BRITISH FERNS, 
13 
No. d, 
Polypodium l . 
284 Dryopteris L. — Smooth-branched Polypody, or Oak Fern . ; . . Od. to 2 0 
285 Phegopteris L. — Mountain Polypody, or Beech Fern 9d. to 2 0 
286 — interruptum Sim. . . . . . , . . * . , , . * . , ..2s. 6d. to 3 6 
287 — minus 31. . . . . . . . . , „ 5 0 
Plant in a moist, shady nook of the rockery, using a compost of fibrous 
peat, leaf mould, and silver sand ; it is important to drain well. In pot 
culture, use shallow pots or pans half, or more than half filled with 
drainage. Can anything be more lovely than a pan of the Oak Fern 
well grown — an unbroken mass of delicate fronds of the softest green 
imaginable ! The two species are deciduous. 
288 Robertianum Hoff, (calcareum Smith ) — Limestone Polypody . . Is. to 2 0 
In planting this handsome deciduous species, add to the compost last 
named bits of limestone, or a quantity of old crumbled mortar, or both ; 
perfect drainage in this, as in the case of the two last-named species , is of 
the greatest importance. 
289 vulgare L. — Common Polypody , . . . . . . * . 6d. to 1 0 
290 — acutum 31 . . . * 2s. 6d. to 3 0 
291 — auritum Willd , . , .. 2s. 6d. to 5 0 
292 — hifidum Francis 2s. 6d. to 5 0 
293 — Cambricum L . — Welsh Polypody — this splendid variety differs so widely 
from the type that many authors have looked upon it as a species, 
“It is,” says Mr. Moore, “perhaps the most beautiful of all known 
varieties of Polypodium.” Fronds 10 to 18 inches long, 2 to 6 inches 
broad, deeply bipinnatifid throughout. The plant is uniformly barren. 
Though one of the oldest varieties known, its beauty and value are 
so well recognised, and the consequent demand for it so large, that 
no tradesman is ever found to possess stock 2s. 6d. to 5 0 
294 — compositum M . . . . . . . . 5 0 
295 — crenatum W. 2 0 
296 — cristatum M . — fronds about the normal size ; “ the point of each lobe 
multifid-crisped ; the apex of the frond itself more or less ramose, 
the branches being crisped and tasselled.” A thoroughly distinct 
and very pretty variety 3s. 6d. to 10 0 
297 — marginatum W. , . . . 5s. to 7 0 
298 — multiforme C lowes . ,3s. 6d„ to 5 0 
299 — obtusum Stansf. . . . . 2 0 
300 — omnilacerum 31 . — the affinities of this lovely form are with Cambricum ; 
it is of a somewhat less robust habit, and fertile; the fronds are 
about the normal size, and bipinnatifid throughout. It is to this form 
that we should award the palm of beauty among varieties of P. vul- 
gare ; its worthy rivals are Cambricum and pulcherrimum 5s. to 10 0 
301 — pulcherrimum 31 . — a recently-discovered variety, hardly inferior in 
point of beauty and attractiveness to the one last described ( omni- 
lacerum) I. It may be said to be intermediate in character between 
Cambricum and the pretty commonly known semilacerum, having 
the handsome bipinnatifid character of the former with the abundant 
fertility of the latter. The plant is of vigorous habit, soon making 
splendid specimens. It was first sent into the trade from here, some 
3 years ago , . . , . , . , 5s. to 10 0 
302 — ramosum ill , „ 5 0 
303 — semilacerum Link (Hibernicum 31 .) — Irish Polypody . . . . 2s. 6d. to 5 0 
804 — serratum Willd. . . . . . . . . , . 2 0 
Polypodium vulgare is a fine evergreen, and the most beautiful 
varieties, such as Cambricum, omnilacerum and pulcherrimum, are, per- 
haps, the freest-growing . Plant in a compost of fibrous peat, leaf -mould , 
and silver sand, taking care to give ample drainage, and to place the 
rhizomes on the surface of the soil, securing them there with wooden 
pins until the plant is well established. No ferns are more patient 
of neglect than these, though the cultivator will hardly be tempted 
to neglect any of the beautiful varieties referred to above , 
