Athyrium filix-femina ssp. angustum

[farnkraut]

Hello!
Years ago I got some spores from the BPS under the name Athyrium filix-femina ssp. angustum. They grew well, but different types came out. Could anybody tell me what happend? - Is type 4 the true type? And what about the others?
Ingo Danielsen
farnkraut

[mattbusby]

Although some forms of Lady Fern varieties do come true from spores, many forms are notorious for producing all sorts of wierd and wonderful shapes. Sowing spores from these forms is a bit like pulling the arm of a one armed bandit! , you just do not know how the genes are going to be sorted. It is quite possible to find some very interesting forms amongst your sowings. You can never gaurantee getting what you want from these types. .....Matt B

[farnkraut]

Hello Matt!

Thanks for your mail. But I do not understand this at all. I thougt this plant is a subspecies and no form or kultivar...?

Ingo Danielsen
farnkraut

[fgtbell]

Perhaps they are naturally variable in form.

Alternatively, it is of course possible for ferns grown from spores to hybridise, assuming the genetic material is close enough. If the spore sample actually had another Athyrium species mixed up with it then it is possible that what you have there are hybrids.

[farnkraut]

The idea with the hybrids is good. I will try to find out more about it. I know someone, who could find out the genetic code. Maybe, he could tell me more.
But has anybody an idea, what cultivars could be mixed in there?

farnkraut
Ingo Danielsen

[Julian]

pic 2 is a cruciate cultivar and is close to a Fieldii but I suspect some spores of Athyrium filix-femina 'Victoria' has got in with the angustum and has crossed with it and produced your range of variation as this cultivar is crested and cruciate and the way it forks at the tip is very remanicent . Pic 3 would be classed as a grandeceps group as the crest is larger than the width of the frond hope this is of interest. As Matt has already pointed out with cultivars once they start to change from the straight species it can be like opening Pandoras box you can get wonderful thing as well as poor
take care Julian

[Pine_ridge]

Hello, I am a new member of this Forum and in looking through older postings I came across the discussion about Athyrium filix-fimina spp. angustum, or as it is now, A. angustum. Living in Eastern Canada, this is one of our native ferns. I have many on my property. I would suggest that the posted images are none of them A. angustum! Probably someone who grows the European Lady Fern along with some of its cultivars sent in the spores. I know this post is too late for the discussion, but just in case the originator is still on the forum, thought I'd add my 2 cents worth.

I'll post a picture of an A. angustum frond soon when I have more time and figure out how to do it!

[farnkraut]

Hello Pine ridge!

Thanks for your e-mail about Athyrium filix-femina ssp. angustum. As I am still interested to find out more about this fern I need an original plant. Is it possible to send me some spores from the wild? I would be very intersted.

Ingo Danielsen
farnkraut

[mattbusby]

Type 2 is the nearest to Angustatum which means narrow but type to might be closer to Compositum Fieldei. It was common for our victorian gowers to name everything that came up but today, I think we are far more choosy and unless its a very good form or something quite unique, I think it best to put most of the on the compost heap.

Having said that, many years ago I did grow a form of Lady fern that was quite grotesque but its spores produced all sorts of interesting forms. sadly, I have lost most of them.