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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



it looks almost like a green mist. A.f.-f. Victoria, styled the 

 "Queen of Lady Ferns," is a most distinct variety; its fronds 

 f from 2 to 3 feet long) arching gracefully, its narrow pinna? cross- 

 ing each other like lattice-work, its pinnae slightly and the apex 

 of the frond more heavily crested, it is at once the most remark- 

 able of this section, and quite alone hi its peculiar beauty. 



A. setigerum is another handsome variety, very bristly in 

 appearance ; several of its crested forms are specially attractive. 



A. Frizellice, with its narrow, slender fronds only half an 

 inch or so wide, is very pretty, but unfortunately not very con- 

 stant. A. F. cristatum is very distinct, being crested ; while 

 A. Appleby anum, which produces very narrow fronds 2 feet 

 long and heavily crested, foims a handsome plant. A. Fieldice 

 is heavier in appearance than Frizellice, its fronds being longer 

 and its pinnules cruciform. 



A. Pritchardii and A. P. cristatum are in the same style, 

 but produce longer fronds, the pinna? more decidedly cruciform 

 than Fieldice, the point of the frond being drawn out, and in 

 the case of cristatum bearing a crest. A. Craigii and Howard- 

 ianum are very handsome, the one having a red and the other 

 a green stem, the pinna? depauperated and crested. A. acroclaclon 

 is a marvellously crested variety ; its fronds grow from 12 to 

 15 inches in length, being branched and crested to such a degree 

 that it becomes a dense bush of fronds. 



A thy. crispum is a dwarf variety, also much branched and 

 crested. A. Edwardsii is dwarf and much congested. A.apicale 

 is a lovely dwarf crested variety. A. corymbiferum is a very 

 handsome form, its fronds being very regular in outline, all the 

 pinna? crested, and the apex of the frond bearing a heavier crest. 



The Lastreas, like the Athyriums, are very numerous and 

 distinct, though the tendency to produce varieties is in the 

 former more restricted, but they are much more constant, They, 

 so to speak, do not change their minds as some of the Lady 

 Ferns are prone to do, but, having developed a particular cha- 

 racter, they may be relied upon to retain it from year to year. 



Of the three distinct forms of the Male Fern, the one now 

 distinguished by the name pseudo-mas is most attractive, and 

 although the commoner filix-mas grows luxuriantly, and makes 

 a fine specimen, the pseudo-mas has a more symmetrical habit 

 of growth ; its fronds are of a pleasing yellowish- green, and 



