An Encyclopedia of Horticulture. 



241 



"Pteria—continued. 



inner one obsolete. Ubiquitous (Britain). Many varieties of this 

 species have been found, but they are not constant in cultivation. 



P. a. esculenta (eilible). Edilile Fern of Tasmania. In this 

 variety, the ultimate divisions are narrower than in the type, ami 

 not contiguous, and are sudilenly decurrent at the base, so that 

 the bases are connected by a narrow lobe. Southern hemi- 

 sphere, 1850. tJreenhouse. The glutinous, underground rhizome 

 of this variety is eaten by the aborigines. Sy.x. P. esculenta. 

 Other varieties calling for mention are: glabra, a smooth, and 



lanuginosa, a woolly, forai. 



P. ar^TUta (sharply-notched).* st'i. 1ft. or more long, strong, erect, 

 briglit straw-coloured or reddish-brown, fronds 1ft. to 3ft. long, 

 1ft. or more broad ; terminal pinna bin. to 9in. long, l^in. to 2in. 

 broad, lobed nearly to the rachis, the lobes slightly toothed when 

 barren ; pinn.T 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, sort not usually extending 

 beyond the lower half of the lobes. Madeira, Ac. 1778. Green- 

 house. 



P. argyrsea (silvery). A variety of P. qnadriaun'ta. 



P. aspericauUs (rough-stalked).* rhiz. erect, sti. rough, purplish 

 when young, j'rvnds lift, long, glabrous, pinnate; lowermost 

 pinnre bipartite, nearly sessile, and opposite ; pinn.-e deeply pin- 

 natifid or pinnate, attenuated, adnate towards the apex ; seg- 

 ments linear falcate, decurrent at base, rather obtuse, slightly 

 crenulate, minutely white-dotted beneath, sort chieHy on the 

 middle parts of the segments. India. The variety rubro-nerda 

 has a deep purplish-red rachis and midrib. 



P. a. tricolor (three-coloured), /rond^•, when young, a beautiful 

 red ; when fully developed, a rich, deep ^reen, with attractive 

 silvery markings along the sides of the midribs, which are red. 

 See Fig. 406. Sy.ns. P. guadriaurita trieolor (B. M. 5183). 



Fig 



/'. trieolor. 



P. atrovirens (dark green), sti 1ft. long, prickly, fronds 1ft to 

 2ft. long ; terminal pinna 6in. to Sin. long, 2in. to 3in. broat), cut 

 nearly to the rachis into numerou-^ linear lobes, which are slightly 

 toothed when barren ; lateral pinnre in numerous opposite pairs, 

 the lowest sometimes 1ft. 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, sort not reaching to the points of the segments. 

 Guinea Coast and Angola. Syn. P. spinulifera. 



P. anrita (eared). A form of P. inciaa. 



P. biaurita (two-eared), sti. 1ft. to 2ft. long, strong, erect, straw- 

 coloured, fronds with a terminal pinna, 6in. to 12in. long, lUn. 

 to 2in. broad, cut nearly to the rachis into numerous spreading, 

 linear-oblong lobes, lin. or more long; lateral pinnJB similar to 

 the terminal one, the lower ones 2in. apart, and usually once- 

 forked. so}-i continued to the apex. Tropics, Ac, 1824. Syn. 

 Campteria biaiirKa. P. nemoralis is, according to Mr. Baker, 

 not distinct from thii species. 



P. brasiliensls (Brazilian). A form of P. denticulata. 



P. COllina (hill-loving). A synonym of P. paltnata. 



P. comans (hairy), sti. 1ft. or more long, erect, fronds bi- 

 pinnate ; terminal pinna 1ft. or more long, cut nearly to the 

 rachis into long-linear lobes, which are sometimes 4ln. long, 

 iin. broad, suddenly decurrent at base, bluntly toothed when 



■ 'iii» 



Fig. 307. Pteris cretic.v albo-lineat.\. 

 Vol. III. 



Fteris — continued. 



barren; lateral pinnas in a few opposite pairs, sometimes l^ft. 

 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 ditlers from the type in having blunter ultimate seg- 

 ments, with an undulated edge. 



P, conclnna (neat). A form of P. nnitilata. 



P. crenata (scolloped). A synonym of P. ensifomu's. 



P. cretica (<'retau).* sti. 6in. to 12in. lonjj, erect, wiry, straw- 

 coloured or pale brown, fronds bin. to 12in. long, 4in. to Sin. 

 broad ; lateral piiiiKc usually in two to six opposite, sessile pairs, 

 the upper one stimetiuies a little decurrent, 3in. to 6in. long, ^in. 

 to ^in. broad, tlie sterile ones much the broadest and spiny- 

 toothed, the Io\\<.M- piiirs i)fteu cleft down nearly to the base into 

 two or three liui^ar pinnules. Involucres pale, membranous. 

 Temperate and trupi.al rt-^ions, &c., 1820. Greenhouse. There 

 is a variegated form of this species, albo-lineata. See Fig. 307. 

 (B. M. 5194.) 



P. crispa (curled). A garden synonym of P. straminca. 



P, Currori (Curror's). sti. stout, erect, straw-coloured, fronds 

 ample, several feet long, 2ft. or more broad ; terminal pinna sub- 

 hastate, deeply lobed ; lateral pinna* numerous, the upper ones 

 4in. to 6in. long, lin. broail, with deeply and broadly 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, frmtds 2ft. to 4ft. long ; terminal 

 pinna 6in. to 9in. Iniig, about lin. broad, long-pointed, and with 

 numerous oblong-linear lobes on each side, which are nearly cut 

 down to the racliis, about iin. long, iin. broad, the barren ones 

 sharply spinulose-serrated; lateral piuuje numerous, similar, the 

 lower ones stalked ; lowest pair much larger than the others, often 

 more than 1ft. long, 6in. to 9in. broad, with numerous pinnate 

 pinnules on each side, sori reaching nearly to the apex of the 

 segments. Brazil, 1844. 



~^s 



Fio. 308. Urpun Pinna of Pteris dentici'lata. 



P. denticulata (sli^htly-tootheil). sli. about 1ft. long, slender, 

 wiry, fiu'iulx 1ft. to 2ft. long, Sin. to 12in. liroad ; upper pinnffi 

 simple,' linear, 4iii. to 5in. long, united at liase, finely .spinulose- 

 serrate when barren ; those next in order c\it to the rachis and 

 forked ; lower ones often pinnatifid, with several linear pinnules, 

 especially on the lower side, sori not quite reaching the points of 

 the pinnules. Tropical America, 1824. Svn. Litobrochia denticu- 



2 I 



