510 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



certainly the finest. I exhibit saveral specimens of this beauti- 

 ful form. Strange to say, although perfectly barren, and quite 

 incapable, therefore, of widespread propagation through their 

 spores, a considerable number of independent plants have been 

 found in various localities. Colonel A. M. Jones found, in one 

 lane in Monmouthshire, twelve on one occasion, and no less than 

 seventeen on another, attributable, possibly, to some normal, or 

 apparently normal, plant in the vicinity yielding abnormal 

 spores. Some decidedly plumose forms have been found which 

 are fairly fertile ; they lose their foliaceous character, however, 

 in proportion to their fertility. An intermediate variety, S. v. 

 undulatum rigiditm, has been found by Messrs. Stansfield, of 

 Sale, to yield a percentage of very fine fimbriate crispums 

 through its spores. These have laciniate edges to the frill, and 

 are sparsely fertile. There seems to be considerable latent re- 

 productive energy in the bases of the stalks of these forms, as, 

 cut into half-inch lengths and inserted in sandy soil, each piece 

 is fairly sure to yield two or three plants, small white warty 

 knobs developing at first, and eventually producing true speci- 

 mens. Polystichum angulare Pateyii, a fine plumose form, 

 but of delicate constitution, is perfectly barren, but the other 

 plumose forms of that species are not so. In the Lady Fern 

 (Athyrium filix-fcemina) I believe all the plumose forms produce 

 spores, generally in nonindusiate patches, a la Polypodium ; and 

 in the Axminster and divaricatum plumosums small bulbils are 

 sometimes developed among the sori, from which plants can be 

 raised by careful pegging down. The two most distinct plumose 

 Athyria are plumosum Horsfall, found in Yorkshire, and 

 plumosum Axminster, found near that town. Of these Horsfall 

 is very constant under cultivation, and has, so far as we know, 

 yielded no sub-variety. A very similar form has, however, 

 yielded A. f.-f. kaloihrix, or "beautiful hair" — perhaps, if we 

 exclude exotic Filmy Ferns, the most delicately made Fern known. 

 I exhibit a plant of this, upon which will be noted a reverted 

 frond, showing us the parental type which is also produced occa- 

 sionally from its spores. The Axminster variety has sported 

 freely, yielding some very fine forms, and in one special instance 

 has afforded so wide a range of beautifully distinct plumose plants 

 as certainly to merit careful record. 



In 1888 I discovered upon A. f.-f. divaricatum the existence of 



