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THE CENTURY BOOK OF GARDENING. 



shining green, 2ft. lung. In the variety polydactvlie the 

 points of the fronds are distinctly crested. D. fijiensis is a 

 vigorous kind, with bold arching fronds nearly lyd. long, 

 and even more minutely divided than the preceding. 

 There are several varieties, that known as plumosa 

 exceeding in grace the original species. D. fceniculacea 

 has the habit of an Asplenium, and d >es not produce any 

 creeping stems. The fronds, which are about 2ft. long, 

 are divided as in the Davallias, and of a deep green tint. 

 D. hemiptera is a creeping kind, with fronds only once 

 divided, and from bin. to ill. long. It is a pretty little 

 basket plant. D. Mariesi is in the way of D. bullata, but 

 more slender. This is used by the Japanese to form 

 wreaths, crosses, and other designs, which are sent to this 

 country during the winter when dormant, and if placed in 

 a warm house and kept moist they soon become a mass of 

 delicate fronds. There is a crested variety of this. 

 D. Mooreana is one of the most handsome decorative Ferns 

 in cultivation. It has wide-spreading much-divided fronds 

 of a pleasing shade of light green, while, owing to its 

 rapid growth, it is in general demand for growing into 

 large specimens. D. parvula is one of the smallest of 

 cultivated Ferns, and a perfect gem. It has fronds about 

 I in. long, with almost thread-like divisions. It is of a 

 deli, ate constitution, and needs a shallow pan with a 

 compost of peat, Sphagnum Moss, and sand, or it maybe 

 allowed to creep along a piece of dead Tree Fern trunk ; 

 ii should be covered with a bell-glass. In D. pentaphylla, 

 the fronds are only once divided, about lit. long, and 

 of a pleasing green. It is well adapted for a suspended 

 b.tsket or Fern case. D. tenuifolia Veitchiana is of free 

 growth, with long elegantly cut fronds, distinctly pendu- 

 lous, thus rendering it a charming basket Fern for the 

 stove. D. Tyrmani has silvery white scales on the 

 creeping stems, and is thus readily distinguished from any 

 other kind. The fronds, which are sparingly produced, 

 are about bin. long. It is a good greenhouse Fern. 

 Dicksonia. The Dicksonias include amongst their 

 number one of the most noble, and certainly the hardiest, 

 of all Tree Ferns. This is D. antarctica, a native of 

 Tasmania, which has a particularly sturdy trunk, and a 

 large number of wide-spreading fronds, usually disposed 

 in an almost horizontal or partially drooping manner. 

 In the more sheltered districts of the South and West of 

 England and Ireland D. antarctica will succeed out of 

 doors. In all stages, even when small, it is from its 

 great profusion of fronds a valuable decorative Fern. 

 D. squarrosa and D. Youngi are both Tree Ferns, but 

 not equal to D. antarctica. 



Didymochlsena truneatula forms a short thick trunk, 



from which are pushed up fronds from 4ft. to 5ft. long 

 and correspondingly broad. They are divided differently 

 from most Ferns of large growth, being more like a 

 gigantic Adiantum. The young fronds are of a bronzy 

 tint, changing to a deep glossy green. This Fern succeeds 

 in the greenhouse. 



Doodia. — With one exception small-growing Ferns of 

 firm texture, needing little more than protection from 

 frost. They are of easy culture, and especially valuable 

 when small for various decorations. Peat and sand suits 

 them well. The small growers are D. aspera, D. cau- 

 data, and D. lunulata or media. The large one is 

 I), blechnoides, with fronds 2ft. long. 



Doryopteris. -Small or medium growing Ferns of easy 

 culture, and valuable from the fact that their plain simple 

 fronds are very distinct from many others. A selection 

 would include D. nobilis, with heart-shaped fronds in a 

 young state, but as the plant develops they are more or 

 less lobed. D. palmata has at first lobed fronds, which 

 afterwards become deeply cut and slashed. D. sagittifolia, 

 with fronds the shape of an arrow-head, is pretty and 

 distinct. 



Drynaria. — Curious yet ornamental Ferns, that need a 

 soil composed principally of sandy peat. D. diversifolia 

 has fronds from 3ft. to 4ft. long and I ft. to I Sin. wide. 

 They are deeply lobed. D. quercifolia pushes up from a 

 stout root-stock fronds like huge Oak leaves; hence the 

 name of quercifolia. 



Filmy Ferns.— Set Hymenophyllum. 



Flowering Ferns. — Set Anemia and Osmunda. 



Gleiehenia. — Quite distinct from any other class, and of 

 a rambling nature, the creeping rhizomes being particu- 

 larly thin and wiry. They will attain a length of several 

 feet, and produce fronds at intervals throughout. Some 

 of them have peculi.irly forked fronds and delicately cut 

 leaflets. A favourite way of growing them is to train the 

 long flexible shoots around a trellis or some other means 

 of support, and when well furnished with fronds they 

 present a charming mass of greenery. Give the plants 

 a cool greenhouse temperature, and a soil composed 

 principally of rough sandy peat. Good species are : 

 G. circinata, G. dicarpa, G. dichotoma, G. flabellata, 

 G. Mendeli, (i. rupestris, and G. Speluncae. 



Gold Fern. — See Gymnogramma chrysophylla. 



Goniophlebilim. — A small group, one species of which, 

 G. subauriculatum, is unsurpassed as a basket plant for 

 the stove. In such a position the gracefully-disposed 

 fronds will hang down for a length of 6ft. or even more. 

 They are once divided, and from 6in. to ift. in width. 



Gymnogramma. — Amongst the number of Gymno- 

 grammas that are in cultivation the greatest interest 

 centres around those known as Gold and Silver Ferns, 

 which have their fronds completely covered with a yellow 

 and white powder respectively. Some of them vary 

 considerably when raised from spores, and on this account 

 the list of names is a long one. Most of them are easily 

 grown, the principal consideration being to see that they 

 do not get syringed, or that there is no excess of surface 

 moisture, otherwise the powdered kinds lose much of their 

 charm. A selection of the best would include : G. Calo- 

 melanos, a bold-growing kind, with blackish stems and 

 deep green leaves, powdered only on the under-side with 

 pale \eliow; G. chrysophylla, completely covered with 

 golden powder. There are several varieties of this, 

 notably grandiceps, with large crested tufts, and Lau- 

 cheana, a more compact plant than the ordinary form. 



G. decomposita is a bold-growing, finely-cut kind, with 

 yellow powder. G. peruviana argyrophylla is completely 

 covered with pure white powder. G. schizophylla glo- 

 riosa has long, delicately-cut fronds, which are seen to 

 the greatest advantage in a suspended basket. G. Wetten- 

 halliana is a densely crested form, covered with sulphur- 

 tinted powder. 



Hare's-fOOt Fern. — See Daval lia canadensis. 



HymenophyUum. The llymenophyllums form a group 

 of filmy or transparent Ferns, a very distinct class. 

 They all need a shallow soil, which should consist of 

 peat, chopped Sphagnum Moss, small pieces of sand- 

 stone, and some clean silver sand. A humid atmosphere 

 is absolutely necessary, and to ensure this they are 

 usually grown in a close case inside the ordinary Fernery. 

 A greenhouse temperature is sufficient for them, but 

 though so charming they can scarcely be recommended 

 for general culture. A selection of the best and most 

 robust would include H. caudiculatum, II. chiloense, 

 II. crispatum, H. demissum, H. Forsterianum, H. nitens, 



H. tunbridgense, and II. Wilsoni. 



Hypolepis. — A pretty class, most of which have creeping 

 stems, from whence the fronds are produced. These are 

 much divided and regular in shape. II. distans has 

 fronds about ift. long, and in II. repens they are three 

 or four times that length. 



Lastrea. — An extensive group with, for the most part, 

 symmetrically-shaped fronds pushed up from one central 

 crow n. They are of comparatively easy culture, and do 

 not need special attention. A good selection is : L. atrata, 

 w ith bold arching fronds 2ft. to 3ft. long ; L. atrata 

 variegata, the leafage of which is striped with yellow ; 

 L. aristata variegata, with trapeziform fronds of a dark 

 glossy green, and a whitish band down the centre of each 

 leaflet ; L. decomposita, of easy culture, with much- 

 divided fronds ift. or more in length ; L. erythrosora, 

 remarkable for the beautiful bronzy hue of the young leaves, 

 which turn to a deep green when mature ; L. lepida, 

 in which the fronds are once divided into exceedingly 

 narrow and deeply-toolhed segments ; L. patens, i\ 



