18 ADIANTUM CURVATUM. 



The~ fronds are lateral, and rise out of a short creeping 

 rhizoma. 



Length of the frond from eighteen inches to two feet, rachis 

 slightly pubescent, black in colour, except when young — then 

 green; colour of the frond rich green. 



Sori oblong, reniform, and solitary, about seven on a pinnule. 



Sir William Hooker states in his " Species Filicum," that 

 Adiantum angustatum of Kaulfuss is probably a form of this 

 Fern, and also that A. humile of Kunze, and A. tetragonum 

 of Schrader and Martins, may eventually prove to be varieties 

 of A. curvatum. He also remarks that "if any of the pinnules 

 bear sori on the lower as well as the upper margin, (which I 

 have never known to be the case,) it ( Adiantum curvatum,) 

 would appear almost identical with A. tetragonum of Schrader 

 and Martins." One of my plants has borne sori on the lower 

 margin, near the apex of the pinnule, yet sparingly. I for- 

 warded a frond having sori on the lower margin to Sir William 

 Hooker, and his son (Dr. Hooker,) informs me that there are 

 no fronds exhibiting this character in the extensive herbarium 

 at Kew. 



A Brazilian Fern, found in dry woods at Sierra de Santa 

 Brida. 



This Fern requires shade, a stove temperature, and not too 

 much water. 



My thanks are due to Mr. Henderson, of Wentworth; and 

 to Mr. Masters, of the Exotic Nursery, Canterbury, for plants; 

 and to Mr. Henderson, of Wentworth, for fructified fronds. 



It is in the Catalogues of Messrs. E. G. Henderson, of St. 

 John's Wood; A. Henderson, of Pine-apple Place; Veitch, of 

 Exeter; Rollisson-, of Tooting; Parker, of Holloway; Sim, of 

 Foot's Cray; and Booth, of Hamburg. 



The illustration is from a frond sent by Mr. Henderson, of 

 Wentworth. 



