FEENS AS DECORATIVE OBJECTS. 



101 



larger, and supra-decompound. They have a very light feathery 

 appearance, from the small size and great number of their 

 ultimate division.'?. Tlie plant is only suitable for pot-culture, 

 but in that state is very elegant when somewhat checked in its 

 vigour. It is a Jamaica species, requiring a tropical climate. 



52. Gymnogramma tartarea. — A free-growing plant, a good 

 tuft, forming a fine-looking pot specimen. The fronds are two 

 feet or more in height, and of a broad oval outline, bi pinnate, 

 with lance-shaped slightly flilcate deeply-notched piuiuiles, the 

 under side of which is covered with a white powder. It is a 

 West Indian species, and requires a tropical climate. 



53. Gymnogramma calomelanos. — Thin species, the fronds 

 of which grow in tufts from one to two feet high, with bipinnate 

 broadly-lanceolate fronds, and pinnatifid lanceolate-acuminate 

 pinnules, has the under surfece of the pinnules covered with a 

 white mealy powder. It is suitable for pot culture, and requires 

 a tropical lieat, being a native of the West Indies. This and 

 the preceding are of the class sometimes called Silver-Ferns, from 

 the whiteness of the surface of their fronds. 



54. Gymnogramma chrysophylla. — Of the same habit and 

 size as the two preceding, and also belonging to that set of Ferns 

 which are remarkable from having one or both surfaces of the' 

 fronds more or less covered with a coloured powder. In this 

 species the powder, chiefly confined to the under side of the 

 pinnules, is yellow. The fronds are bipinnate. It is a West 

 Indian plant, and requires a tropical climate ; a large specimen 

 in a pot is very ornamental, in consequence of the drooping or 

 curving habit of tlie fronds. 



55. Gymnogramma sulphurea. — The fronds of this AYest 

 Indian species are about a foot long, and bipinnate ; they are 

 more delicate than those of the last species, and covered more 

 copiously, and on both surfaces, with yellow mealy dust. It 

 requires a tropical climate. Tlie species which have this yellow 

 dust are sometimes called Gold Ferns. 



56. Gymnogramma charophylla. — This species grows from a 

 foot to 18 inches high, the fronds in tufts, ovate-deltoid, thrice 

 pinnate, or sometimes still more highly compound ; the ultimate 

 segments are small and narrow. It is from South America, and 

 needs a tropical climate. 



Pteride^. 



57. Pteris (Cassebeera) hastata. — This species varies from 

 about a foot to 2 feet in height, the fronds dark-green, bipinnate, 

 with ovate-lanceolate sub-hastate pinnules; the stipes and rachis 

 black and shining. It forms a good-looking pot specimen, con- 



VOL. IV. r 



