78 



The Country Gentlewoman 



here recommended ; its fronds are broad and 

 spreading, the upper side being dark bright 

 green. 



Doodia aspera. — Fronds erect, broadest 

 in the centre, tapering somewhat at each end, 

 intense deep green, and about i foot high 

 when well-grown. 



D. blechnoides. — This fine species varies 

 from 12 to 1 8 inches in length of fronds, 

 which are broad, pinnatifid, and very deep 

 green in colour. 



Lasttea glabella. — An elegant little plant, 

 and very hardy ; it forms a beautiful 

 little tuft, the fronds being finely divided, 

 some lo inches high, and bright green. 



L. decomposita. — This is a most useful 

 plant for the purpose of decoration; the 

 fronds are all decompound, upwards of i 

 foot long, and of a rich dark-green colour. 



L. hirtipes. — Fronds upwards of i8 inches 

 long, pinnate, and deep green ; the pinnse 

 are large, and the stipes are furnished with 

 large dark chaffy scales. It is a remarkably 

 fine and ornamental plant. 



Litobrochia vespertilionis. — A beautiful and 

 distinct Fern, producing large bipinnate 

 fronds; the pinnules are sessile, obtusely 

 lobed, bright green above, glaucous below, 

 the bright marginal sori adding much to its 

 beauty. 



Z. jnaciknta. — This plant is not sufficiently 

 appreciated by Fern growers, for its fronds 

 last a long time when cut and placed in 

 water, independent of its beauty for in-door 

 decoration ; its fronds vary from i to up- 

 wards of 3 feet in height ; the pinnules are 

 broad, serrated at the edges, and bright 

 green. 



Lomaria gibba. — The present plant forms 

 a beautiful vase-like object, and cannot be 

 loo strongly recommended ; the plant forms 

 a slender stem, which adds materially to 

 the general effect ; fronds [from i to 2 

 feet long, pinnatifid, and vivid green in 

 colour. 



Z, cUiata. — In this plant we have a per- 

 fect miniature Tree Fern ; the stem is very 

 slender, and supports a small head of pin- 

 natifid light green fronds ; the edges of the 

 pinnae are very blunt, and fringed with nu- 

 merous hair-like teeth. 



Z. discolor. — A fine noble growing kind ; 

 the stem is somewhat stout, fronds from i to 

 2 feet high, pinnatifid, dark green above, 

 paler below ; in the fertile fronds the pinnae 

 are contracted, and wholly covered with the 

 sori. 



Z. Hilda. — This is somewhat like L. gibba 

 in habit of growth ; fronds pinnatifid, from 

 I to 2 feet long, dark green above, paler be- 

 low the pinnK, and somewhat leathery in 

 texture, and admirably adapted for room 

 decoration. 



Nephrolepis exalt at a, a common Fern, yet 

 a very useful and highly ornamental plant ; 

 the fronds vary from i to 3 feet in length, 

 pinnate, linear lanceolate, and bright light 

 green. 



Platycerium alcicome. — The Elk's Horn 

 Fern, a remarkable plant, and one that is very 

 eff"ective as a basket or bracket plant ; the 

 sterile fronds, or shields, are roundish, the 

 feeble ones stipitate and forked at the 

 upper edge, having somewhat the appearance 

 of a stag's horn ; they are very leathery in 

 texture, and clothed with curious stellate 

 scales. 



Platyloma rotundifolia. — A thoroughly dis- 

 tinct plant, and a very handsome one ; fronds 

 pinnate, spreading, and about 18 inches long, 

 pinnse nearly round, and of an intense deep 

 green. 



Pleopeltis Billardieri. — Fronds simple when 

 young, but pinnatifid when older, very 

 leathery in texture, erect, and upwards of i 

 foot in length ; the sori are large, and add 

 materially to the beauty of the plant, raising 

 little bosses (umbo) on the upper side of the 

 fronds. 



Polypodiitm drepanum. — A robust growing 

 plant, producing stout broad bipinnate dark 

 green fronds ; the under side is beautifully 

 relieved by the dark black and large sori. 



Polystichum dejitiadatum. — This is a. 

 superb plant; the outhne of the fronds is- 

 triangular, very finely divided, and attains a 

 height of about 15 inches. 



P. falc'mellum. — A distinct and handsome 

 plant with pinnate fronds, which are usually 

 about 1 8 inches high. 



P. proUfcnim. — This is a fine species, 

 growing upwards of 2 feet high ; the fronds 



