244 
Choice Ferns for Amateurs. 
L O M ARIA — CO nti nued, 
a somewhat erect position, which, on account of their stiff, 
leathery texture, they retiain as long a® they remtain on the 
plant. They are furnished with leaflets about 2in. long, 
^-in. broiad, and rounded or somewhat blunt at the ex- 
tremity. The fertile ones are distinetly pinnate. Besides 
being one of the Lomarias most sensitive to moisture on 
the fronds, it is also one requiring peat and sand only to 
thrive well, as loam, unless very light and fibrous, is 
injurious to its roots. 
L. ma^fellanica. 
Synonymous with Boryana. 
L. pumila. 
A very pretty, greenhouse species, native of New Zea- 
land, and one which somewhat resembles the better-known 
L. alpinay but it is much more delicate in texture and has 
its leaflets distinctly notched. 
L. Spicant. 
Although a thoroughly British plant, the Hard Fern, 
also known as Blechnum horeale and B. Spicant, is found 
in nearly every part of the world. It is one of the com- 
monest of our evergreen species, and its striking dwarf and 
sturdy habit, as well as the deep green colour of its barren 
fronds, renders it one of the most useful plants for the 
decoration of the outdoor rockery, Where, in a moist, shady 
nook, it forms a beautiful and most conspicuous object. 
L. Spicant is one of the least fastidious of all our British 
Ferns, for, although it prefers a moist situation with a 
northern aspect, it also succeeds in a stiff, clayey soil, and 
when exposed to the more or less direct rays of the sun. 
It dislikes lime in any form. It is in great request for the 
hardy Fernery, but, like some others of our British Ferns, 
it may with great advantage be also used for the decoration 
of the greenhouse and conservatory : under such conditions 
its fronds, which are extremely useful in a cut state for 
mixing with cut flowers, retain their stiffness all through the 
winter. The most reliable method for increasing the 
varieties of the Hard Fern is by division of the crowns, as 
very little dependence can be placed on their exactly repro- 
ducing the varieties in any other way. The species is readUy 
propagated by means of spores, which are usually ripe about 
September. L. Spicant has produced many very interest- 
ing varieties, the most distinct and the most attractive of 
which well deserve special attention at the hands of all 
qualities they are equal to the type. They are too numerous 
Fern-growers, the more so that in hardiness and decorative 
