TO A S r iD T U M A N O X ILA R E . A S F ID IU M A N G U L A R E . ri
16.—■Tripinnalum, IMoorc. The present Fern the author received
as a seedling plant from ]Mr. R. T. Millet, of Penzance.
Mr. Moore, in his “ Nature-printed Ferns,” says of it, “ This
very beautiful and peculiar variety has been called tripinnatum,
in contrast with the suhtripinnatum, iu consequence of its
basal anterior pinnules being much more distinctly pinnate,
though the plant is on the whole less divided than the Devon
form of the YAxietj proliferum, or the Irish variety decompositum.
The most remarkable peculiarity is the unusual elongation of
the anterior basal pinnules, and their truly pinnate character;
the little pinnulets being distinctly stalked. The other pinnules
are highly developed, though less so than the basal one, and
they are crowded and imbricated. I t is profuse in the production
of sori, and thickly covered with subulate scales. I t was found
in Cornwall by Mr. (Millet, and was first made known to cultivators
by Mr. E. J. Lowe. I t is a very marked aberration
from the normal form, and appears to be very rare.” Another
character of this Fern, not visible in a dried frond forwarded
to Mr. Moore, is strikingly exhibited in the growing plant;
the pinnæ, instead of being flat, aud lying in the same plane
with the stipes and rachis, are almost at right-angles to this
line, lying iu a horizontal position above each other,—Plate
X X IV .
17.—Decompositum, Moore. This beautiful variety is by far
the most compound or divided form. An Irish Fern, cultivated
in the Glasnevin Botanic Gardens.
For a more lengthy description the reader is referred to
Air. Moore’s “ Nature-printed Ferns.”
1 have procured this species wild at Matlock; Chaigeley,
Lancashire; and at Ambleside. For plants from Cornwall I
am indebted to Mr. R. T. Millet, of Penzance. Sir Oswald
Mosley, Bart., has sent me specimens of several varieties; Mr.
R. T. Millet the beautiful variety tripinnatum, (of which a
coloured plate is here given;) Messrs. Rollisson the variety
proliferum. For fronds I am indebted to Mrs. Delves, of
Tunbridge Wells; Messrs. Rollisson, of Tooting; Sir Oswald
Mosley; Mr. Sim, of Foot’s Cray; and Mr. Norman, of Hull.
This species can be procured of any Nurseryman. The
following varieties are in the aftermentioned Catalogues;—
Suhtripinnatum, proliferum, imhricatum, dissimile, and intermedium,
R. Sim, of I’oot’s Cray. Suhtripinnatum awA. proliferum,
Kennedy, of Covcnt Garden. Angustatum, biserralum, and
proliferum, Veitch, of Chelsea. Proliferum, A. Henderson, of
Biue-apple Place. Aristatum, Stansfield, of Todmorden. Proliferum,
Young, of Taunton.
The illustrations are from plants in my own collection.
Variety Tripinnatum. Pinna of mature Frond, under side.
Variety Proliferum.