PTEEIS. 165 



branched frond, the development of the lower pair of 

 branches not leaving the plant energy enough to carry up 

 its rachis, and produce the other pairs of pinnae which it 

 would normally possess. That this is the true habit of the 

 species is still more clearly exhibited when it attains its 

 greatest luxuriance, for the full-grown fronds then consist 

 merely of a series of pairs of branches from the bottom to 

 the top. The unrolled young fronds are very curious ob- 

 jects, and the watching of their development will be found 

 full of interest. 



The stipes is downy while young, and furnished with 

 sharp angles when mature, which, if it be incautiously 

 pulled, will wound the hand severely. The part under 

 ground is black, like the creeping stem itself, and is spindle- 

 shaped just at the base, where it permanently retains the 

 downy or velvety surface which was present in the upper 

 portions while young. 



Average specimens of the fronds are tripinnate, that is, 

 they produce a certain number of pairs of branch-like pinnoe, 

 which branches are bipinnate. We must confine our fur- 

 ther description to one of these branches, selected from the 

 lower part of the frond, where they are more perfectly deve- 

 loped than in the upper parts such a branch, in fact, as is 



