110 



ASPIDISTRA 



ASPLENIUM 



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 

 Jvs. are exactly alike. E> Q. ORPET and W. M. 



ASPlDIUM. See Dryopteris and Polystichum. 

 ASPLENlSNDRIUM. See Thamnopteris . 



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

 posed medicinal properties). Polypodi&cece. A large, 

 widely distributed genus of ferns, containing some 200 

 species. Easily distinguished by the free veins, and 1 by 

 the elongated sori covered by an indusium, which nor- 

 mally is attached to one side of a vein. 



Aspleniums enjoy an abundance 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. Belangeri, height 2%ft.; A. bulbif- 

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

 handsome specimen about 20 in. high, and seems to 

 stand the hot, dry American summers better than other 

 species ; A. salicifolium; and A. viviparum, which is 

 dwarf , compact, with lace-like fronds, and easily propa- 

 gated. For hanging baskets, A. flaccidum is best. The 

 foregoing species and others of like habit develop small 

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

 these are sufficiently strong, they may be detached, with 

 a small piece of old pinnae, 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 or fine peat,and sand. Plant 

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

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

 The foregoing ones do best in a temperature of 50 F. 

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

 useful for fern dishes. NICHOL N. BRUCKNER. 



Alphabetical list of species described below : A. Adi- 

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

 tistii, 12; Belangeri, 23 ; bulbif erum, 18 ; cicutarium, 20 ; 

 cuneatum, 15; ebeneum, 8; ebenoides, 4; Filix-foemina, 

 25; faeniculaceum, 16 ; fontanum, 17; formosum, 9; fra- 

 grans, 16; Hemionitis, 2; laxum, 18; myriophyllum, 19; 

 nobilis , 24: ', obtusilobum, 21 ; palmatum, 2; parvulum, 7; 

 pinnatifidum,3; platy neuron, 8; rhizophyllum,19; rutae- 

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

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

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

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



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

 back of the If. 



B. Lf. simple, with a serrate margin. 



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

 stipe, 2-4 in. wide, gradually narrowed below: sori 1 in. 

 or more long. Fla. to Brazil. 



BB. Lf. lobed or pinnatifid. 



2. Hemionitis, Linn. (A. palmatum, Lam.). 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. 

 8.1:586. 



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. 

 8.1:628. 



4. ebenoides, R. R. Scott. Texture thin : Ivs. 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. 



BBB. Lvs. once pinnate. 



c. Pinnae less than %in. long, blunt. 



D. Rachises greenish. 



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

 %in. 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. Rachises purplish or blackish. 



6. Trich6manes, Linn. Lvs. densely clustered, 3-8 in. 

 long, % in. wide, with densely crowded oval leaflets, 

 which are slightly crenate on the 



upper side and suddenly narrowed 

 at the base. Northern hemis- 

 phere generally. A.G. 1892:653. 

 S. 1:653. 



7. parvulum, Mart. & Galeotti. 

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

 of mostly opposite Ifts., which are 

 %-% in. long, rounded at the 

 outer margin and squarely trun- 

 cate at the base. South- 

 ern states and Mex. 



cc. Pinnae %-l inch 

 long, with a strong 

 auricle at the up- 

 per side of the base 

 or deeply incised 

 on the tipper mar- 

 gin. 



8. platyneuron, 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 pinnae which are mostly deflexed, with the upper 

 margin deeply incised and the lower margin toothed : 

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



ccc. Pinnce 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 

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

 tapering point ; fertile pinnae narrower and more dis- 

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



11. salicifolium, 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. Lvs. 2-4 pinnate. 



c. Ultimate divisions linear or cuneate : venation 

 somewhat fan-shaped : texture thick. 



12. Bdptistii, 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. affine, 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-nigrum, Linn. Stalks brownish, Ivs. 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. 



159. Asplenium rhizophyllum. 



