THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Pteris continued. 



lata. See Fig. 308. P. brasiliensis is a form with broader, 

 more compound pinnae. 



P. elata (tall), sti. 2ft. to 3ft. long, erect, naked, straw-coloured. 

 fronds ample, tripartite; terminal pinna 1ft. to lift, long, cut 

 nearly or quite to the rachis into numerous linear lobes on both 

 sides, which are Sin. to Sin. long, the barren ones spinulose- 

 serrate ; upper lateral pinnae 6in. long, not cut to the rachis ; 

 lower ones equalling the terminal one ; lateral divisions of the 

 frond deltoid, son falling short of the points of the segments. 

 Tropical America. SYN. Litobrochia elata. 



P. elegans (elegant).* sti. 1ft. or more long, fronds 6in. to 12in. 

 long, deltoid-cordate, pedate-bipinnatifld ; divisions close, reaching 

 nearly to the midrib ; terminal and upper lateral ones lanceolate, 

 entire, lin. to IJin. broad ; lower ones with one to four lanceolate 

 pinnules on the lower side, usually none from the upper, sori 

 continuous from base to tip of the divisions. South Brazil. A 

 common species in cultivation. SYN. Doryopteris nobilis. 



P. ensiformis (sword-shaped). sti. 3i 



slender, 



to 6in. long, 



erect, straw-coloured, fronds 6in. to 12in. long, half as broad, 

 with a long terminal pinna and two to four pairs of lateral ones ; 

 those of the fertile frond slightly compound, the central portion 

 2in. to 4in. long, Jin. or less broad, entire ; upper pinna; of the 

 barren frond decurrent, the lower ones sub-deltoid, cut down to 

 the rachis below into two to six obovate-oblong, sharply-toothed 

 pinnules, which are often nearly iin. broad. India, <fcc. 

 SYN. P. erenata (H. S. F. 127A). 



P. esculenta (edible). A synonym of P. aguilina eseulenta. 



P. fallaz (deceptive). A synonym of Pellcea intramaryinalis 

 serratifolia. 



P. felosma (heavy-smeUing). A form of P. guadriaurita. 



P. flabellata (fan-shaped).* sti. 1ft. or more long, strong, 

 erect, straw-coloured, fronds 1ft. to 3ft. long, 1ft or more broad; 

 terminal pinna 6in. to 12in. long, 2in. to 3iu. broad, numerously 

 lobed nearly to the rachis, the lobes linear, lin. to 2in. long, 

 barren ones finely serrated; lateral pinnse similar to the terminal 

 one, the lowest with one to three similar, smaller pinnules from 

 the base on the lower side, sori narrow, continuing along nearly 

 the whole lengjth of the segments. South Africa. This species 

 is closely allied to P. arguta. 



P. Gheisbreghtii (Gheisbreght's). A variety of P. laciniata. 



P. glauca (glaucous). A synonym of Pellcea ylauca. 



P. gracilis (slender). A synonym of PeUeea gracilis. 



FIG. 309. PINNA OF PTERIS GRANDIPOLIA. 



Fteris continued. 



P. grandifolia (Targe-fronded). sti. 6in. to 12in. long, erect, 

 straw-coloured, clothed below with rusty-woolly scales, fronds 

 1ft. to 2ft. long, simply pinnate ; pinnae linear, erecto-patent, 

 entire, sessile or the lower ones stalked, the lower ones 6in. 

 to 12in. long, hardly lin. broad, sori often continuous along the 

 whole length of the pinnae. Tropical America. See Kig. 309. 

 (H. S. F. 113B.) SYN. Litobrochia grandifolia. The variety vittata 

 has nearly free veins. 



P. hastata (spear-shaped), of Thunberg. A synonym of Pellcea 

 calomelanos. 



P. heterophylla (variable-fronded).* sti. wiry, slender, erect, 

 straw-coloured, fronds 6in. to 12in. long. Sin. to 6in. broad, ovate- 

 deltoid, tripinnate ; pinnae all, except two or three of the highest, 

 compound, the lowest deltoid, with the pinnules again pinnatifld ; 

 ultimate segments of the barren frond ovate, sharply and deeply 

 toothed, cuheate and entire at base, about Jin. long, Jin. broad, 

 those of the fertile frond about |in. long, ^in. broad, the tip sterile 

 and toothed. Involucres broad, pale, membranous. West Indies 

 and Brazil, 1820. (B. M. 4925.) 



P. Hookeriana (Hooker's), sti. bin. to 12in. long, erect, pale. 

 fronds 9in. to 12in. long, 6in. to 9in. broad, with a long, linear, 

 entire, terminal pinna ; lateral pinnae two to six pairs, sessile, 

 opposite, entire, the largest about 6in. long and Jin. broad, the 

 lowest forked at the base, sori slightly intramarginal ; involucres 

 narrow, brownish. Ceylon. 



Fio. 310. CENTRAL PINNA OF PTERIS LEPTOPHYLLA. 



P. inclsa(cut). Bat's-wing Fern. sti. stout, erect, straw-coloured 

 or bright brown, fronds several feet long, bi- or tri-pinnate; 

 uppermost pinnae simply pinnate, with entire, linear -oblong pin- 

 nules ; the next with numerous pinnatifld pinnules, 2in. to 3in. 

 long, about jin. broad, in opposite pairs, the lowest often quite 

 close to the stem, reduced in size, and their segments dilated ; 

 lowest pinnae often very large and compound, sori interrupted or 

 continuous, often reaching the points of the segments. Tropics, 

 <fcc., 1823. Greenhouse. SYNS. P. Vespcrtilionis, Litobrochia \'es- 

 pertilianis. In the form aurita, the lowest pair of pinnules are 

 quite simple, and closely adpressed to the stem at the base of 

 the pinnae. 



P. Kingiana (King's). A variety of P. tremula. 



P. Kunzeana (Kunze's). sti. 3ft. long, strong, erect, straw- 

 coloured or reddish-brown, froiids ample ; terminal pinna 1ft 

 long, 3in. broad, cut down two-thirds of the way to the rachis into 

 numerous linear, falcate, sharp-pointed lobes, which are slightly 

 spinulose-serrate when barren ; lateral pinnae in numerous, nearly 



