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APPENDIX. 
APOSPORY. 
Extract from the Linnean Society’s Journal — Botany, vol. xxx. 
Notes upon Apospory in a Form of Scolopendrium vulgare, 
var. crispum, and a new Aposporous Athyrium ; also an 
additional phase of Aposporous Development in Lastrea 
pseudo-mas, var. cristata. By Charles T. Druery, F.L.S. 
(Read December 7, 1893.) (Plate xvii.) 
THE case of apospory which I have the honour of bringing 
before the Society this evening is an entirely new one, in 
so far as it is exhibited by a fresh and apparently most unlikely 
species, viz., Scolopendrium vulgare, the normal smooth-edged 
strap-shaped fronds of which seem to offer no outlet for apical 
apospory, displaying, as they do, not the slightest tendency 
towards the formation of the slender lateral projections with 
which the phenomenon is usually associated in its apical form. 
It was on a special visit to Mr. T. Bolton, of Warton, near 
Carnforth, in August last, to inspect a new aposporous Athyrium, 
to which I will later refer, that I came across the case now 
under notice in the shape of a variety of Scolopendrium vulgare, 
known as Scolopendrium var. crispum Drummonds, found many 
years ago by Miss Drummond near Falmouth. This is a very 
singular compound variety, in which the fronds are very long 
and narrow, finely frilled, and bearing, in addition, broad flat 
digitate crests, often nine inches across. Another peculiar 
feature is that the midrib is deeply undulated several times 
perpendicularly to the plane of the frond, and finally the margins 
of the frills are deeply cut into long fimbriate projections. 
Mr. Bolton kindly sent me a plant, and on its receipt I at 
^nce perceived that in many cases the apices of these pro- 
jections were bifid and translucent, presenting all the features 
of incipient prothalli. I consequently cut off a number of these 
with a small portion of attached frond, and inserted them in 
sterilised soil so that the terminal points, or bifurcations, were 
in contact therewith. In a few days evident signs of growth 
were visible, and in a week or two distinct prothalli of more 
or less cordate form, and of normai size, were developed, twin 
prothalli resulting in some cases, each limb of the bifurcations 
having developed independently. Root-hairs, however, were 
very tardy in appearing, due probably to the fact that growth 
was sustained by absorption through the adherent portions of 
frond ; later on, however, they appeared somewhat abundantly, 
though hardly in normal quantity. In some cases, thick fleshy 
prothalli of irregular form were developed from quite blunt 
