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Of the Marattiaceae, another of the fern families, we have two 
of the genera represented, A/arattia and Angiopteris. These are 
peculiar in having stipule-like organs at the base of the petiole 
where it is articulated with the rootstock. The fronds are large, 
broad and decompound, and are much alike in both genera. 
They are separated by the form of the receptacle containing the 
sporangia ; in Marattia these are multicellular, while in Angiop- 
teris they are unicellular and placed in two-ranked rows. We 
have a single species of each, MZ fraxinea, which is native from 
western Africa to Malaysia and New Zealand, and A. evecta, 
indigenous from India and Japan to Madagascar and Queensland. 
Another family represented is the Gleicheniaceae, inhabitants 
of the warmer parts of both the Old World and the New. One 
specimen of Dicranopteris flabellata came to us a few years ago as 
a very small plant, which has now grown into a large busy speci- 
men. It is anative of Australia and some of the adjacent islands. 
Ferns not only assume tree-like forms, but many of them are 
also vines, and climb on neighboring vegetation. We have an 
example of this in our own native Lygodium palmatum, the Hart- 
ford fern, and I believe the only one indigenous to the country. 
Lygodium belongs to the Schizaeaceae, to which also belongs an- 
other of our native ferns, the tiny Schizaea pusilla, which occurs 
abundantly at several places in the pine barrens of New Jersey. 
On the westerly side of this house will be found two species of 
Lygodium climbing on supports furnished for the purpose, both 
from the warmer parts of the Old World ; one of these is L. dicho- 
tomum, the other LZ. Japonicum, the latter frequently found under 
the name of L. scandens, from which it differs materially. 
We now come probably to the most curious ferns in this house. 
These are the stag-horn ferns, so called from the great resem- 
blance of the fronds of several species to the antlers of the stag. 
These in their native wilds grow attached to trees; under culti- 
vation they seem to be best grown on peat, this more nearly 
meeting their natural conditions, There are not many species of 
this genus, Adcicornium, or Platycerium, as it is frequently called, 
some ten or a dozen completing the number. But they are very 
strange and odd and resemble very little, in general appearance, 
