HEMIONITES HEMITELIA. 67 



Indian Fern of great beauty. The fronds are of two kinds, 

 barren and fertile. The fertile grow erect, about a foot high, 

 with the spore-masses standing out above the surface, and 

 covering it with network. The sterile fronds grow hori- 

 zontalty, or nearly so. Both are hand-shaped, or palmate, 

 with five deeply-cut divisions, hairy, and producing at the 

 bottom of each finger-like division a knob or bud. These, in 

 time, will form a plant, if taken off and potted when roots are 

 beginning to appear, and placed under a bell-glass, in a close 

 moist heat. We have grown this species exceedingly large and 

 fine in the Orchid-house. It requires a high moist temperature 

 to grow it to perfection. Cultivators that have no Orchid- 

 house should place this plant among moss kept moist, and a 

 large bell-glass or hand-light over it. 



There are two other species of this genus in our gardens 

 H. cordata (heart-shaped), and H. pedata (shaped like a bird's 

 foot) . In both of these the fronds are smooth instead of hairy, 

 as in the above-named plant, but they are also like it in being 

 very subject to the attacks of thrips. These insects always make 

 their appearance first upon these and one or two other plants 

 mentioned, but if not at once looked to and destroyed they 

 soon spread to other plants ; and when attacked by these little 

 pests they soon lose the bright green colour which is their 

 great charm. H. cordata is a native of the East-Indian Islands, 

 and H. pedata comes from Mexico. Both are small- growing, 

 beautiful plants, but they have the drawback above mentioned. 



HEMITELIA. 



Under this name are arranged some of the most beautiful 

 of the tree Ferns. The name is derived from hemi, half, and 

 telia, perfect ; the indusium containing the spore-cases having 

 the appearance of a cup of regular form. To see their beauty 

 properly they should be examined with a pocket-lens ; the cups 

 piled-up with spore-cases will then be plainly seen. 



