7 HE BUCKLER FERNS. 
235 
the more delicate of its kind, it most loves the 
shade. Peat, rich loam, and sand, with leaf- 
mould, should compose the soil in which it is 
grown, whether in the garden or in the house. 
Wherever this vigorous and beautiful fern grows, 
it will impart a delightful and exhilarating fresh- 
ness to its surroundings. 
2. THE BROAD BUCKLER FERN. 
Lastrea dilatata. 
ABOUT the fronds of this really handsome fern 
there is a peculiarly crisped, curled appearance, 
which renders it very easily recognizable. Lastrea 
dilatata is the finest of the Lastreas. The stems of 
the fronds are often purple hued, and they are 
covered with dark brown scales. At their lowest 
part they are thicker than they are above. The 
leafy portion of the frond is, in its general outline, 
lance-shaped — broadest at the base, and tapering 
upwards. On each side of the mid-stem, or rachis, 
are branches placed opposite each other, or nearly 
so, in pairs, and becoming shorter and shorter as 
