Abstract
THIS book contains descriptions of the British ferns and their allies, prefaced by an account of ferns in general and an outline of their classification. The chapter on life-histories is well up to date, as is also that on fossil ferns, a group usually ignored in books of this kind. The species are described without unnecessary technicalities and on a uniform plan; first comes an explanation of the name, then a general account of the structure of the plant, followed by an indication of its habitat and, in most cases, hints on its cultivation. These descriptions, written in narrative form, give a good account of the general appearance and distinctive characters of the various species, hut their use would have been greatly increased by adding a short key to genera to the synopsis of families on pp. 812. The last two chapters deal with collecting, preserving, and cultivating ferns.
How to Know the Ferns.
By S. L. Bastin. Pp. viii + 136. (London: Methuen and Co., Ltd., 1917.) Price 1s. 6d. net.
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W., C. How to Know the Ferns . Nature 99, 463 (1917). https://doi.org/10.1038/099463a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/099463a0