THE GYMNOGKAM. 35 



This plant grows readily in pots, and also n a Wardian 

 case not too confined ; for either of these modes of cultiva- 

 tion its small size and elegant aspect render it a very desir- 

 able object. It is, however, very impatient of root moisture, 



CHAPTEE VL 



THE GYMNOGKAM. 



THIS plant belongs to a "amily of which nearly all the 

 species are tropical. One jinall annual kind has, however, 

 been found to inhabit Jersey, and is thus brought politi- 

 cally, not geographically^ within the limits of the British 

 Flora. The peculiarity in this genus is that the spore-cases, 

 which are not covered, are scattered in lines along the veins, 

 extending, in many cases, below the point where the latter 

 separate into branches. The sori thus become what is tech- 

 nically called linear and forked, as well as naked. 



The name is derived from two Greek words, signifying 

 naked and a line; the lines of spore-cases, without covering 

 membranes, which are the peculiar features of the group, are 

 thus distinctly indicated. 



SLENDER GYMNOGRAM. [Plate TL fig. 2.] 



This little Fern bears the scientific name of Gymno- 

 gramma leptophylla, which is the one most commonly used. 

 It has, however, received several others, such as Polypodium 

 leptophyllum, Acrostichum leptophyllum, Grammitis lepto- 

 p/iyUa, Asplenium leptophyllum, &c. The apparent contra- 

 diction arising from the use of so many confuting names, 

 is explained by the different stages of growth in which the 

 plant has been examined by the botanists _ who imposed 

 them, as we 1 > as by the less precise information existing at 

 the date when many of them were given. 



The Gymnogramma leptophylla, is a small Fern, of short 

 duration, springing up from the spores in the autumn of 

 each year, attaining maturity early in the following summer, 

 and becoming afterwards quickly dried up and disappear- 

 ing. Each plant consists of a tuft of about half a dozen 

 fronds, of which the latest, and largest, are from three to 

 six inches high, and bear fructification. Some of the early 

 fronds are short and fan-shaped, divided only into two or 

 three lobes : the succeeding ones grow an inch or two long, 



C2 



