240 CHEILANTHES AND MAIDENHAIR. 



and three times pinnate. It is also of more southern 

 distribution, extending to Mexico and the 

 West Indies and barely reaching Virginia and 

 Missouri on the north. Like most of its rela- 

 tives it loves dry and exposed situations and is 

 often found in places where it does not receive 

 a drop of water for weeks or even months. 



The fronds are rather long and narrow, and 

 dull green in colour. The primary and second- 

 ary pinnae vary from ovate to lanceolate and 

 are usually broadest at base. The ultimate 

 pinnules are very small and roundish in out- 

 line like little green beads. The terminal seg- 

 ments are about twice as large as the others. 

 The stipe is chestnut-brown but the colour is 

 hidden under the dense coat of hairs. The 

 sori are marginal and arranged in such a way 

 as to appear to form a continuous line on the 

 edges of each pinnule. In youth the edges are 

 flattened over them in a pale green indusium, 

 but later they push from under it and may be 

 seen dividing the margin from the tuft of to- 

 mentum in the centre of each pinnule. From 

 its coat of tomentum, this species is some- 

 times called, in the books, the woolly lip-fern. 



Cheilanthes Lanuginosa. 



This species is likely to impress the observer 

 as possibly a diminutive hybrid between C. 

 vestita and C. tomentosa. The cutting of the 



Cheilanth.es tomentosa. . 



fronds is similar to that of vestita while the 

 woolly covering of the under surface is like that of to- 



