a distinct species, with large leaflets 

 which when young are tinged with red — it reaches a 

 height of 15m. to iSin. ; there is a variety (striatum) 

 witn variegated leaves ; A. Moorei, known also as 

 A. amabile, is a loose-growing plant of the cuneatum 

 section, but the pinnules are larger and set farther apart 

 — a charming basket plant ; A. palmatum, remarkable 

 for its zigzag stalk and large lobed pinnules; A. pedatum, 

 the Bird's-foot Fern of North America, is hardy in some 

 places, but does well in the greenhouse ; A. peruvianum, 

 large arching fronds and halbert-shaped pinnules, 

 one of the largest growing of the Maidenhairs ; A. reni- 

 forme, a curious little kind, which forms a tuft of simple 

 kidney-shaped leaves ; A. scutum, a large, handsome 

 Maidenhair, with wide-spreading fronds of a pleasing 

 shade of green ; A. tenerum, somewhat like the last, but 

 with deeper tinted fronds ; A. tinctum forms a little tuft 

 less than ift. high, the young fronds of a bright rosy 

 red ; A. trapeziforme, the large branching Ironds of 

 which are as much as lyd. long, while the pinnules 

 are 2in. in length ; A. Williamsi is distinguished from all 

 other Maidenhairs by the young fronds being dusted with 

 a bright vellow powder. 

 AlSOphila. — A strong-growing group, many of which are 

 included with the Tree Ferns, and one species, A. excelsa, 

 is perhaps the tallest of all Ferns. They do well in a 

 mixture of equal parts of loam and peat, with a good 

 sprinkling of sand. Most of them need a stove temperature. 

 A. atrovirens, A. australis, A. crinita, A. excelsa, A. Van 

 Geerti, A. pruinata, and A. Rebeccas are the best and 

 most distinct. 



Anemia. — These are for the most part of dwarf growth, 

 and remarkable from the fact that the barren and fertile 

 fronds are perfectly distinct from each other, the latter, 

 which are pushed up from the centre of the plant, 

 resembling more the feathery inflorescence of a herbaceous 

 plant than the frond of a Fern. Owing to this feature 

 the members of the section to which the Anemias belong 

 are known as flowering Ferns. Our native Royal Fern 

 (Osmunda regalis) is a well-known member of this group. 

 The Anemias principally occur in tropical America, a 

 selection of the best being : A. adiantifolia, about l8in. 

 hijh, with twice divided leaves of a deep green hue. 



