THE SMOOTH ROCK SPLEENWORT. 65 
composed of turfy peat, with a small proportion of friable loam, and 
abundance of gritty silver sand. The crown of the plant may be 
advantageously raised somewhat above the general surface in 
potting, by being wedged, not too tightly, between two or, three 
pieces of sandstone, or some similar porous material. It is increased 
without difficulty by division, if the operation is carefully performed 
in the growing season, and the divided plants are kept close till 
established. We have seen exhibited by Dr. Young, a magnificent 
mass of this plant, which could hardly have been less than a foot in 
diameter, with fronds eight to ten inches long. The species grows 
admirably in a shady hothouse. 
This plant is not much given to variation. "The fronds are occa- 
sionally bifid or multifid at the apex, and the plants which have this 
multifid tendency sometimes produce a few of the pinne unusually 
large; but no permanent variety has been observed. There are, 
` indeed, two forms of the species to which the names of fontanum 
and Halleri have been. given, but the differences between these two 
supposed species are obviously those arising from a greater or less 
degree of luxuriance, and disappear under the influence of uniform 
cultivation. 
There is, besides, a garden plant of dubious origin, which has been 
supposed to belong to this species, and which Mr. Wollaston 
formerly proposed to call var. proliferum. "Though from its size, 
and division, most like Asplenium fontanum of our British species, 
itis in faet quite unlike that plant in several important characters, 
and in some respects approaches the North American Asplenium 
ebeneum. We have not been able to recognise it in any published 
descriptions, nor to find any corresponding specimens in the 
Hookerian Herbarium. This interesting plant has been known to us 
since 1851, from fronds received from the gardens at Peper-Harrow 
Park, Surrey. It was subsequently exhibited at the metropolitan 
fêtes by Mr. Parker,nurseryman, of Hornsey: these plants being 
reported by Mr. Williams, then of Hoddesdon, to have been received 
by him a few years previously, as A. viride, from a gardener, whose 
friend named Filden, (who it appears died soon after the occur- 
rence) had found them in Scotland, and had sent three roots. The 
VOL. II. F 

