ASPLENIUM. 13 



a moderately-heated stove. The fronds vary much some 

 are narrow and fertile, others are broader and barren ; whilst 

 others are partly fertile and partly barren. We once had a 

 plant with a rather long rhizome, and at each of the joints 

 of the rootstock there sprung up a plant, evidently a sucker. 

 We allowed them to grow till they produced roots, and then 

 carefully detached them from the parent plant, potted them in 

 small pots, and placed them under a hand-light, where they 

 soon made fresh roots and growth, thus giving us a good stock 

 of this rather rare elegantly- curious Fern. 



A. FALCATUM (Sickle-leaved) . An East-Indian, beautiful, 

 evergreen Fern, with stout leathery fronds deeply cut at the 

 edges. The fronds frequently, when well grown, reach 2 feet 

 high. It seldom can be propagated by division, but grows 

 freely from seed. 



A. FOEMOSUM (Handsome). A native of the West Indies 

 and the tropical parts of America. The fronds are pinnate 

 (once-divided), with deeply-cut pinnae. The fronds radiate 

 from a crown, and droop gracefully on every side. This very 

 beautiful Fern was extremely rare until recently, but it is now 

 becoming more plentiful. 



A. LASEEPITIIFOLITJM. This long name means having leaves 

 like those of an umbelliferous plant called Laserpitium. It is 

 a native of Java, and was introduced a few years ago by 

 Messrs. Eollissou. When full grown the fronds are 2| feet 

 long, and four or five times divided. It is a very graceful 

 species ; but there is no other means of increasing it except 

 from spores, and it is still somewhat scarce. 



A. L^ETUM (Gay). One of the tropical forms of A. marinum. 

 A bright green, erect-growing, pinnated Fern from the West 

 Indies, of great beauty, growing 2 feet high. The rootstock is 

 erect, and sometimes branching, by which it may be increased. 

 It loves light, open, rich soil, and liberal pot room. 



A. MONANTHEMUM (One-flowered, in reference to there being 

 but one sorus upon each division of the frond). It has been 



