274 THE FLORAL WOELD AND GAEDEN GUIDE. 



to plant out on a shady bank is Ramo-marginatum. This is of medium 

 growth, very vigorous, and it throws up such a number of its curious 

 and elegant fronds, that it soon forms a specimen arching over on 

 all sides equally, and its characters are remarkably persistent and 

 uniform. Sometimes the fronds divide into two or three forks each, 

 terminating in a fan ; they are all barren, and the colour is a fresh, 

 lively green. Margiuata papillosum is not a strong grower, but it 

 is very peculiar. The fronds are narrow, and nearly the same width 

 throughout ; at the ba?e they form a double crescent, the usual cor- 

 date form being exaggerated, and the result is a most beautiful and 

 unique outline. Marginatum has fronds scarcely an inch wide, uni- 

 form in width throughout, texture rough, regularly crenulated, and 

 underneath there is a skin-like line which breaks out into seed- 

 bearing excrescences. It is very handsome, and makes a fine speci- 

 men either in pot or planted out. Multifidum is worth having ; 

 the fronds are like the species, but their points expand into three 

 forks, flat and spreading. Crenulatum is a very fine variety, of 

 robust habit, and richly waved on the margin, Angustatum grows 

 tall and erect, with narrowish fronds, elegantly waved throughout. 

 Polyschides introduces us to the class of diminutive Scolopendriums. 

 Here we l\ave narrow dark green fronds, deeply and irregularly 

 notched. Prolif rum is a diminutive of marginatum, growing less 

 than two inches high, and the fronds often awl-shaped, or consisting 

 of the rachis only ; others slightly expanded, and bearing little 

 plants: this requires a very damp, shady place, and best in the open 

 air. ' Vivo-marginatum is the most curious of all the diminutive 

 kinds; the tiny fronds are sometimes denticulate their whole length ; 

 others divide at the summit into three or four horns, and they are all 

 of a datk green hue: quite a curiosity. Cornutum is very dwarf, 

 coriaceous, with crenate and undulated fronds, which terminate 

 .abruptly. This is diminutive, and the colour a very dark bluish- 

 green. Laceratum is one of the grandest of all, the fronds broad 

 and frilled their whole length, and at the summit spreading into a 

 fine frilled tan, which sometimes assumes most elegant cycloid out- 

 lines. Digit:ituni has the stipes bram bed and the fronds ending in 

 broad flat lans of great size. Fissum, a large edition of polyschides, 

 ■with deep iiiaro;iiial clefts, and very luxuriant in habit. Macrosorum 

 between marginatum and polyschides, slightly branching, and the 

 •colour a rich deep green. Eugosum, with pouched fronds and 

 deeply-cut margins, and with spines on the midrib. Bimarginato 

 niultifiduin, with raised veins, forming pocket-like holes on the sur- 

 face, and the point of each frond twice forked, and terminating in 

 multifid fans. Lastly, Glomeratum, which grows for a short length 

 like the species, then breaks out into a dense globular mass of divi- 

 sions three or four inches in diameter, one of the most elegant and 

 remark; ble of the whole of this strange family. S. H. 



