306 
Choice Ferns for Amateurs. 
POL,YPODlVM— continued. 
Beech Fern is nearly evergreen, as its old fronds, thongh 
discoloured and generally broken at the base, remain on the 
plants almost until the new ones make their appearance. 
There is a variety, multifidum, that differs from the type in 
being irregularly multifid. Fig. 117. 
P. pustulatum. 
A distinct and very useful, greenhouse species, native 
of Australia and New Zealand. Its singular fronds, pro- 
duced in great abundance from a copiously-branched, wide- 
creeping rhizome of a woody nature and covered with nar- 
row, dark brown scales, are borne on stalks lin. to Sin. 
long. They vary in shape from entire. Sin. to 9in. long, Jin 
to fin. broad, and narrowed to both ends, to 1ft. to IJft. 
long, Sin. to 4in. broad, and cut down to a broadly-winged 
rachis throughout into spear-shaped lobes. These fronds 
are of a papery texture, dark green in colour, with beauti- 
fully-marked veins darker still, and smooth on both sides. 
The conspicuous circular spore masses are disposed in a single 
series along the margin of the lobes, and distinctly im- 
mersed. This plant is of easy culture; it is well adapted 
for growing in dark places where hardly any other Fern 
would thrive, and for planting in such positions on stones or 
rock-work, which it rapidly covers and to which it clings 
with a remarkable tenacity. 
P. refractum. 
This very handsome, stove species, native of Brazil, 
produces from an upright-growing rootstock its pinnate 
fronds, about 1ft. long, Gin. broad, and furnished with 
spearHshaped leaflets. These leaflets arei eared on both sides 
at the base, sinuated on their edges, of a stiff texture, and 
glossy on both sides, the lower ones being conspicuously 
deflexed. The abundant minute, black spore masses are 
irregularly scattered over the whole of their under-side. 
P. Reinwardtii. 
This is synonymous with P. suh-auriculatum, 
P. Schneiderii. 
Fern-lovers consider this the most striking and at the 
same time the most interesting hybrid artificially raised. 
It originated among some se-edlings of P. aureum an.d P. 
vulgare elegantissimum, the spores of which had been pur- 
posely sown together. While in a young state the offspring 
showed very little difference from P. aureum, but its fronds, 
at first entire and conspicuously undulated, became more 
and more divided, and on the same plant one could at one 
time see fronds entirely similar to P. aureum, and others 
