FERN CONFERENCE. 



517 



bulbils associated with the spores, and as the result of some 

 inquiries a portion of a frond oiA.f.-f.plumosum clegans (Parsons), 

 a finer-cut seedling from the Axminster, was sent to me. In this 

 Fern it will be borne in mind that there is not the slightest trace 

 of cresting, and yet as the result of a sowing of spores entirely 

 luithont admixture with spores of other varieties, fully 90 per 

 cent, of the progeny were heavily crested and of very similar 

 type to each other. One of the best of these is seen in No. 2,* 

 exhibited ; most of the others, though heavily tasselled, had 

 considerable irregularity in the pinna?, which detracted from 

 their beauty. Two only of the batch reproduced the parental type 

 truly; one of these is No. 3. Among the remainder were several 

 superior forms, characterised by greater regularity of cresting and 

 finer cutting ; one of these is No. 4. Finally, one plant appeared 

 whose peculiar delicacy of detail and symmetry fully entitled it 

 to the name of plumosum superbum. This figures as No. 1. 



In this sowing it will be observed that the spores of a perfectly 

 uncrested plumose form yielded without crossing over 90 per 

 cent, of crested offspring and only two of parental type. The 

 possible admixture of a few deposited chance spores could not 

 have crossed so many plants or produced such similarity of type. 



We now go a generation further. A. f.-f. superbum yielded 

 in 1887 a very few spores in minute patches, which were care- 

 fully sown, with striking results. The equilibrium of the spores 

 had now obviously become entirely upset. Out of some 120 plants 

 resulting, a score or more are quite devoid of cresting, but charac- 

 terised by all the delicacy of cutting of sitperbum, which has 

 stamped its special character upon the whole batch, with perhaps 

 one exception, which reverts towards the Axminster, with infinitely 

 finer cutting. This is numbered 5. A number of the plants show 

 more or less irregularity, but they are still young, and I note a 

 tendency to outgrow this defect. One only has so far declared 

 a decided resemblance to superbum itself, but promises to be 

 denser and more developed still than that. This is numbered G. 

 The uncrested forms differ much in detail (see Nos. 7, 8, and 9), 

 all of which may certainly claim first rank, even in their young 

 state, and as the tendency of plumose forms is to increase in 

 delicacy of detail as they do in size, they may certainly be ex- 



* The numbers in this and the following paragraph referred to grow- 

 ing specimens which Mr. Druery had placed in a line on the table before 

 him. — Ed. 



