110 



ASPIDISTRA 



blade narrowed into a channeled petiole a third of its 

 length: fls. lurid purple, on short 1-fld. scapes; perianth 

 segments 8 ; stamens 8 ; stigma broadly shield-shaped, 

 like a small mushroom. China.— The variegated form 

 is more commonly grown, the alternation of the green 

 and white stripes being singularly beautiful. No two 

 Its. are exactly alike. e. O. Orpet and W. M. 



ASPtDIUM. See Drijopteris and PoUjslichum. 



ASPLENfiNDKIUM. See Thamnopteris . 



ASPLfiNIUM (Greek, not the spleen; referring to sup- 

 posed mcdiciiinl prnprrtif^-). I'nh,pn,li,-i,-r,r. A large, 

 widely ili-.tnliiit(c| imni- ,,f {•■ru-. .■Miit:MTtiiiL- -Mine 200 

 species. i;a-il> ili-nnL'in-lM'il li\ til.' Ii-c, \. Ml-, anil by 

 theeloimaNai smi r.,\ n.-.i i,\ all hmIiimiiiii, w hull nor- 

 mally is attarhcal In .,||.' -i.l.-'.,!' a Vrlll. 



Aspleniunis enjoy an aljunclance of moisture at the 

 roots, but they will turn brown in the winter months in 

 an excessively moist atmosphere. They should be kept 

 in a very lightly .shaded position. A good potting ma- 

 terial consists of equal parts of rich soil and leaf -mold or 

 peat. The following are some of the most useful com- 

 mercial kinds : A. Belawjeri, height 2Kft. ; A. bulbif- 

 erum, 2 ft.; A. laxum, which grows quicklv into a 

 handsome specimen about 20 in."lii:-)i, ami -Vfm«i to 

 stand the hot, dry American .suniiiiir ' -'., i 1 1 ;,; nihcr 

 species; A. saUcifolium; and .1. . - • a I, is 



dwarf, compact, with lace-like froii.l , . . ., iiaipa- 

 gated. For hanging baskets, A. fl<f< ./a,,, i~ h, t. The 

 foregoing species and others of like liahit dtvcldp small 

 plantlets on the surface and edge of pinnae. As soon as 

 these are sufBciently strong, they may be detached, with 

 a small piece of old pinnaa, and pricked into shallow pans, 

 the older part being placed below ground to hold the 

 young plant firmly in position until roots have formed. 

 The best soil for this purpose is composed of equal parts 

 of fresh garden soil, leaf -mold orfine peat, and sand. Plant 

 very firmly, and place in a shady, moderately moist and 

 close position, where in 10 to 15 days they willmake roots. 

 The foregoing ones do best in a temperature of 50° P. 

 A. cicutarium is easily grown from spores, and is very 

 useful for fern dishes. Nichol N. Bruckxer. 



Alphabetical list of species described below : A. Adi- 

 antum-nigrum, 14 ; afSne, 13 ; angustifolium, 10 ; Bap- 

 tistii,12; Belangeri,2:!; bulbiferum, 18; oic'utarium, 20 ; 



piniKiUliduiu.:;; |.latyiieui-uu,8; rhizopbyllum, 19; rutaj- 

 folium, 22; salicifolium, 11; serratum, 1; spinulosum, 

 27; thelypteroides,26; Trichomanes, 6 ; viride,5; vivip- 

 arum, 24. The following are native and hardy : Noa. 

 3, 5, 6, 7. 10, 25, 26. 



A. Sori linear or oblong, straight, borne on the 



back of the If. 



B. Zf. simple, with a serrate margin. 



1. serrituin, Linn. Lf. 1-3 ft. long, on a very short 



BB, Jjf. lobed or pinnatifid. 



2. Hemionltis, Linn. (A. palmAtum, Lara.). Lf. 4-6 

 in. each way, hastate, with a triangular terminal lobe and 

 two lateral ones, and a large, rounded sinus at the base: 

 sori often over 1 in. in length. Spain, Canary Islands. 

 S. 1:586. 



3. pinnatifidum, Nutt. Lvs. clustered, from a short 

 rootstock, 3-9 in. long, with mostly rounded lobes at the 

 base and terminating in a slender point ; texture thick, 

 herbaceous ; occasionally rooting at the tip. Pa. to Ala. 



4. ebenoldes, R. R. Scott. Texture thin : lvs. 5-10 in. . 

 long, with a few irregular divisions near the base, and 

 a long, slender, much-incised apical portion, occasionally 

 rooting at the apex. A very rare native species. 



ASPLENILTlI 



BBB. Lvs. once pinnate. 

 c. Pinna less than %in. long, bht^it. 

 D. Machises greenish. 

 5. viride, Huds. Lvs. 3-8 in. long, scarcely more than 

 Min. wide, with numerous rather distant Ifts., which are 

 ovate and deeply crenate : sori abundant, oblique. A 

 subalpine species of N. Eu. and N. Amer. S. 1:661. 

 DD. Rnrhises purplish or blackish. 

 t;. Till h.imaiKs, Linn. Lvs. densely clustered, 3-8 in. 

 I"" "iih densely crowded oval leaflets, 



"I; aii.nate on the 



upl" I ai, 11 a lai.li-iilynarrowed 

 m lin- iiasf. Northern hemis- 

 phere geuerally. A. U. 1892-653 

 S. 1 : 653. 



7. pirvulum, Mart. & Galeotti 

 Leaf 5-9 in. long, with 20-30 pairs 

 of mostly opposite Ifts., which are 

 %-ye in. long, rounded at the 

 outer margin and squarely trun 

 cateatthebase. South- 

 ern states and Mex. 

 CO. Pinna %-l inch 



long, with a strong [__ . 

 auricle at the up- 

 per side of the base 

 or deeply incised 

 on the upper mar- 

 ■ gin. 



8. platynetiron, Oakes 

 {A. ebeneum, Ait.). 

 Lvs. 6-15 in. long, with 

 30-35 pairs of Ifts. 

 which have an enlarged 

 auricle at the upper 

 side at the base, the 

 lower Ifts. reduced to 

 mere triangular auri- 

 cles : sori, when ma- 

 ture, covering the en- 

 tire surface. Canada to 

 S.Amer. A.G. 1892:654. 

 S. 1:535. 



9. formdsum, Willd. 

 Lvs. 12-16 in. long, 

 with numerous alter- 

 nate pinnsB which are mostly defiexed, with the upper 

 margin deeply incised and the lower margin toothed : 

 sori 3-5 to each 1ft. Trop.Amer. S. 1:576. 



ccc. Pinncs 2-6 in. long, linear or lanceolate. 



10. angustiidlium, Michx. Lvs. 18-24 in. long on stout 

 stalks, 4-6 in. wide, with 20-30 pairs of nearly sessile 

 pinnee, which are truncate at the base and extend to a 

 tapering point ; fertile pinnas narrower and more dis- 

 tant. Moist woods northward. S. 1 : 496. 



11. salicifdlium, Linn. Lvs. 12-18 in. long, with about 

 20 distinctly stalked horizontal pinnae, which are wedge- 

 shaped at the base, and curve upward to a long point : 

 sori strongly oblique to the midrib, wide apart, not 

 reaching either margin or midrib. W. Ind. to Braz. 



BBBB. Jyvs. S-4 pinnate. 



c. Ultimate divisions linear or cuneate : venation 



somewhat fan-shaped ; texture thick. 



12. B&ptistii, Moore. Leaf bipinnate, with broadly 

 ovate pinnae 5 in. or more long, each with about 4 stipi- 

 tate linear toothed pinnules ; sori nearly parallel with 

 the midvein and close to it ; rachises scaly, with pur- 

 plish lined scales. South Sea Islands. 



13. afflne, Swz. Leaf 9-18 in. long, with numerous 

 pinnae on either side, the lower ovate deltoid, the upper 

 lanceolate ; pinnules incised : sori linear. Mauritius 

 and Ceylon to E. Ind. 



14. AdiAntum-nlgrum, Linn. Stalks brownish, lvs. 3- 

 pinnatifid from winged rachises, triangular, 5-9 in. long; 

 ultimate divisions ovate, sharply incised and serrate on 

 both sides. Old World generally. S. 1:486. 



rhizophyllumi 



