AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



245 



Pteris continued. 



P. scmipinnata (half-pinnate), sti. 1ft. or more long, strong, 

 erect, bright chestnut-brown, fronds 1ft. to lift, long, 6in. to 

 9in. broad, ovate - lanceolate ; upper part cut nearly to the 

 rachis into numerous close, entire, linear lobes, the lowest of 

 which are liin. to Sin. long ; lower two-thirds of the frond with 

 six or eight pairs of opposite, distantly-placed pinnae, the largest 

 of which are 3in. to 6in. long, with a long, linear, entire point, 

 and a broad, entire wing on the upper side of the rachis, but the 

 lower side with several linear pinnules, lin. to 2in. long. Invo- 

 lucres membranous. East Indies, &c. See Fig. 314. (H. G. F. 59.) 



P. serrulata (saw-edged).* Spider Fern. sti. 6in. to 9in. long, 

 erect, wiry, pale or brownish, fronds 9in. to 18in. long, 6in. to 

 9in. broad, ovate, bipinnatifid ; main rachis margined with a 

 wing, which gradually narrows downwards; pinnae in six or 

 more distant, opposite pairs, the upper ones simple, often 4in. to 

 6in. long, in. to Jin. broad, the lower ones with several long- 

 linear, erecto-patent pinnules on each side, the edges of the 

 barren ones spinulose-serrulate. Involucres narrow-membranous. 

 China, 1770. Greenhouse. The following varieties of this species 

 are enumerated by Mr. B. S. Williams : 



P. 8. angustata (narrow). An elegant form, with pinnae very 

 much narrower than in the type, and crested at each point. 



P. s. Applebyana (Appleby's). A superb garden variety ; pinnae 

 long and narrow, pendent, furnished with a much-divided and 

 fringed tassel at all the points. 



P a. corymbifera (corymb-bearing). This handsome variety is 

 also of garden origin. It has erect fronds, with much-shortened 

 pinnae, forming dense, crisp, corymbiferous heads. 



P. s. cristata (crested). An erect garden form, with the apex of 

 each pinna beautifully crested. 



P. s. c. semi-fastigiata (slightly fastigiate). The finest variety 

 of all ; it has a compact, dense habit, and forms a very large and 

 broad-crested corymb at the apex ; the lower portion of the frond 

 is developed as in the normal form. 



P. s. polydactyla (many-fingered). In this variety, the points 

 of the pinnae are several times forked or fingered, and fre- 

 quently much lengthened out. 



FIG. 315. PTERIS SERRULATA TENUiFOLrA, showing Habit and 

 Portion of detached Frond. 



P. 8. tenuifolia (sleuder-fronded). A form with narrow pinnae. 

 See Fig. 315. 



P. spinulifera (spine-bearing). A synonym of P. atrovirena. 



P. Stelleri (Steller's). A synonym of Pellcea gracilis. 



P straminea (straw-coloured), sti. 1ft. to lift, long, and, as well 

 as the rachis, stramineous, fronds narrow-'deltoid, 1ft. to lift. 

 long ; pinnae ascending, the lowest much the largest, deltoid, with 

 compound lower pinnules on both sides, the others lanceolate, 

 liin. to 2in. broad, cut down to the rachis or a narrow wing ; 

 segments lanceolate, narrowed to a point, the sterile ones sharply 

 and closely dentate, upper ones growing gradually shorter, sori 

 falling short of the tips of the segments. Chili. SYN. P. crispa 

 (of gardens). 



P. sulcata (furrowed). A form of P. quadriaurita. 



P. tremula (trembling).* sti. 1ft. or more long, strong, erect, 

 bright chestnut-brown, fronds 2ft. to 4ft. long, 6m. to 2ft. broad, 

 the apex with a few, closely-placed, linear, entire lobes, which are 

 obliquely decurrent at the base, the largest hardly more than lin. 

 lorig ; upper pinnae simply pinnate, with numerous similar lobes 

 on both sides, the largest about 6in. long, above lin. broad ; 

 lower pinnae often very compound, sometimes 1ft. long and 

 bipinnate. sori copious, sometimes filling up the whole segment 



Pteris continued. 



except the midrib. Australia and New Zealand, 1820. Green- 

 house. See Fig. 316. (H. S. F. 120B.) The variety Kinqiana 

 has its ultimate segments large, sometimes liin. long, nearly 

 }in. broad, not toothed. 



P. tricolor (three-coloured). A synonym of P. asperieavlii 

 tricolor. 



P. tripartite var. (thrice-parted). A synonym of P. llilneana 



FIG. 316. PINNA OP PTERIS TREMULA. 



P. umbrosa (shady).* sti. 1ft. to lift, long, erect, bright reddish- 

 brown, frimds 1ft. to 2ft. long, 6in. to 12in. broad, with a 

 terminal pinna and usually six to nine lateral ones, all of which 

 run down the stipe at the base, so as to form a broad wing, which 

 reaches nearly or quite to the next node ; upper pinnae Sin. to 

 6in. long, iin. to Jin. broad, finely serrated in the sterile portions ; 

 lower ones forked, or with two or four erecto-patent, linear 

 pinnules. Australia, 1823. Greenhouse. (H. S. F. 130n.) 

 P. undulata (waved). A variety of P. comans. 

 P. Vcspertilionis (bat-winged). A synonym of P. incita. 

 P. vittata (striped). A variety of P. grandifolia. 

 PTERIUM. A synonym of Lamarckia. 

 PTEB.OCARPUS (from pteron, a wing, and fcarpo, 

 a fruit ; the pods are girded by a broad wing). ORD. 

 Leguminosce. A genus comprising about fifteen species 

 of unarmed, stove trees, inhabiting the tropical parts 

 of Asia, Africa, and America. Flowers yellow, rarely 

 mixed with violet and white, often showy, disposed in 

 simple or paniculate, loose, axillary or terminal racemes ; 

 calyx turbinate at base; standard orbicular or broadly 

 ovate ; wings oblique, obovate or oblong ; petals glabrous. 

 Pods compressed, indehiscent, orbiculate or ovate, rarely 

 oval-oblong. Leaves alternate, impari-pinnate ; leaflets 

 alternate or irregularly opposite, exstipellate. For culture 

 of the under-mentioned species, see Dalbergia. 

 P. dalbergioides (Dalbergia-like). A synonym of P. indieus. 

 P. Draco (dragon). Dragon Gum-tree, ft. yellow, in paniculate 

 racemes ; panicles short, loose. May. Pods liin. in diameter. 

 1., leaflets 2in. to 4in. long, ovate or oblong, acuminate, shining. 

 h. 30ft Tropical America, 1820. 



