32 
CHOICE BHITISH FERNS. 
Some of tlie abnormal forms afford another method of pro- 
pagation, by means of buds which appear on the surface of 
the fronds and elsewhere. Many of the Polystichums develop 
these in profusion, the old fronds throwing up a mass of 
tiny new growth along their midribs before decaying alto- 
gether. Such fronds only require pegging down flat as 
they are, to yield youngsters in abundance. | Sohie^^ Sgolo- 
pendriums produce buds on their stalks, and on tlie surface 
and edges of the fronds, which can be treated similarly. The 
edge buds require to be cut with scissors, so that a little 
tongue of the old frond may serve to fix them in the soil, 
and act as a temporary substitute for roots./ A few forms 
of'the plumose sections of the Lady Fern have been found 
to produce bulbils on the backs of the fronds — a character- 
istic, so far, only remarked in connection with this family. 
For many years these resisted all attempts to produce plants, 
but recently success has established the fact that they are 
true buds, as open to propagation by pegging down as the 
others. 
It has also been found that the basal portions of the old, 
decayed fronds, which retain vitality for many years, are 
capable of developing buds when detached from the old 
crowns and inserted in sandy compost. The Lady Fern, 
Male Fern, ^d Har tstongue, and probably other species, 
permit of this method of propagation, which, in the sporeless 
Ferns, is sometimes the only one available. 
The propagation of those Ferns which, like the common 
Polypody, Bladder Ferns, Maidenhair, and the Filmy Ferns, 
have creeping rootstocks, is a very simple matter, since every 
piece of the creeping rootstock {rhizome), bearing a few root 
fibres and a frond, is fairly sure to yield a plant if pegged 
firmly down upon the surface, and the rootlets carefully 
covered. The edges of pots and pans seem the most con- 
genial places for such, the evaporation through the porous 
material probably assisting root formation, by keeping the 
soil sweet, and promoting circulation. 
Three abnormal forms, one Lady Fern and two Polystichums, 
have recently been found to afford instances of an altogether 
