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