HISTORY OF INTRODUCTION OP EXOTIC FERNS. 37 



tions to our ferneries. One of these, Polypodium 

 heteromorphum, Hook., was found by Dr. Jameson 

 "upon the top of the mountain face of dripping 

 rocks ; " and has simple fronds like those of Asple- 

 nium Trichomanes, mixed in the same tuft with 

 others which are repeatedly branched in a regular 

 dichotomous manner like the Gleichenice ; while the 

 other, Polypodium bifrons, Hook., found by the same 

 botanist in Ecuador, growing on branches of trees 

 partially immersed in water, has sterile fronds resem- 

 bling oak leaves in their general outline, and narrow 

 wavy fertile ones. To the creeping rhizomes of the 

 specimens collected by Dr. Jameson there were 

 attached curious bodies, resembling small potatoes . 

 but these were most probably adventitious, and 

 caused by some insect. Dr. J. W. Sturm, in his little 

 work on the Fern Flora of Chili, enumerates one hun- 

 dred and sixty-one species as found in that country 

 and the adjacent island of Juan Fernandez ; but 

 very few of these have as yet been introduced, though 

 many of them would prove acceptable additions to our 

 half-hardy collections. 



The numerous islands of the Pacific Ocean are, as a 

 general rule, rich in Ferns, and worthy of being visited 

 by a collector of living plants. The Hawaiian or Sand- 

 wich Islands, for example, would afford three fine species 

 of Cibotium. One of them, which has the stipes densely 

 clothed with beautiful golden silky moniliform hairs, 

 is so abundant that these hairs are collected as an article 

 of commerce and are largely exported to California 

 and Australia for the purpose of stuffing cushions, &c. ; 

 Polypodium pellucidum, a creeping species, allied to 

 our P. vulgar e, but differing in having pellucid strito 



