440 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



NEPHRODIUM (from nephros, a kidney ; referring 

 to the shape of the spore-cases). ORD. Filices. Including 

 Arthropteria (in part), Camptodium, Dryopteris, Lastrea, 

 Pleocnemia, and Sagenia. A very Large genus (about 

 300 species) of stove, greenhouse, or hardy Ferns, widely 

 distributed, and including species which vary con- 

 siderably in size, texture, cutting, and venation. Sori 

 sub-globose, dorsal or terminal on the veinlets ; in- 

 volucre cordate-reniform. attached by the sinus. Gene- 

 rally speaking, Nephrodiums are of very easy culti- 

 vation, the stronger growing kinds thriving best in good 

 loam, and the weaker ones in loam, leaf mould, and 

 sand, or peat and loam. Several species are most 

 desirable subjects for Wardian cases and for planting 

 in the cool fernery. For general culture, &c., see 

 Ferns. Except where otherwise stated, stove treat- 

 ment is required. 



N. abortivum (abortive), sti. tufted, 6in. to 12in. long, firm, 

 erect, fronds 1ft to 2ft. long, 6in. to 8in. broad ; central pinnae 

 Sin. to 4m. long, gin. to gin. broad, cut about one-third of the 

 way down into close, entire, truncate lobes, in. broad ; lower 

 pinnae distant, and reduced suddenly to mere auricles, sori 

 medial. Penang, Java, and Ceylon. 



N. abruptum (abrupt). A synonym of N. truncatum. 



N. semulum (rivalling).* Hay-scented Buckler Fern. sti. tufted, 

 1ft long, densely scaly below, fronds lanceolate-deltoid, 1ft. to 

 lift, long, 6in. to lOin. broad, the lowest pinnae much the largest ; 

 lowest pinnules larger than the others, which are ovate-lanceo- 

 late, cut down to the rachis below into deeply pinnatifid lobes, 

 with aristate teeth; under surface glandular. Involucre not 

 gland-ciliated. Britain, Madeira, and Azores. A handsome 

 hardy species, smelling like hay when dried. SYNS. N. fcenisecii 

 and Lastrea recurva. 



N. albo-punctatnm (white-spotted), rhiz. wide-creeping, scan- 

 dent, scaly or naked, sti. naked, jointed, fronds 9in. to 12in. 

 long, 4in. to 6in. broad ; pinnae spreading, 2in. to Sin. long, iin. 

 broad, cut half down to the rachis or more into oblong, blunt, 

 entires lobes, sori terminal on the veinlets, near the edge. 

 Guinea, Natal, Fiji, &c. A very pretty and distinct species. 

 SYN. Arthropteris albo-punctata. 



N. amboinense (Amboynan). sti. tufted, 6in. to Sin. long, nearly 

 naked, fronds 2ft or more long, Sin. to 12in. broad; pinnae 

 spreading, Sin. to 4in. long, iin. to gin. broad, cut about a quarter 

 down into bluntish, slightly falcate lobes ; lower pinnae snorter, 

 and deflexed. sori in rows close to the midrib ; capsules naked. 

 Philippines, &c. 



N.Arbuscula (little tree).* sti. tufted, 4in. to Sin. long, fronds 

 1ft. to lift, long, 6in. to Sin. broad ; pinnae close, numerous, Sin. 

 to 4in. long, |in. to iin. broad, cut a quarter or less down into 

 blunt lobes, several of the lower pairs short and distant, sori 

 hi close rows. Mascarene Islands, Ceylon, &c. SYN. JV. Hookeri. 



N. aristatum (awned). A synonym of N. Otaria. 



N. articulatnm (jointed). A synonym of N. pennigerum. 



N. catopteron (downwards-winged).* sti. 3ft to 4ft long, 

 pubescent, fronds 4ft. to 6ft. long, 2ft to 3ft. broad ; lower 

 pinnae 1ft to IJft. long, oblong-lanceolate, with close, lanceolate 

 pinnules, or sub-deltoid, with some of the pinnules of the lower 

 side compound ; segments oblong, bluntish, about iin. long, Jin. 

 broad, more or less deeply pinnatifid. sori copious ; involucre 

 firm. Cape Colony, &c. Greenhouse. 



N. chrysolobum (golden-lobed). sti. tufted, 4in. to 6in. long, 

 slender, villose, scaly below, fronds 6in. to 9in. long, Sin. to 4in. 

 broad ; pinnae liin. to 2in. long, |in. broad, cut down nearly to 

 the rachis into close, blunt, entire lobes, iin. broad, the lowest 

 pair deflexed and slightly stalked, sori near the apex. Brazil, 

 Ac., 1840. A very pretty species, but rarely seen in cultivation. 

 SYN. Lastrea chrysoloba. 



N. cicutarinm (Cicuta-like).* sti. 1ft. or more long, fronds 1ft. 

 to 2ft. long, sub-deltoid, the apex deeply pinnated, with sinuated 

 lanceolate lobes ; below this, three to six pinnae on each side, the 

 lowest sub-deltoid, deeply pinnatifld or pinnate below, sori 

 rather large, in two rows near the main veins, on connected or 

 free veinlets. Tropics of both hemispheres. SYN. Sagenia 

 cicutaria. 



N. cuspidatum (pointed).* sti. 1ft. or more long, naked, 

 densely scaly at the base, fronds 2ft. to 3ft. long, Sin. to 12in. 

 broad ; pinnae 4in. to 6in. long, iin. broad, the edge sharply 

 inciso-serrated to a depth of from half to one line ; involucre 

 fugacious. North India, Ceylon. 



N. cyatheoides (Cyathea-like).* sti. 1ft. to 2ft. long, naked. I 

 fronds 2ft to 3ft. long, 1ft. or more broad ; pinnae close, spread- ! 

 ing, 4in. to 6in. long, Jin. to Iin. broad, the .apex acuminate, j 

 the edge irregular, furnished with acute forward-pointing teeth i 

 to a depth of one or two lines, the lowest pair not shorter than i 

 the next, sori usually one on each veinlet, close to the main 

 vein. Sandwich Islands and Sumatra. A very handsome but 

 rare greenhouse species. (H. S. F. iv. 241*.) 



Neplirodium continued. 



N. decompositum (decompound).* rhiz. wide-creeping, sti. 1ft 

 to lift, long, scaly at base, fronds 1ft to 2ft. long, 1ft. or more 

 broad, ovate-lanceolate or deltoid ; lower pinnae much the largest 

 deltoid, 4in. to9in. long, 2in. to 4in. broad; pinnules lanceolate! 

 more or less deeply pinnatifid ; .segments unequal-sided, ovate- 

 rhomboidal, deeply pinnatifid, with toothed lobes, sori rather 

 large, placed midway between the midrib and edge. Australia 

 to Fiji, 1825. A handsome greenhouse species. SYN. Lastrea 

 decomposita. 



N. d. glabcllum (smoothish). fronds more finely cut than in 

 the type, with more copious spinulose teeth, villose only on the 

 rachis above, the surfaces glossy, and lobes not imbricated. A 

 very desirable greenhouse fonn, having an abbreviated rhizome. 

 SYN. Lastrea glabella. 



N. decurrens (decurrent). 

 aften nearly or quite to th 



z. creeping, sti. narrowly winged, 

 ase. fromls 2ft. to 4ft. long, 1ft. 

 or more broad, cut down to a winged rachis into from four to 



eight pairs of sinuated linear-oblong pinnae, 6in. to 12in. long, 

 Iin. to 2in. broad, the lowest sometimes forked, sori large, in 

 two regular rows between the principal veins. Tropical Asia, 

 &c. SYN. Sagenia decurrens. 



N. decursivo-pinnatnm (decursive-pinnate).* sti. tufted, Sin. 

 to 4in. long, scaly, froiids 1ft. or more long, Sin. to 4in. broad ; 

 pinnae linear, Iin. to 2in. long, Jin. broad, the edge more or less 

 pmnatih'd, the bases connected by a broad lobed wing, the lower 

 one gradually reduced and sometimes distinct ; involucre minute, 

 fugacious. Japan, &c. Hardy. 



N. deltoideum (deltoid).* *ft. tufted, Sin. to 6in. long, densely 

 scaly, fronds 1ft. to 2ft. long, 4in. to Sin. broad ; pinnae of the 

 lower third or quarter suddenly dwarfed, the larger ones 2in. to 

 4in. long, Iin. to Iin. broad, cut two-thirds of the way down into 

 close entire lobes, two lines broad, sori nearer the edge than 

 the midrib ; involucre very fugacious. AVest Indies. A singular 

 and beautiful species. SYN. Lastrea deltoidea. 



N. dissectum (dissected), sti. tufted, 1ft. or more long, rather 

 slender, fronds 1ft. to 5ft. long, 1ft to 3ft. broad, deltoid ; lower 

 pinnae varying from simply piiinatifi'l, with broad, blunt lobes, 

 to 1ft. long, with similar pinnatifid pinnules, the centre usually 

 uncut for a breadth of Jin. to iin., and the uncut bluntish or 

 acute ultimate divisions as broad, sort copious, generally sub- 

 marginal. India, Ceylon, to Madagascar. SYNS. Jf. membrani- 

 folium, Lastrea dissecta. 



N. eriocarpum (woolly-spored). A synonym of N". odoratum. 



N. crythrosorum (red-sorused).* sti. tufted, bin. to 9in. long, 

 more or less densely scaly, fronds 1ft. to lift, long, Sin. to 12in. 

 broad, ovate-lanceolate ; pinnae lanceolate, the lowest the largest, 

 5in. to 6in. long, l^in. broad, cut down to the rachis below into 

 oblong bluntish pinnules, 2in. or Sin. broad, the edge slightly, 

 sometimes spinosely, toothed, sori in rows of six to nine to 

 a pinnule, near the midrib ; involucre half a line broad, flat, 

 bright red when young. Japan and China, Hardy. SYN. Lastrea 

 erythrosora. (H. S. F. iv. 253.) 



N. eusorum (large-sorused). A synonym of N. truncatum. 



N. extensum (extensive), sti. 1ft. to 2ft long, fronds 2ft. to 

 4ft long, 1ft. to lift, broad ; pinnae 6in. to 9in. long, gin. to jin. 

 broad, cut about two-thirds down to the rachis into linear-oblong 

 lobes ; lower pinnae scarcely shorter than the rest, sori in rows, 

 nearly terminal in the veins, and not confined to the lobes. 

 Ceylon, Philippines, &c. 



N. Filix-mas. Male Fern.* sti. tufted, 6in. or more long, more or 

 less densely scaly, fronds 2ft. to 3ft. long, Sin. -to 12in. broad ; 

 pinnae lanceolate, 4in. to 6in. long, jin. to IJin. broad, cut down 

 very nearly to the rachis into close, blunt, regular, sub-entire lobes, 

 one and a-half to two lines broad, lower ones rather shorter than 

 the others ; involucre large, convex. Cosmopolitan. SYN. Lastrea 

 Filix-mas. Of this very widely-distributed hardy species, the 

 following are the more important varieties. 



N. F.-m. abbreviatum cristatum (short-crested). A charming 

 miniature form, growing from lOin. to l^ft. high, with distant and 

 crested pinnae. 



N. F.-m. acrocladon (branch-tipped). An elegant and distinct 

 form, with fronds IJft. or more long, ovate-lanceolate, deep rich 

 green, and having the apex of each pinnae, as well as the top of 

 the frond, profusely crested. 



N. F.-m. Bollandise (Mrs. Holland's). A handsome and distinct 

 form, the fronds of which are from 1ft. to l|ft. long, Sin. or 9in. 

 wide, thin, and remarkable for their width and undulate appear- 

 ance. 



N. F.-m. crispa (curled). A pretty variety for the Wardian case, 

 having fronds about 9in. long, ovate-lanceolate, with the pinnae 

 and pinnules crowded and imbricate. 



N. F.-m. cristatum (crested).* A handsome variety, having 

 fronds about 2ft long and lOin. broad, frequently, however, ex- 

 ceeding these dimensions ; pinnae shorter and narrower than in 

 the type ; apex of frond and each pinna beautifully tasselled or 

 crested. There is a most desirable form of this variety known as 

 anrjustatum, in which the fronds are only about 2Jin. wide. 



N. F.-m. fnrcans (forked). A fine and robust-growing variety, 

 with fronds nearly 2ft. long, and the apex of each pinna forked. 



