Portion of mature Frond— under side. 



ADIANTUM FORMOSUM. 



R. Brown. Hooker. Fee. Kunze. 

 J. Smith. Presl. Moore and Houlston. Link. 



PLATE XI. VOL. III. 



Adiantum — Dry. 



Formosum — Beautiful. 



This beautiful Adiantum attains a large size under proper 

 cultivation, indeed no Fern more clearly points out superior 

 skill in the management of this tribe of plants than this species. 

 It is a greenhouse Fern, yet when cultivated in stove-heat, 

 becomes a larger and in all respects handsomer specimen. 

 Although a well-known and not-to-be-mistaken species with 

 our botanists, it is nevertheless found in our greenhouse collec- 

 tions under various names, such as affine, tenerum, pubescens, 

 giganteum, Capillus-veneris ; the name Adiantum giganteum must 

 be a gardener's name, for I have not been able to find it in 

 any botanical work. With regard to the other names, they 

 are those of perfectly distinct Ferns. 



It appears to have been introduced in the Royal Gardens, 

 Kew, in the year 1823, by the indefatigable botanist A. Cun- 

 ningham, Esq. 



A New Holland Fern, being very common in the neigh- 



