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European Ferns. 
A more distinct form is that which has been described as a species under the name 
of Cetcrach aureum — a plant which, although usually regarded as a form of C. officinarum , is 
still retained as distinct by Milde. It differs from the type in its large fronds, which are a 
foot or more in length, and by the toothed scales. It is an extremely handsome plant, and 
is peculiar to the Canaries, where it is found almost exclusively in the region of the laurel 
woods, descending sometimes in the hotter valleys. It prefers to grow in the rich black 
soil under tall trees, although it is also found upon damp shady rocks. 
The Ceterach is not a difficult plant to grow, if it be planted in rough porous soil ; it 
likes to be kept moderately dry, and does well in pots or on rockwork, if not in too damp a 
situation. So distinct and handsome a plant should find a place in every collection of ferns ; 
and if we cannot endorse the high estimate formed by our ancestors of its remedial properties, 
we may recommend it from another point of view, as being one of the most striking and 
interesting of European Ferns. 
