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Bulletin of the -American Rock Garden Society / Volume 50 Number 3 Summer 1992 Cover: Campanula formanekiana by Rob Proctor of Denver, Colorado Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Features Ferns to Adorn the Woodland, by Judith Jones 163 Ten Primulaceae of the Pamir, by Josef Halda 171 A Dozen Gems from Turkey, by Zdenek Zvolanek 181 Looking at Seed, by Geoffrey Charlesworth 187 Using Recycled Materials in Rock Gardens, by Wiert Nieuman 194 Carnivorous Plants for Bog Gardens, by Frederick W. Case, Jr. 205 Unraveling the Secret of Primula kisoana, by Norman C. Deno 211 A Crevice Garden in Oregon, by Phyllis Gustafson 215 The Mystery of Lilium tenuifolium, by Norman C. Deno 225 Departments Seed Exchange 229 Dryopteris affinis 'Crispa Gracilis' 162 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 50(3) Ferns to adorn a Woodland Waterfall by Judith Jones Ferns suitable for woodland and the previously recognized western waterfall gardens in the Pacific North• subspecies of A. pedatum in a newly west are legionary, even selecting only named species, A. aleuticum. Former those under 2' in height. But a mere subspecies are reduced to ecotypes. checklist of regionally suitable selec• I find that the western serpentine tions, however exciting, hardly address• ecotype of A. aleuticum, formerly es the needs of the majority of rock classified as A. pedatum ssp. calderi, gardeners. Here ferns well suited to is happiest in full sun in western success in most of the temperate US Washington. In fact, when we have are discussed, highlighting some new spore-grown plants of this serpentine information on well known favorites, ecotype in the nursery, they will but mainly familiarizing you with newly languish and finally expire unless available or little known varieties. pulled out of the shaded greenhouse Let us begin with that elegant aristo• into a brighter area. This ecotype is crat, the maidenhair fern, Adiantum more alluring to slugs, at least in our pedatum. The western maidenhair, garden, than the typical A. aleuticum Adiantum aleuticum (previously found in western Washington. We known as A. pedatum ssp. aleuticum) have a crested population which is more environmentally versatile and seems to have "sprung from the loins" more variable in form than the eastern of the serpentine ecotype, as these maidenhair, formerly Adiantum peda• plants are only happy when grown in tum ssp. pedatum. The western maid• an exposed situation in nearly full sun. enhair has a hand-like appearance to The cresting has not been a stable the blade rather than the circular fan feature on all plants—some plants shape of the eastern maidenhair. A full may not crest at all in some years, and description and explanation of the in others not all the fronds are crested. architecture of the Adiantum peda• Other individuals maintain the charac• tum complex can be found in Cathy ter consistently. Paris' article in Rhodora Vol. 93(No. The dwarf ecotype of A. aleuticum 874): 105-121. This article places all (formerly A. pedatum ssp. subpumi- 163 lum) should be placed in a more Adiantum venustum that hails from the protected situation. In nature it is only Himalayas. Although this fern has found growing close to coastal waters. reportedly been found in British The key to growing this little treasure is Columbia and is rumored to have been to remember that it rarely grows in collected on the Olympic Peninsula by a spots that get hot. It always has "cool renowned Oregon plantswoman, toes." From growing large populations neither occurrence has been substantiat• of this plant, we have noted and set ed. I can trace the erroneous Canadian aside a number of plants intermediate reference back to A. J. Macself's 1952 in form between the dwarf and the typi• book Ferns for Garden and Green• cal western species. When we sow house . Macself states that the plant was spore from these, we get predominant• discovered in Canada by the author of ly normal and intermediate types, as the species, Don . However, this is not well as some dwarf types. I believe this true. Neither T. M. Taylor, in his classic medium form to be what English fern Pacific Northwest Ferns and their growers refer to as 'Imbricatum', Allies, nor Cody and Britton, in their although assigning that name to it is invaluable and thorough volume Ferns fraught with difficulty now that the and Fern Allies of Canada, refer to dwarf ecotype has itself been returned any such occurrence. Unfortunately, this to the realm of cultivar status. So many error has been repeated by many names have been applied to the dwarf authors writing popular books on ferns. form since it was introduced to horticul• The original type of Adiantum ture by Carl English that I have yet to venustum was collected in Nepal in determine what the first published culti• 1825. Ren-Chang Ching, in his immor• var name was. I suspect that 'Aleu- tal Icones Filicium Sinicarium, Fascicle ticum' and 'Imbricatum' were used 5, lists its range as northwestern Szech- interchangeably for this plant. If anyone wan, northeastern Himalayas, and has any pertinent information about Afghanistan. There is a closely related early gardening articles mentioning this species in West China, Adiantum dwarf, please contact me. smithianum, with which A. venustum We find the intermediate form to be has been confused, according to the exceptionally sturdy as a nursery crop, author. Since A. smithianum is a very as it has stouter, shorter stipes than the common fern in the mountains in the typical species and is less prone to eastern Tibetan Plateau and northwards tangling with its neighbors when grown in China to the Shensi and Shansi in close quarters. It withstands greater Provinces, it would be intriguing to try punishment from pelting rain and wind this species also. The material that I without being flattened. Plants reach have examined locally is certainly that of about 15", with the pinnules only slight• A. venustum, but it is always possible ly overlapped. I can easily spot these that spore was collected from A. medium types when sorting through smithianum and named in error. If hundreds of plants, although there are those gardeners who have this fern a few individuals that blur the distinc• would like to press a sterile and a fertile tions. It is interesting to note that Dr. frond to send to me, I would like to see Paris mentions that in nature a range of if we are all growing the same species. intermediates also exists. Since A. venustum is most often propa• If you have the space to encourage a gated by rhizome division and not by bit of maidenly romping, then you might spore, it is most likely that all US garden seek out the invaluable groundcover populations are alike. 164 Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society Vol. 50(3) There is a lesson to be learned here. likes to have its edges agitated and will Thinking about the possibility that I colonize much faster if disturbed than if might actually have overlooked A. left alone. When making divisions, you smithianum because I assumed from a should rip it up into skimpy little rhizome cursory glance that it was A. uenus- bits and place them shallowly in a flat or tum fills me with chagrin. Very often if wide pot in a friable soil mix. Large divi• we are intimately familiar with a plant, sions often languish and expire. I we will casually identify it in another's managed to send a few clumps to the garden without carefully noting the compost before figuring this out. Of distinguishing key characteristics that course, then I bought a book which told definitively separate our known plant me this very thing—after I had learned from its relatives. Gardeners may smirk from my own disastrous experience. when botanists stop to key out some Athyrium filix-femina. plant whose identification seems obvi• Next on my list of reliable yet desir• ous. Yet even if the plant seems to able deciduous ferns are selected culti- shout its identity, it is best to examine it vars of the English lady fern, closely before declaring its name. If you Athyrium filix-femina. 'Minutissimum' can confirm all the identifying details, is a miniature reflection of the species then open your mouth and venture that and forms lovely mounds of delicate, it appears to resemble said plant. soft, golden-green fronds. It is chary Following this cautious method may with its spore production and aggressive save you from having to recant a rash colonization is not a problem with this identification. As a bonus, you may simple little moppet. Incidentally, you begin to notice populational or have my permission to be rude to igno• geographical variations you didn't see rant nurserymen who misspell filix- before. femina as "felix-femina," changing the meaning from "lady fern" to "happy Enough historical and philosophical lady," and to those who fail to get the peregrinations! On to descriptive facts. ending on the descriptive epithet, The translucent, reddish crosiers of 'Minutissimum' not 'Minutissima' to Adiantum smithianum arise in late agree with the gender of the genus. February or early March in Seattle and Athyrium is neuter. "Filix-femina" is a magically coalesce into luminous, bril• noun, rather than an adjective, and so liant green triangles. Mature fronds are a does not agree with Athyrium in its dry, pale, glaucescent green. In autumn ending, but retains its own. they bronze to a burnished copper with I have some charming percristate successive frosts. The tripinnate fronds and grandicapital miniature forms that have pinnules shaped like inverted pie remain only two or three inches tall, but slices with the tip at the base.

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