CHEILANTHES CYATHEA. 135 



soil they do best in is very sandy peat, with, small pieces 

 of potsherds and charcoal intermixed; the pots to be well 

 drained, and rather under-watered when not growing in 

 winter. 



CHEILANTHES MICEOMEEA (Small-parted). A dwarf Mexican 

 Fern, very neat, and of a pleasing green colour. Fronds 

 9 inches high, bipinnate ; pinnae short and narrow, deep milky 

 green; the sterile are notched at the edges. Spore-masses 

 long and narrow. Stalks black and scaly. Increased by 

 dividing the slowly- creeping rhizome. 



C. MICEOPTEEIS (Small-winged). From the hills of Mexico, 

 and a neat beautiful species. Fronds pinnated, 6 inches long, 

 very slender and hairy; pinnse small, almost round, and 

 thickly placed on the stalks, which are dark brown and smooth. 

 Increased by division. 



C. ODOEA (Sweet-scented). This is a European Fern, but 

 is not hardy. Fronds bipinnate, growing 6 inches high ; pinna? 

 distant on the fronds. When dried the fronds give out a 

 pleasant odour: hence the specific name. Stalks thickly 

 covered with long narrow scales. Increased chiefly by spores, 

 the rootstock creeps so slowly. Called also (7. fragrans. 



C. TENUIFOLIA (Slender-leaved). For a description sec 

 Stove Ferns. 



CYATHEA. 



Of this genus there are several kinds which succeed very 

 well in a greenhouse. Even C. dealbata and C. medullaris 

 (mentioned among the Stove Ferns) will grow in a moderately 

 warm conservatory, but not so fast, of course, as in the warmer 

 house. The stems should be moistened with a syringe in hot 

 and dry weather. 



CYATHEA CUNNINGHAMII (A. Cunningham's). This Fern is 

 said to attain a height of 20 or 25 feet in its native country 

 New Zealand. It has a stem usually covered with brown 

 roots, and the upper part clothed with whitish scales. The 



