FERNS.
N. Davallioides Furcans.--Among the many crested ferns in cultivation, this, of which the annexed is an illustration, is one of the most distinct; so different indeed it is from the type, that it is questionable if it really is a form of it; the most essential characteristic, that of the fructification at the extreme edge of the lobes of the pinnæ, is altogether absent, and the whole habit of the plant is also thoroughly distinct. It is of equally robust growth, but its handsomely arching fronds, which are from 3 feet to 4 feet in length, are produced in great abundance from a central tuft or agglomeration of crowns. Its most distinct characteristic is the furcation of the pinnæ, which are all of the same dimensions, whether sterile or fertile; they are all opposite and closely set along the mid-rib, whereas those of N. davallioides are set much further apart. In the barren pinnæ which are only situated on the lower portion of the frond, and which generally are only few in number, the furcation is rudimentary; in the fertile pinnæ it is twice and even three times repeated in the extremities of the first division, becoming more complex toward the point of the frond, where it often forms quite a large tassel, whose weight gives the fronds quite an elegant, arching habit. On that account this plant is valuable for growing in baskets of large dimensions, in which it shows itself off to good advantage, and never fails to prove attractive. Although it produces spores freely, it is best to propagate it by means of the young plants produced from rhizomes in the ordinary way, on account of the extreme variations which take place among the seedlings, a small percentage only of which are possessed of the true character of the parent plant. Stove.--The Garden.
NEPHROLEPIS DAVALLIOIDES FURCANS.
N. Duffi.--This pretty, neat-habited species, of which an illustration, kindly lent us by Mr. Bull, appears in another place, is a native of the Duke of York's Island, in the South Pacific Ocean, and is undoubtedly one of the most interesting of the whole genus. Its compact habit, its comparatively small dimensions, and the bright, glossy color of its beautifully tasseled fronds render it a most welcome addition to a group of ferns naturally rich in decorative plants. Its curiously and irregularly pinnate fronds are borne on slender stalks, terete toward the base, and covered with reddish brown, downy scales, instead of being produced loosely, as in most other Nephrolepises; these are densily crowded, and the outcome of closely clustered crowns. They measure from 15 inches to 18 inches long, and are terminated by very handsome massive crests, which vary in size according to the temperature in which the plant is grown. We have at different times heard complaints of these fronds being simply furcate, when the same plant, after being subjected to a greater amount of heat and moisture, produced fronds very heavily tasseled, and partaking of an elegant vase-shaped appearance. In fact, nothing short of the moist heat of a stove will induce it to show its characters in their best condition. The pinnæ, which are small, of different sizes, rounded and serrated at the edges, are produced in pairs, one overlying the other, and, curiously enough, those on the top are the largest. The pairs are sometimes opposite, but mostly alternate, distant toward the base, approximate higher up, and crowded and quite overlapping in the crested portion of the frond. This, being a thoroughly barren kind, can only be propagated by division of the crowns, an operation easily done at any time of the year, but most safely in early spring and by young plants produced from the rhizomes, which, however, are produced much more sparingly than in any other species. It is also one of the best adapted for pot or pan culture, its somewhat upright habit making it less suitable for baskets, brackets, and wall covering than other species. Stove.--The Garden.
NEPHROLEPIS DUFFI.