. British ferns and their varieties. Ferns. BRITISH FERNS consider justifiably, been split up into three sub-species, viz, L. fdix-mas, L. pseudo-mas, and L. propinqua. Mr. G. B. Wollaston's definition of the difl:erences we may render into popular language Fig. 158. L. Ji/ix-mas {^{rmSi.). Lastrea fdix-mas.—Partially deciduous, the fronds lying prostrate in winter ( not dying absolutely in the autumn as with deciduous Ferns proper). Fronds lance-shaped, reaching five feet in length, pinnae long and broad at base, once divided, pinnules oval, saw- toothed, lowest part the longest ;
. British ferns and their varieties. Ferns. BRITISH FERNS consider justifiably, been split up into three sub-species, viz, L. fdix-mas, L. pseudo-mas, and L. propinqua. Mr. G. B. Wollaston's definition of the difl:erences we may render into popular language Fig. 158. L. Ji/ix-mas {^{rmSi.). Lastrea fdix-mas.—Partially deciduous, the fronds lying prostrate in winter ( not dying absolutely in the autumn as with deciduous Ferns proper). Fronds lance-shaped, reaching five feet in length, pinnae long and broad at base, once divided, pinnules oval, saw- toothed, lowest part the longest ; spore cover, when young, does not cover the spore capsules, and later often drops off. Lastrea pseudo-mas.—Sub-evergreen, fronds hard and leathery and do not drop in winter (and under glass are quite evergreen) ; fronds lance-shaped, twice divided, reaching five feet in length ; pinnae long and widest at base, once divided ; pinnules with almost parallel sides, slightly saw-toothed, scarcely any difference in the length of the lowest pair ; spore cover, when young, covers the spore capsules and does not fall off. (The colour is also a yellowish green.) Lastrea propinqua.—Quite deciduous ; not found at so great an elevation as the others reach ; fronds ovally lance-shaped, twice divided, reaching rarely four feet in length ; pinnae once divided, pyramidal, of a long triangular form ; pinnules doubly saw- toothed, crispy, and with a projecting ear-like one at the base, basal pair distinctly stalked and much longer than the rest ; spore cover quite covers the capsules. A little study will show that these are definite differences, and as all three types occur in many places, and retain these peculiarities, it is obvious that Mr. Wollaston, one of our oldest and most reliable authorities on British Ferns, was not a mere hair-splitter in making the division. In the varieties, however, these differences are, naturally, sometimes masked by other characters, and hence, althou
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectferns, bookyear1912
