Australian Ferns.—While lately engaged in examining critically all the Ferns hitherto found in Australia, I was reminded of the likelihood that very many of our southern species could be grown without protection in the south of Britain. In No. 36 of my "Fragmenta,"2 an enumeration of all the species is printed, and of these I regard at least the following to be hardy in the milder parts of Britain, viz.:— Lycopodium densum, L. laterale, L. scariosum, L. volubile, Selaginella uliginosa, Psilotum triquetrum, Tmesipteris tannensis, Schizaea fistulosa, S. dichotoma, Todea africana, Gleichenia flabellata, G. dicarpa, G. circinata, Trichomanes venosum, Hymenophyllum demissum, Cyathea medullaris, Alsophila australis, Dicksonia antarctica, Alsophila Leichhardtii, Davallia dubia, Lindsaea linearis, Adiantum formosum, A. hispidulum. Blechnum striatum, B. cartilagineum, B. laevigatum, Lomaria capensis, L. discolor, L. vulcanica, L. lanceolata, L. alpina, L. fluviatilis, L. patersoni, Cheilanthes tenuifolia, C. distans, C. vellea, C. hirsuta, Pteris falcata, P. incisa, P. comans, P. longifolia, P. umbrosa, P. arguta, Polypodium australe, P. Grammitidis, P. scandens, P. rugulosum, P. serpens, Doodia caudata, D. aspera, Asplenium attenuatum, A. furcatum, A. flabellifolium, A. bulbiferum, A. flaccidum, A. umbrosum, Nephrodium decompositum, Aspidium coriaceum, and A. hispidum. Evidently many of the New Zealand Ferns need no housing in the South of England if places were artificially prepared for them resembling the localities in which Hymenophyllum tunbridgense spontaneously occurs. Vast numbers of Ferns might also readily be transferred from North America and extra-tropical Asia to such spots. An assemblage of Ferns of all parts of the globe, as far as they would endure the British clime, if made in one of your great institutions, would be very interesting.
Ferd. Mueller.3
Adiantum formosum
Adiantum hispidulum
Alsophila Leichhardtii
Alsophila australis
Aspidium coriaceum
Aspidium hispidum
Asplenium attenuatum
Asplenium bulbiferum
Asplenium flabellifolium
Asplenium flaccidum
Asplenium furcatum
Asplenium umbrosum
Blechnum cartilagineum
Blechnum laevigatum
Blechnum striatum
Cheilanthes distans
Cheilanthes hirsuta
Cheilanthes tenuifolia
Cheilanthes vellea
Cyathea medullaris
Davallia dubia
Dicksonia antarctica
Doodia aspera
Doodia caudata
Gleichenia circinata
Gleichenia dicarpa
Gleichenia flabellata
Hymenophyllum demissum
Hymenophyllum tunbridgense
Lindsaea linearis
Lomaria alpina
Lomaria capensis
Lomaria discolor
Lomaria fluviatilis
Lomaria lanceolata
Lomaria patersoni
Lomaria vulcanica
Lycopodium densum
Lycopodium laterale
Lycopodium scariosum
Lycopodium volubile
Nephrodium decompositum
Polypodium australe
Polypodium Grammitidis
Polypodium rugulosum
Polypodium scandens
Polypodium serpens
Psilotum triquetrum
Pteris arguta
Pteris comans
Pteris falcata
Pteris incisa
Pteris longifolia
Pteris umbrosa
Schizaea dichotoma
Schizaea fistulosa
Selaginella uliginosa
Tmesipteris tannensis
Todea africana
Trichomanes venosum
Letter not found. The text given here is from 'Foreign correspondence', Gardeners' chronicle and agricultural gazette, 21 April 1866, p. 365 (B66.04.03). It is dated to February as the latest likely date at which it could have been sent to have been published on 21 April.
B66.02.01.
A comment was added at the end of the article: '[Dr Mueller's views as to the "hardiness" of many of the foregoing Ferns must be taken with considerable limitation.]' For M’s response to this judgment, see M to Gardeners' chronicle, August 1866 (in this edition as 66-08-00f) (B66.11.03).
Please cite as “FVM-66-02-00c,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on