THE ROYAL FERN. 
277 
particular concerning tlie soil in which you grow 
it, but the nearer you can approach to the con¬ 
ditions under which it is found growing in 
greatest luxuriance in its native woods, heaths, 
and bogs, the greater success will attend your 
cultivation of it. 
5 . 
THE ROYAL FERN. 
Osmunda regalis. 
Plate 1 , Fig. 5 . 
F royal and noble aspect, indeed, is the 
Royal or Flowering Fern. It is the 
largest and grandest of our native 
species, and approaches more nearly than any 
other to the form of a tree Fern. Its 
favourite habitats are the banks of moorland 
streams where it can secure abundant moisture, 
and a soft, spongy, peaty soil. Oftentimes it is 
found in damp woods, growing in such situations 
to an average height of four, five, or six feet. It 
