8 ADIANTUM RENIFORME. 



confined to Madeira, Teneriffe, and the Azores; and A. asari- 

 folium to the Mauritius and the Island of Bourbon. Petiver 

 describes a third very similar plant, said to have been found 

 in the Philippine Islands, and which he has called A. Philip- 

 pense. Other Botanists having failed in their search for 

 Petiver's Fern, I fear that it must be considered as a doubtful 

 plant. 



The frond is simple, glabrous, and reniform, that is, kidney- 

 shaped, having a broad shallow sinus; in length it is about 

 six inches, and in width usually two inches: terminal, rising 

 out of a scaly and somewhat creeping rhizoma. The colour 

 of the frond a brilliant shining green. 



Sori oblong and contiguous. 



An evergreen greenhouse species, requiring attention in its 

 cultivation. 



I am indebted to Mr. Sim, of Foot's Cray, for a plant of 

 this Fern; and to Mr. Sim; Mr. Norman; Messrs. Booth; and 

 Mr. Henderson, of Wentworth; for fructified fronds. 



It is in the Catalogues of Messrs. A. Henderson, of Pine- 

 apple Place; E. G. Henderson, of St. John's Wood; Backhouse, 

 of York; Rollisson, of Tooting; Sim, of Foot's Cray; Parker, 

 of the Paradise Nursery, Holloway; and Booth, of Hamburg. 

 It is not a common Fern, being found only in the more com- 

 plete British collections. 



The illustration is taken from a frond forwarded by Mr. Sim, 

 of the Foot's Cray Nursery. 



