
124 BRITISH FERNS 
VICTORIA (Figs. 112,113 and Appendix 
No. XIII).—This extraordinary Fern те- 
presents the most remarkable composite 
“sport” yet discovered, as our illustra- 
tions show, being a combination of the 
perfect cruciate, or cross-forming char- 
acter, and that of cristatum, or tassel- 
forming. It was found as a robust 
plant of several crowns, growing in a 
cart road off the high road at Drymen, 
in Stirlingshire, by Mr. James Cosh, a 
Scotch student, who, jumping over the 
stone dyke into this road, nearly alighted 
on the clump, the nature and value 
of which he immediately perceived. In 
Mr. E. J. Lowe’s records, it is stated 
that the Fern was left undisturbed for 
about two years, and as this struck the 
writer as a singular fact, if it were a 
fact, he made a pilgrimage some years 
back to the cart road in question, and 
was introduced to the identical farmer, 
Mr. Buchanan, who was engaged cutting 
the grass in it at the very time of the 
discovery, and was asked by Mr. Cosh ? 
to take саге and not damage it, and 
also to look after it until the next day, 
when he would return. Оп the next 
day, and not two years later, the Fern 
was lifted and divided by Mr. Cosh him- 
self, part being left at Buchanan Castle, 
the seat of the Duke of Montrose close 
by, and the rest sent, we believe, to 
Edinburgh, to Mr. Cosh’s friends. The 
writer being related to the Duke of 
Montrose’s factor, not only had every 
opportunity of ascertaining the actual 
facts of the case on the spot and, as it 
fortunately happened, from one who was 
actually present when the discovery was 
made, but also became the possessor of an 
actual division of the original plant. This 
remarkable Fern comes quite true from 
spores as regards its cruciate and cristate 
character, but we have never seen a seed- 
ling the size of the original, the fronds 
of which we have had over a yard long, 






A 
F ig. 112, 4. АЛ Victoria, 





