Nephrolepis

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Read about Nephrolepis in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Nephrolepis. Page 2131. To supplement the original account of Nephrolepis, there are published herewith revised lists of varieties. The first list (A) represents the forms now growing in the living collection of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (1916-1917). It may be accepted as accurate as far as it concerns the varieties of N. exaltata. With respect to the varieties of species other than N. exaltata, no assurance of accuracy can be given. The proper classification of the wild forms of Nephrolepis is one of the most difficult problems in fern taxonomy, and with the inclusion of horticultural forms the difficulty is increased. The second list of names represents those forms which it has not yet been possible to secure for cultivation at the Botanic Garden. They are listed here merely to make the list of named forms as complete as possible. Most of the list was published in "Horticulture.” October 28, 1916, accompanied by names of originators. Regarding the other forms, it may be said that for American florists the Exaltata group includes practically all forms of commercial value. All these would be classed as greenhouse forms. Most of the species and varieties other than Exaltatas are stove forms. A few, especially the forms of N. cordifolia (including N. tuberosa, a synonym), and N. pectinata, will stand as much cold as the Exaltata varieties. Many of them are worth a place in a collection, but in general they do not make the many-leaved bushy plants so much prized by the American grower. It may be noted that a form of N. cordifolia is apparently invariably now being grown and offered in the United States as N. exaltata. The true N. exaltata is really a very different form, more like N. bostoniensis, but easily distinguished by its greater stiffness and fewer leaves. Another point of distinction between the Exaltata group and the other is that, with the exception of N. exaltata itself, none of this group is spore-fertile. Microscopic examination shows no fertile spores, but does show apparently abortive sporangia. It is practically useless, therefore, to attempt to raise these from spores. Notwithstanding this statement, it may be noted that several widely separated raisings have been reported in which the sporelings showed great variation, and it is not at all impossible that a fertile variety might develop from any one of the forms. Practically all the forms of other species (not N. exaltata) are spore-fertile, and may be readily raised in this way. In fact most of the new horticultural varieties in Group AA are reported as having originated from spores. Finally, in Group AA, there are listed below a number of names for which no plants have been yet secured. They are probably mostly if not all of English origin, and likely to fall in the group of varieties of species other than N. exaltata. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

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