Ferns 



225 



tions, and requires plenty of water during the summer months. All 

 varieties sell freely in small or large pots. 



A. (Lastrea) aristatum variegatum. A beautiful greenhouse Fern from 

 the East Indies, Assam, &c., often known under the name of Lastrea. It is 

 largely grown for market, and is an excellent plant for winter work. The 

 shining-green, thrice-pinnate fronds are variegated with ivory white or pale 

 yellow along the centres of the pinnae, the colour being improved by 

 exposing the plants to sunlight. 



Fig. 311. Asplenium Nidus australasicum 



Asplenium. A genus containing three hundred or more species from 

 all parts of the world. They are characterized by having linear or oblong 

 sori on the under surfaces or near the margins of the fronds, and the veins 

 a're forked or pinnate, free. 



Only a few kinds are grown largely for market work, amongst the best 

 being: biforme, often mistaken for bulbiferum, but being more compact in 

 growth; Belangeri, a native of Java, with finely divided fronds; bulbiferum, 

 the well-known " Carrot-top Fern ", with graceful arching fronds that pro- 

 duce bulbils or offsets freely, as the name indicates; A. Colensoi, A. fosni- 

 culaceum, A. HUH, A. incequale, A. lucidum, and A. erectum are other kinds 



VOL. II. 30 a 



