February 14, 1905. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
145 
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Scolopendrium vulgarc: 
Its Varieties and Culture. 
The common Hart’s-tongue (Scolopendrium vulgare) is well 
known in most' gardens. It is, however, rarely appreciated as- 
it should be; hence it is often relegated to an inverted position 
in the garden and otherwise treated rather as a despicable 
plant than one which is capable of being used with much effect. 
The old name of Scolopendrium dates back to Theophrastus, 
b.c. 287, and was so designated because the lines of fructifica¬ 
tion were fancifully supposed to 1 resemble the feet (in position) 
of the Scolopendra, a genus of centipedes, so that the botanical 
name is not very far removed from the zoological one. It is 
the Phyllitis of Ray (1705) and many of the older botanists, 
while Linnaeus classed it with the Aspleniums—to' which it is 
closely allied—but still adhered to the term Scolopendrium in 
a specific sense. Phyllitidis is, undoubtedly, a good name for it 
on account of its leafy character; and, as such, Newman, in 
his "History of British Ferns” (1844), so regards it. He 
says: " The original and well-known term of Phyllitidis might 
with propriety be employed, but an invincible dislike to the 
introduction of new names leads me for the present to adopt 
Smith’s nomenclature.” This " invincible dislike,” however, 
does not seem to be shared by our modem botanists, who 
doubtless have good reasons for upsetting our old-world names. 
The nomenclature of plants and animals is admittedly difficult, 
for the late Mr. E. J. Lowe, in “Our Native Ferns ” (1869), 
adduces for S. vulgare no less than sixteen synonyms. How¬ 
ever, as there is far more variability in the Fern itself than 
in the names by which it is known, and as my purpose is less 
literary than practical, we can well afford to leave these dis¬ 
putes to those whom they may concern while we deal with the 
subject as it is, and from a horticultural standpoint. 
I must, however, premise at the outset that the common 
Hart’s-tongue in nature is subject to an immense amount of 
variation; in fact, no Fern has “ sported ” more freely or given 
us more wonderful or beautiful forms than this protean species. 
We have it on the authority of Mr. C. T. Druery, F.L.S.—a 
specialist of no mean repute—that “ it may be taken, as a rule, 
that when once the common form has varied, the tendency to 
vary again is increased ; hence it has been possible, starting 
from a wild find of distinct character, to obtain in a few 
generations by careful selection plants of continually increas¬ 
ing beauty.” In Devon and Cornwall more especially this 
Fern revels in a variety of soils and situations. In the latter 
county, in the neighbourhood of Newquay, variation is the 
rule rather than the exception, the abnormality being so great 
that I think I may say that quite 60 per cent, of these Ferns 
are either furcate, lobate, undulate, crenate, or otherwise in¬ 
clined, in an incipient, way, to depart- from the smooth, un¬ 
divided, tongue-shaped character of the fronds by which we 
are accustomed to recognise them. It is not, however, of the 
species nor of the minor variations which I desire to speak, 
but of the more highly developed forms—the beautiful 
varieties—which have been found wild in isolated places, or 
have been developed therefrom by cultivation and selection. 
Or the enormous number of varieties—Mr. Lowe describes over 
I propose to select those only which are distinctly 
meritorious, and which are, therefore, most suitable, either as 
I P ot plants for frame culture, for the rockery, or for general 
decorative purposes. On account of the numbers into which 
these varieties run, it has been deemed advisable to group 
them according to their most prominent characteristics. 
Undoubtedly the finest group is that devoted to the cris- 
purns. These plants are, perhaps, the most highly developed ; 
they certainly are, from my point of view, the most beautiful. 
Nature has put so much foliaceous matter into them that frills 
have been the outcome, and has built them up on such 
symmetrical lines, that they appear to me to be the “ Marechal 
Niels ” of Ferny forms. And here I may say that the pictorial 
representation here depicted may be taken as a type of the 
crispums generally. Moreover, such illustrations have an 
economical aspect—they speak more than words. S. v. crispum 
Willsi is a wild find from Somersetshire (1870), and is, prac¬ 
tically, a glorified form of this group), with fronds 17 in. by 
4 in.—a plant that would grace any position in or out of doors. 
Splendid as it is, S. v. c. Willsi grande is even finer, the fronds 
measuring over 5 in. across. The first-named was found by 
the late Mr. Wills, and is frequently written S. v. crispum 
Wills. 
The common crispum—if common it can be called—was 
known to Linnaeus, and I once had the gratification of seeing 
this variety, which was said to have come from Upsala via 
the Cambridge Botanical Gardens. Anyhow, the normal cris¬ 
pum is an exceedingly elegant pdant, for, although the frond 
is comparatively narrow, it is evenly and beautifully frilled. 
Moreover, the crispums in their general outline have not de¬ 
parted, like some of the- varieties, from the tongue^shape-d form 
of the species. Hence that is an additional reason why they 
should be first considered. 
Cowburni, a. very beautiful variety, is a great advance in 
point of size ; its fronds measure 4 in. across, are well crisped 
or frilled, and the whole plant is of a sturdy habit. It was 
pricked up, with several others, by Major Cowburn on his own 
estate at Dennel Hill, in Monmouthshire; hence its name. A 
Scolopendrium vulgare crispum Willsi. 
spore from this gave " Leonella-, of which Mr. Lowe was justly 
proud. ^ Another produced a variegated form which was- named 
Mrs. Cowburn. The variegated varieties, however, are not 
constant, and L doubt whether, except as mere variations, they 
are of half the value for decorative purposes as their lush green 
sisters. As a rule, the crispum section—especially the more 
highly-developed forms—are entirely devoid of spores-; but, 
occasionally, as in the above instances, fertility sets in, and 
thus fresh progeny may be procured and a- possible improve¬ 
ment brought about. 
Another very fine crispum raised from spores is one called 
Stansfieldii. It is not- only characteristic of this beautiful 
section, but it- is also crested and sagittate, and sometimes the 
fronds are branched. This variety, however, is somewhat 
variable in disposition, and therefore somewhat difficult- to 
keep up to its proper standard. Stansfield’s fimbriatum is a 
i emarkable Fein. The frills are profuse and overlap, and 
these again are finely cut, shredded, or fimbriated. The effect 
is striking in a well-grown specimen. Bolton, Cropper, and 
others are working on this section, and some really marvellous 
results have already been recorded. 
Other grand forms of the S. v. crispum group that ought to 
be recorded here are: Robinsoni, crenate on the margins and 
exquisitely frilled; Stablerae, distinct and large ; and Drum- 
mondae, with long, narrow fronds, tape-ring upwards, and thence 
spreading out into a- head or crest- 9 in. broad. Moreover, this 
Fern is aposporous, i.e., youngsters can be obtained without- the 
aid of spores—a remarkable phenomenon. Mr. Druery dis¬ 
covered this. He has- also in his possession an improved form 
which he- calls “ superbum,” and it- certainly merits it, for the 
frills and fimbriations are a glory yet untold. The writer also 
