— 
AN ENCYCLOPADIA 
OF HORTICULTURE. 241 
Pteris—continued. 
inner one obsolete. bg rage (Britain). Many varieties of this 
species have been found, but they are not constant in cultivation. 
P. a. esculenta (edible). Edible Fern of Tasmania. In this 
variety, the ultimate divisions are narrower than in the type, and 
not contiguous, and are suddenly decurrent at the base, so that 
the bases are connected by a narrow lobe. Southern hemi- 
sphere, 1850. Greenhouse. The glutinous, underground rhizome 
of this variety is eaten by the aborigines. Syn. P. esculenta. 
Other varieties calling for mention are: glabra, a smooth, and 
lanuginosa, a woolly, form. ae 
P. arguta (sharply-notched).* sti. 1ft. or more Jong, strong, erect, 
bright straw-coloured or reddish-brown. „fronds lft. to 3ft. long, 
lft. or more broad ; terminal pinna 6in. to Qin. long, 14in. to 2in. 
broad, lobed nearly to the rachis, the lobes slightly toothed when 
barren; pinnæ several on each side, similar to the terminal one, 
the lowest forked, or with one or two similar smaller pinnules 
from the base on the lower side. sori not usually extending 
beyond the lower half of the lobes. Madeira, &c., 1778. Green- 
ouse. 
P. argyreea (silvery). A variety of P. quadriaurita. 
P. aspericaulis (rough-stalked).* rhiz. erect. sti. rough, purplish 
when young. fronds 14ft. long, — pinnate; loweriniet 
pinne bipartite, nearly sessile, and opposite ; pinne deeply pin- 
natifid or pinnate, attenuated, adnate towards the apex; pog- 
ments linear falcate, decurrent at base, rather obtuse, slightly 
crenulate, minutely white-dotted beneath. sori chiefly on the 
middle parts of the segments. India. The variety rubro-nervia 
` has a deep purplish-red rachis and midrib. 
P. a, tricolor (three-coloured). fronds, when young, a beautiful 
= red; when fully developed, a rich, deep green, with attractive 
silvery markings along the sides of the midribs, which are red. 
ome Fig. 306. Syns. P. quadriaurita tricolor (B. M. 5183), 
. tricolor, 
P. atrovirens (dark green). sti. 1ft. long, prickly. fronds lft. to 
2ft. long ; terminal pinna 6in. to Yin. Jong, 2in. to 3in. broad, cut 
nearly to the rachis into numerous linear lobes, which are slightly 
toothed when barren; lateral pinne in numerous opposite pairs, 
the lowest sometimes lft. long, the lobes similar to those of the 
terminal one; the lowest pair forked, with a similar, smaller 
pinnule on the under side; rachis of the pinnules occasionally 
prickly beneath. sori not reaching to the points of the segments. 
Guinea Coast and Angola. Syn, P. spinulifera. 
P. aurita (eared). A form of P. incisa. 
P. biaurita(two-eared). sti. lft. to 2ft. long, strong, erect, straw: 
f 3 in. to Bin. | , di 
coloured. fronds with a terminal — lyin. 
to 2in. broad, cut nearly to the rachis into numerous sp) TA 
linear-oblong lobes, lin. or more long; lateral pinnæ similar to 
the terminal one, the lower ones 2in. apart, and usually once- 
forked. sori continued to the — Tropics, &c., 1824. Syn. 
Campteria biaurita. P. nemoralis is, according to Mr. Baker, 
not distinct from this species. 
P. brasiliensis (Brazilian). A form of P. denticulata. 
P. collina (hill-loving). A synonym of P. palmata. 
P. comans (hairy). sti. 1ft. or more long, erect. fronds bi- 
pinnate ; —— pinna lft. or more long, cut nearly to the 
rachis into — lobes, which are sometimes 4in. long, 
żin. broad, sud 
enly decurrent at base, bluntly toothed when 
Fic. 3 307. PTERI 
Pteris—continued. 
barren; lateral pinnæ in a few opposite pairs, sometimes 14ft. 
long, 6in. broad, the lowest sometimes slightly compound at 
the base. sori falling short of the apex of the segments, 
East Indies, 1860. Syn. Litobrochia comans. The variety 
undulata differs from the type in having blunter ultimate seg- 
ments, with an undulated edge. 
P. concinna (neat). A form of P. mutilata. 
P. crenata (scolloped). A synonym of P. ensiformis. 
P. cretica (Cretan).* sti. 6in. to 12in. long; erect, wiry, straw- 
coloured or pale brown. fronds bin. to 12in. long, 4in. to 8in. 
broad ; lateral pinnæ usually in two to six opposite, sessile pairs, 
the upper one sometimes a little decurrent, 3in. to 6in. long, gin. 
to jin. broad, the sterile ones much the broadest and spiny- 
toothed, the lower pairs often cleft down nearly to the into 
two or three linear pinnules. Involucres pale, membranous. 
Temperate and tropical regions, &c., 1820. Greenhouse. There 
is a — form of this species, albo-lineata. See Fig. 307. 
(B. M. 5194.) 
P. crispa (curled). A garden synonym of P. straminea. 
P. Currori (Curror’s). sti. stout, erect, straw-coloured, fronds 
ample, several feet long, 2ft. or more broad ; terminal pinna sub- 
hastate, — lobed ; lateral pinnze numerous, the upper ones 
4in. to 6in. long, lin. broad, with deeply and proadiy sinuated 
margins, the lowest in opposite, sessile pairs, 2in. to 3in. distant 
from the next pair, 16in. long, 5in. broad, cut nearly to the rachis 
in the lower part into lanceolate, sinuated lobes, 3in. deep ; rachis 
and both surfaces slightly hairy. sori in numerous patches, which 
are sometimes interrupted and very short, Western tropical 
Africa. (H. S. F. 140.) Syn. Litobrochia Currori, 
P., decussata (decussate). A synonym of P. patens. 
P. deflexa (deflexed). sti. 2ft. or more long, strong, erect, straw- 
coloured or reddish-brown. fronds 2ft. to 4ft. long; terminal 
pinna 6in. to 9in. long, about lin. broad, long-poi , and with 
numerous oblong-linear lobes on each side, w are nearly cut 
down to the rachis, about żin. long, sin. broad, the barren ones 
sharply spinulose-serrated; lateral pinnæ numerous, similar, the 
lower ones stalked ; lowest pair much larger than the others, often 
more than 1ft. long, 6in. Yin. broad, with numerous pi 
pinnules on each side. sori reaching nearly to the apex of the 
segments. Brazil, 1844. 
—— 
Up 
iy 
PB 
G4 
Fic. 308. UPPER PINNA OF PTERIS DENTICULATA, 
denticulata (slightly-toothed). sti. about lft. long, slender, 
r te. to of. long, 8in. to 12in. broad ; upp 
forked; lower ones often pinnatifid, with several linear — 
cal America, 1824 SYN, 
. fronds . pper pinnæ 
in. to 6in. long, united at base, finely spinulose- 
pen ri a, Soro those aoa in order cut to the rachis and 
i not quite reaching the 
ee the lover Aen sori not qui * Ae rae 
L 
