March  31,  190 }. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
Desiontainia  spinosa. 
Temperate  Ferns. 
This  •listinct  ami  heairtifiil  shrub  was  introduced  a  good  many 
years  ago  by  Messrs.  Veitch,  and  tlie  attention  it  has  e.xcited  during 
recent  years  has  led  to  its  culture  out  of  doors  in  all  of  the  favoured 
counties,  with  the  result  that  its  hardiness  has  been  proved  in  many 
districts.  It  is  extensively  plante<l  in  sheltered  noi.)ks  and  well- 
selected  and  pre¬ 
pared  positions 
in  shrubbery 
borders.  Desfon- 
tainia  spinosa  is 
a  valualde  ever¬ 
green  ;  the  dark 
green  foliage, 
which  bears  a 
close  rese ni- 
Idance  to  that 
of  the  common 
Holly,  is  thickly 
set  upon  a  rigid, 
erect,  bushy 
growth.  The 
flowers  come 
early  in  August 
and  continue  in 
full  beauty  for 
upwards  of  a 
month,  in  clus¬ 
ters  of  long  pen¬ 
dant  tubes  upon 
the  ends  of  the 
branches.  It 
answers  well  in 
ordinary  garden 
soil,  but  should 
have  an  elevated, 
well-drained  po¬ 
sition,  sheltered 
yet  open,  and  is 
quite  worthy  of 
a  special  station 
of  good  soil. 
It  is  common 
in  the  gardens 
of  Cornwall  and 
Devonshire,  and 
Ayrshire  to 
our  knowledge, 
where  it  attains 
a  height  of  from 
rive  to  six  feet ; 
w  h  i  c  h  w  0  u  1  d 
seem  to  be  its 
maximum  in  this 
country,  several 
of  the  largest 
specimens  show¬ 
ing  traces  of  in¬ 
cipient  decay. 
The  annexed 
engraving  well 
portrays  the  ap¬ 
pearance  of  the 
shriib,  and  its 
full  beauty  will 
be  apijreciated 
when  it  is  remem¬ 
bered  that  the 
flowers  are  rich 
scarlet  in  colour, 
tipped  with  yel¬ 
low,  and  the  foli¬ 
age  dark,  glossy 
green.  It  would 
be  interesting  to 
learn  how  far 
northward  this 
s  h  r  u  b  can  be 
considered  hardy, 
house. 
Desfontainia  spinosa. 
Frecpiently  it  is  grown  in  pots  for  the  greeiF 
£.),0(H)  FOH  KitAi)UATiN(;  OiMWTiAS.—  A  reward  of  £b. ()()()  is 
offered  by  tlie  Queensland  Government  to  the  inventoi'  who  can 
devise  a  .sure  means  of  com])leteIy  tnadicating  tlie  vigorous  weed 
kr.own  as  Prickly  Pear  (Opuntia  vnlgai'is). 
Pellasa  condata  flexuosa. 
A  graceful  temperate-house  fern  Avith  long,  slender  fronds, 
whose  stems  or  rachis  are  of  wiry  texture  and  coloured  light  brown. 
The  fronds  are  bi-pinnate,  loose  and  graceful.  The  pinnw  or  leaflets 
are  either  round,  oval,  or  heart-shape<l,  and  ^-inch  in  breadth. 
Adiantum  reni- 
forme. 
This  very  dis¬ 
tinct  species  of 
the  Maidenhair 
genus  of  ferns 
appears  to  be  sel¬ 
dom  grown  in 
private  gardens, 
yet  it  furnishes 
a  n  interesting 
subject.  The 
young  leaves  are 
very  2)ale  green, 
and  contrast 
Avith  the  dark 
colour  of  the 
older  ones.  Each 
leaf  is  I'eniform 
(kidneyshaiAedj, 
and  Avhen  fully 
developed  mea- 
SAires  over  one 
inch  either  Avay. 
The  edges  are 
slightly  Avavy ; 
the  texture  is 
leathery,  and  the 
surface  smooth 
and  glossy.  Each 
loaf  is  borne  by 
a  separate  slen¬ 
der  stalk,  about 
3ins.  long,  so 
that  a  pan  filled 
with  this  fern 
has  a  very  simi¬ 
lar  effect  to  a 
pan  containing 
sayShortia  gala- 
cifolia,  except¬ 
ing  the  colour. 
Davallia  steno- 
carpa. 
At  first  appear¬ 
ance  this  beauti¬ 
ful  addition  t  o 
the  fei’nery  re¬ 
minds  one  imme¬ 
diately  of  D.  hir- 
ta  cristata,  and 
has  also  a  strong 
resemfdance  t'l 
the  troi)ical  s])c- 
cies  nameil  1). 
speluncw.  From 
a  young  plant  at 
KeAV,  seemingly 
received  from 
Paris  last  year, 
the  light  green 
fronds  are  seen 
to  be  1^  to  2it. 
long,  growing  iqi 
obli^piely  and 
bending  over  at 
the  tii)S.  F\Ar- 
ther,  the  divi¬ 
sions  of  the 
fronds  also  curve 
aAvay  on  either  side  from  the  main  a.xis,  and  this  recurving  habit 
adds  g'reatly  to  the  grace  of  the  plant.  The  fronds  are  bi-}iinnate. 
the  larger  ])inna?  of  the  loAA’er  segments  being  in  turn  crenately 
lobed.  D.  ^ilatyphylla  is  another  handsome  subject. 
Mapsilea  and  Othen  “  Watei’-Fenns. 
Tim  Marsileacem  and  Saiviniacem  conqn'ise  foni 
Water  Ik'ins.' 
genera  of 
namely,  .Marsilea,  Piluaria,  Azolla,  .and  .''.al- 
