248 
Choice Ferns for Amateurs. 
L,YGODl\JM—contmued, 
be grown in a wire basket 12in. to 14in. in diameter. 
Three plants should be put in it, one between each chain. 
Some of the strongest shoots should be trained upwards 
along the chains and in the centre of the basket; while 
those of medium growth should be allowed to hang all 
around the sides, which they will soon completely cover. 
palmatum. 
This charming greenhouse species, of comparatively 
small dimensions, is undoubtedly the most delicate-looking 
as well as the hardiest kind comprised in the genus. It is a 
native of North America. From a wide-creeping rliizome, 
of la very slender nature land of a dark brown, almost bliack, 
colour, the extremity of which is sciantily furnished with 
short, semi-triansparent, jointed hairs, rise at a distance of 
lin. or 2in. apart a quantity of delicate climbing graceful 
fronds. The lovely fronds, which, when mature, show a 
fertile portion totally different from the barren ones, creep 
and climb or twine over other plants to the height of 3ft. 
or 4ft. The totally barren fronds, as well as th.e lower por- 
tion of the fertile ones, are strictly bipinnate, and of a 
peculiar shape, inasmuch as, beginning at Gin. or Sin. from 
the ground, the twining midrib bears very short branchlets 
disposed lin. or 2in. apart. A very ornamental character 
is imparted to this most interesting plant by the handsome 
appearance of the fertile portion of its fronds, composed of 
several pairs of somewhat triangular leaflets, three or four 
times pinnatifid, being pinnately divided, with, leafits gene- 
rally three-lobed, and formed only of winged stalks and 
short, spike-like fertile ultimate divisions of a very graceful 
and elegant appearance. This species requires a very porous 
soil; the best mixture is good leaf-mould and chopped 
sphagnum in equal parts, with, an abundance of water at 
the roots all the year round, but principally from March to 
September. Fig. 10, p. 15. 
L. pedatum. 
This is synonymous with L, dichotomum. 
L. reticulatum. 
This fine, bold-looking plant, native of the Polynesian 
Islands and Eastern Tropical Australia, though, not so hardy 
as the Japanese and North American species, is a gem 
among the large climbing Ferns ; it is particularly effective 
w^hen grown around a pillar where massive foliage is re- 
quired, for, besides being a robust grower, its beautiful 
fronds are of a rich, dark, glossy colour, especially when th-e 
plant is grown in a rather shady place. These fronds, 
which are of indefinite length and distinctly bipinnate, are 
