CHAPTER XIV

THE CULTURE OF FERNS

It goes without saying that Ferns of all kinds are interesting plants to grow in the garden and house. A few suggestions as to the culture of the various species described has been appended in each case, but one or two general remarks may not be out of place. First of all, it is desired to correct the popular impression that Ferns are happiest in very wet situations; true, these plants like plenty of moisture, but only one or two of the British species are ever found actually growing with their roots in water. On this account, great care should be taken to provide well-drained positions. The best kind of rockery should not be solid earth all through, and the plants will grow much better if there is a core of heaped stones covered with a deep layer of soil. Of course, shade is very desirable, and hardly any Ferns, even those kinds which grow on walls, are seen at their best in very sunny positions. Happily in most gardens it is possible to find a border with a northern aspect on which it is not easy to grow flowering plants with much success; in such a position Ferns will find a home that will suit them admirably.

Of course it is only the hardiest Ferns which can be expected to grow well in the town garden. Many of the common, and strong-growing species, however, do very well anywhere, the only attention which they require being an occasional watering in dry summers. This will often save the foliage from drying up, a happening which makes the plants rather unsightly. Where the outside conditions are not very favourable, practically all the British species may be grown with ease under glass. In such conditions many kinds which do not flourish very freely in the open garden, grow into handsome specimens. A case in point is the Sea Spleenwort, which is an exceedingly difficult subject to establish out of doors, yet it grows well as a pot plant. Whatever the species, it is well to imitate the natural conditions as much as possible in the way of soil. For instance, the Limestone Polypody is not happy unless there is a certain amount of lime present in the soil. Ferns with upright root-stocks do well in ordinary pots, but those which produce creeping rhizomes are best accommodated in pans or baskets. One wonders why even some of the common British Ferns are not more generally cultivated in rooms. Small plants of the Lady Fern, for instance, make charming specimens, and in the comparatively dense shade of the apartment the fronds are unusually delicate in their form and colouring. In all forms of room culture the great enemy is the dust which settles so freely on the fronds, and the only way in which to combat this is through the agency of frequent syringings.

Fern cases were very much in vogue some years ago, and this is really a very delightful way of cultivating the plants. Of course, the old Wardian cases can often be picked up at second-hand shops, but one of the simplest devices is formed with the aid of a cloche similar to those commonly used in French gardening. It is only necessary to have a zinc, or a galvanized tray on which to stand the glass in an inverted position. Some means or other should be devised for the drawing off of the superfluous water from the tray, and the simplest of all is to arrange a hole which can be stopped with a cork. Broken crocks should be strewn upon the tray, and on to this is heaped peaty soil mixed with sand. A few small rocks of some soft stone may be added, and in between these the Ferns are planted. Of course, the Filmy Ferns (_Hymenophyllum_) and the Bristle Ferns are good subjects, but many other species may be grown with great success in this way. The two chief dangers are a very rank growth, by means of which the stronger subjects overwhelm the less vigorous plants, and too much moisture. Where the dampness is excessive the fronds take on an unhealthy appearance, and mould may appear. The case should at such times be opened for a few hours each day to admit the drying air. The case may be kept in a light position, and when once under way it will rarely need any additional water.

A very interesting practice is the raising of young Ferns from spores. This is really a very simple undertaking, and almost always meets with success if the precaution is taken to sterilize the soil used by baking it in an oven. Afterwards it is, of course, necessary to moisten the mould, and the spores are then scattered on the surface. Keep closely covered with a bell glass and, in a few weeks, more or less, the baby Ferns will start to put in an appearance.

Those who take up the cultivation of British Ferns will certainly become interested in the immense range of varieties which some species have produced. Not a few of these are extremely beautiful, and are well worth growing on this account, quite apart from their peculiarity.

INDEX

A _Acrosticheæ_, 10 Adder’s Tongue, 11 _Adiantum capillus-veneris_, 9, 41 Algae, 1 Alpine Club Moss, 105 Alpine Polypody, 92 Alpine Woodsia, 61 Alternate-leaved Spleenwort, 69 Alternation of generation, 2 Annual Maidenhair, 10, 100 Annulus, 8, 14 Antheridia, 17 Archegonia, 17 _Aspidieæ_, 10, 46 _Aspidium aculeatum_, 59 _angulare_, 60 _filix-mas_, 46 _lonchitis_, 57 _Asplenieæ_, 10, 66 _Asplenium adiantum-nigrum_, 10, 73 _bulbiferum_, 3 _ceterach_, 77 _filix-fæmina_, 66 _germanicum_, 69 _lanceolatum_, 74 _marinum_, 75 _ruta-muraria_, 10, 70 _septentrionale_, 68 _trichomanes_, 78 _viride_, 80 _Athyrium filix-fæmina_, 10, 66 _Azolla_, 7, 12, 110

B Beech Fern, 10, 89 _Bennittiteæ_, 25 Black Maidenhair Spleenwort, 10, 73 Bladder Ferns, 10 _Blechnum boreale_, 84 _spicant_, 84 Blunt-topped Horsetail, 116 _Botrychium lunaria_, 11, 98 Bracken Fern, 3, 9, 29, 38 Bristle Fern, 8, 33, 131 Brittle Bladder Fern, 63 Buck’s Horn Plantain, 69

C _Calamites_, 28 _Calamus_, 28 Caudex, 4 _Ceterach officinarum_, 77 Classification of Ferns, 7 _et seq._ Club Mosses, 6, 12, 26, 101 Classification of, 32 Economic importance of, 32 Life histories of, 30 _et seq._ Number of species of, 30 Coal deposits, 25, 31 Common Adder’s Tongue, 96 Common Club Moss, 12, 19, 101 Common Polypody, 26 Common Rue, 71 Conifers, 27 Crested Buckler Fern, 53 _Cryptogamme crispus_, 9, 44 Cryptogams, 2 _Cyatheaceæ_, 11 Cycads, 25 _Cystopteris_, 10 _alpina_, 65 _fragilis_, 63 _montana_, 64 _regia_, 65

D _Davallia bullata_, 9 _Davalliaceæ_, 9 Druery, Mr. C. T., 91, 123 Dutch Rush, 32, 120

E Elaters, 21 Elba, 62 Embryo, 18 Endosperm, 27 English Maidenhair (_see_ Maidenhair Spleenwort) Equisetites, 28 _Equisetum_, 112 _et seq._ _arvense_, 114 _fluvialis_, 116 _hyemale_, 32, 120 _limosum_, 118 _maximum_, 114 _palustre_, 118 _pratense_, 116 _sylvaticum_, 117 _telmateia_, 114 _umbrosum_, 116 _variegatum_, 119

F Female organs (_see_ Archegonia) Fern cases, 130 Ferns, classification of, 7 _et seq._ Collecting and preserving, 122 _et seq._ Comparative sizes of, 29 Cultivation of, 129 _et seq._ Economic importance of, 31 General characteristics of, 4 _et seq._ Grown from spores, 131 Habitats of, 29, 128 In greenhouses, 130 Life histories of, 13 _et seq._ Ferns, number of genera and species, 28 Reproduction of, 13 _et seq._ Sometimes difficult to identify, 128 Where to find, 127 Fertilization of Ferns, 17 _et seq._ Field Horsetail, 112 _Filices_, 8 Filmy Ferns, 2, 8, 33, 131 Fir Club Moss, 19, 103 Flowering Fern (_see_ Royal Fern) Flowering Plants, probable origin of, 26 Forked Spleenwort, 68 Fossil botany, 23 _et seq._ Fronds, 4 _et seq._

G _Gleicheniaceæ_, 11 Gold and Silver Ferns, 10 _Grammitideæ_, 10 Great Horsetail, 114 Green Spleenwort, 80 _Gymmogramma leptophylla_, 10, 100 Gymnosperm, 27 _Gymnospermæ_, 27

H Hard Fern, 84 Hard Prickly Shield Fern, 59 Hartstongue, 82 Hay-scented Buckler Fern, 55 Holly Fern, 57 Horsetails, 6, 27, 31, 112 Life histories of, 21 _Hymenophyllaceæ_, 8, 33 _Hymenophyllum_, 131 _tunbridgensis_, 8, 35 _unilaterale_, 36 _Wilsoni_, 8, 37

I Indusium, 8, 14 Interrupted Club Moss, 106 _Isoëtaceæ_, 12 _Isoëtes_, 7 _hystrix_, 108 _Isoëtes lacustris_, 12, 107

L Lady Fern, 10, 66, 130 Lanceolate Spleenwort, 74 _Lastria æmula_, 55 _cristatum_, 53 _fæniscii_, 55 _filix-mas_, 46 _montana_, 50 _recurva_, 55 _rigidum_, 56 _Lepidodendraceæ_, 12 Lesser Alpine Club Moss, 106 Life histories of Club Mosses, 18 _et seq._ of Ferns, 3, 13 _et seq._ of Horsetails, 21 Little Adder’s Tongue, 98 Limestone Polypody, 130 _Lomaria spicant_, 84 _Lycopodiceæ_, 12 _Lycopodium_, 12, 19 _alpinum_, 105 _annotinum_, 106 _clavatum_, 12, 19, 101 _inundatum_, 19, 30, 104 _selago_, 19, 103 Lycopodium Powder, 32

M Maiden Hair, 9, 38, 41 Maidenhair Spleenwort, 78 Male Fern, 2, 10, 13, 46 Male organs (_see_ Antheridia) Malic acid, 18 _Marattiaceæ_, 11 Marsh Buckler Fern, 49 Marsh Club Moss, 104 Marsh Horsetail, 118 _Marsiliaceæ_, 12 Megasporangium, 20 Megaspores, 20 Microsporangium, 20 Microspores, 20 Moonwort, 11, 98 Mosses, 1 Mother cells, 15 Mountain Bladder Fern, 64 Mountain Buckler Fern, 50 Mountain Polypody (_see_ Beech Fern)

N _Nephrodium æmulum_, 55 _cristatum_, 52 _dilatatum_, 54 _filix-mas_, 10, 13, 46 _montana_, 50 _oreopteris_, 50 _propinqua_, 49 _pseudo-mas_, 49 _rigidum_, 56 _spinulosum_, 53 _thelypteris_, 49 _uliginosa_, 54

O Oak Fern, 10, 90 Oblong Woodsia, 62 One-sided Filmy Fern, 37 _Ophioglosseæ_, 11, 96 _Ophioglossum lusitanicum_, 98 _vulgatum_, 11, 96 _Osmunda regalis_, 11, 93 _Osmundaceæ_, 11, 93, Ovum, 18

P Parsley Fern, 9, 44 Pepperworts, 12 Phanerogams, 22 _Philotaceæ_, 12 Pillwort, 2, 7, 12, 109 _Pilularia globulifera_, 12, 109 Pinnæ, 5 Pinnules, 5 Placenta, 14 _Plantago coronopus_, 69 Pollen grains, 27 _Polypodiaceæ_, 9, 10, 86 Polypodies, 86 _Polypodium alpestre_, 92 _calcareum_, 91 _dryopteris_, 10, 90 _phegopteris_, 10, 89 _vulgare_, 10, 86 _Polystichum aculeatum_, 59 _angulare_, 60 _lonchitis_, 57 Prickly Buckler Fern, 54 Prothallus, 17 _Pseudathryrium alpestre_, 92 _Pterideæ_, 38 Pteridosperms, 24 _Pteris aquilina_, 9, 38

Q Quillwort, 7, 107

R Rachis, 4 Reproduction, vegetative, 3 Reproduction of Ferns, 13 _et seq._ _Rhizocarpeæ_, 12 Rhizome, 4 Ribbon Ferns, 38 Rigid Buckler Fern, 56 Roots, 5 Rough Horsetail, 120 Royal Fern, 11, 93 Rue-leaved Spleen wort, 71 _Ruta graveolens_, 71

S _Salvinia_, 12 _Salviniaceæ_, 12 Scaly Spleen wort, 29, 77 _Schizœaceæ_, 11 _Scolopendrium rhizophyllum_, 3 _vulgare_, 81 Sea Spleenwort, 130 Seed, 27 _Selaginella grandis_, 30 _spinosa_, 12, 30, 106 _Selaginellaceæ_, 12, 26 Selaginellas, 30 Life histories of, 29 Sex organs, 17 Shade Horsetail, 116 _Sigillariaceæ_, 12 Smooth Naked Horsetail, 118 Soft Prickly Shield Fern, 60 Sori, 7, 14 Spermatozoids, 17 Spleenworts, 10, 66 _et seq._ Sporangia, 6, 14 Spore cases (_see_ Sporangia) Spores, 5, 15 _et seq._ Stag’s Horn Moss, 101 Stipes, 5

T Three-branched Polypody (_see_ Oak Fern) Tree Ferns, 4, 11 Triangular Buckler Fern, 55 _Trichomanes_, 30 _radicans_, 8, 33 Tunbridge Filmy Fern, 35

V Variegated Rough Horsetail, 119 Vascular Cryptogams, 1 _et seq._ Economic importance of, 31 Vegetative reproduction, 3

W Walking Fern, 3 Wall Rue, 10, 70 Wardian cases, 130 Water Club Mosses, 7 Water Fern, 7, 110 Water Horsetail, 118 Wolf’s Claw, 101 Wood Horsetail, 117 Woods, Mr. Joseph, 61 _Woodsia hyperborea_, 61 _ilvensis_, 62 _Woodsias_, 10

_Printed by_ Morrison & Gibb Limited, _Edinburgh_

Transcriber’s Notes

--Retained publisher information from the printed copy (the electronic edition is in the public domain in the country of publication).

--Corrected some palpable typos, notably changing several misspellings of ‘filix-fæmina’.

--In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.

End of Project Gutenberg's How to Know the Ferns, by S. Leonard Bastin