January 4, 1894. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAOE GARDENER. 
7 
by the late Mr. J. M. Barnes, one of our moat renowned and successful 
Fern lovers, hunters, and raisers. In Mr. E. J. Lowe’s list seventy-five 
varieties are eatalogued of which seventeen belong to the plumose or 
extra leafy section, of which the well-known Welsh Polypody (P. cam- 
bricum) is the type. The best of these undoubtedly is P. v. var. Prestoni. 
found at Zelland, in which the fronds are not only splendidly sub¬ 
divided, but also sopiewhat congested, each frond forming a densely 
overlapping mass of most delicate leafage. In this section Mr. Lowe 
includes P. v. cornubiense, though to our mind the distinction between 
the others and this is rather too great. In this the whole frond is cut 
up into fine narrow segments, so much so that the beat form of jt has 
been named P. v. trichomanoides, from its very strong resemblance to 
the Killarney Fern (Trichomanes radicans). So different is this to the 
normal that it is difficult to credit it as being a mere sport ; a fact, 
however, which it has a peculiar knack of confirming by throwing up 
occasionally composite fronds partially normal and partially true to 
type. Mr. Clapham succeeded in crossing this with a finely tasselled 
form known as P. v. bifido-cristatum, the result being a crested 
cornubiense showing the tendency to reversion by throwing up a per¬ 
centage of true bifido-cristatum fronds. A clearer proof of the dual 
parentage could obviously hardly be afforded. The best forms a la 
cambricum besides Prestoni are P. v. Barrowi, Hadwini, and pluma. 
P. V; pulcherrimum is a splendid form on similar plan, but is of stouter 
texture and fertile. 
A number of very handsome tasselled varieties have been found, and 
rank very high as decorative plants when well grown in suspended 
baskets or wide shallow specimen pans. P. v. bifido-cristatum already 
mentioned has long narrow fronds bearing a heavy terminal spreading 
crest, while minor ones tip the short pinnae. P. v. criatatum, the old 
form, is simply the normal, neatly tasselled at all terminals. P. v. cris- 
tatum, Cleioarth, or Foster! and grandiceps, Aha?,are two infinitely finer 
forms of same type, the latter especially. A still greater development 
of cresting is seen in P. v. grandiceps, Parker (multifido-cristatum), in 
which the frond is one huge crest very finely comminuted. P. v. 
glonillatum, Mullins, is a crested form gone mad, no two fronda being 
alike in their eccentric ramifications. P. v. semilacerum, the Irish 
Polypody, and especially semilacerum grande, are very fine decorative 
varieties, as also is P. v. omnilacerum when in form, which it rarely is. 
In that case it reaches 2 feet in length, and so hard to beat. 
Besides these there are numerous interesting forms of less beauty 
and interest into which space precludes us from entering. Wherever 
the plant grows plentifully, which it does in very many parts of the 
country, it well repays careful scrutiny, even the minor forms of varia¬ 
tion constituting pleasant little souvenirs of pleasant rambles, while if 
a really good thing falls to the hunter’s lot he is well repaid indeed. 
From the varietal point of view the other British members of the 
genus already named possess little interest, but for delicacy of verdure 
there is no Fern capable of surpassing the Oak Fern (P. dryopteris). 
The fronds are of an indescribable moonshiny green, which renders a 
good specimen in the early spring a thing of beauty and a joy as long 
as it lasts. Culture is of the easiest in a loose open compost, mainly 
leaf mould and well drained. It grows apace, and speedily fills 
pot or pan to repletion. Planted in the chinks of rockwork in cool 
conservatories it takes care of itself and soon spreads. Its very near 
relative, P. calcaieum, or the Limestone Polypody, is much rarer in 
Britain. It is a more robust grower on precisely similar lines, but its 
green is not so delicate. The two may always be discriminated by the 
fact that the stems of the Oak Fern are always bent abruptly back¬ 
wards at a slight angle where the frond is set on, while on the other it 
is straight. The uncoiling fronds of the Oak Fern, too, ape exactly just 
before they unfold the three balls familiar to pawnbrokers ; while 
P. calcareum unrolls differently. Neither of these forms has yet 
yielded a distinct variety. The Beech Fern (P. phegopteris) has its 
fronds bipinnate, the two lowest divisions turning abruptly downwards, 
giving a barbed appearance to the outline of the frond. Culture exactly 
as above. It is hardly so plentiful as the Oak Fern, but has yielded 
one or two sports, P. p. cristatum being a neatly tasselled form.— 
Chas. T. Druery, F.L.S., F.R.H.S. 
(To be continued.) 
SALVIA SPLENDENS. 
The finest plants of this Salvia I have seen were at Ugbrook Park, 
the seat of Lord Clifford, not far from Newton Abbot. The plants were 
quite 6 feet high, 3 feet through them, and numerously studded with 
flower spikes, many of them 10 inches and 1 foot long. As may be 
supposed such grand examples as these during the month of November 
m^e a gorgeous display, especially when arranged in a mass together. 
When we consider the ease with which this Salvia can be grown the 
wonder is that more plants are not seen. 
The following is an outline of the culture adopted with such successful 
results by Mr. Abraham. Cuttings 3 inches long are taken in February, 
inserted m sandy soil, plunged in a mild heat, where they quickly root. 
They have their points pinched out, about four times, to induce a sturdy 
growth and to increase the number of spikes on each. When the pits 
are cleared of the ordinary bedding plants the Salvias are planted out, 
allowing about 15 inches of space between each. Hera they make free 
growth, and are taken up and placed in 9 inch pots in any ordinary 
light compost. To prevent the leaves flagging unduly the plants are stood 
behind a north wall, where they escape the sun’s rays, are syringed 
two or three times daily and housed on the approach of winter.—E. M. 
This Brazilian Orchid is very useful for winter flowering; spikes 
4 feet long, and carrying fifty or upwards of its showy blossoms, 
render the Orchid house gay during November. In colour it is 
distinct. The sepals and petals are yellow, barred and blotched with 
cinnamon brown ; the lip golden yellow, spotted towards the 
margin with dark purple. This Oncidium is all the more 
valuable because it can be well grown in an ordinary plant stove.— 
E. M. 
Zygopetalum rostratum. 
Although this Zygopetalum has been in cultivation for many 
years, it does not appear to be generally cultivated. The flowers, 
as will be seen by referring to the illustration (fig. 1) are large and 
of an attractive character. The sepals and petals are white, tipped 
with brownish purple. The lip also is white, with purplish crimson 
veins starting from the base. The engraving has been prepared 
from blooms of a plant exhibited on December 12tb, 1893, at the Drill 
FIG. 1.—ZYGOPETALUM ROSTRATUM. 
Hall, Westminster, by Messrs. F. Sander & Co., St. Albans, and for 
which the Orchid Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society 
adjudged an award of merit. 
Deciduous Calantiies. 
Deciduous Calanthes have for some weeks past been in flower, 
and in order to have a fine bright colour in C. Veitchi I find it is 
necessary to keep the plants dry at the roots and near the glass in a 
temperature of GO^ The blooms are of better substance and 
more lasting when they are allowed to expand in a comparatively 
cool temperature, and, moreover, they last much longer after being 
cut. Cold draughts must not be permitted to blow on them at any 
time. Grown in light turfy loam larger pseudo-bulbs ani .stronger 
spikes are produced than when peat is used. Whilst growing they 
require also plenty of heat and atmospheric moisture, also feeling 
with liquid manure made from sheep or deer droppings.—W. S. 
