120 DICKSONIA CICUTARIA. 



Native of the West Indies, Tropical and South America, Brazil, 

 Mexico — at an elevation of from two to four thousand feet — 

 Jamaica, Cocos Island, Guayaquil, Guatemala, and Peru. 



Raised from spores in the Royal Gardens, Kew, in 1834. 



The fronds, which are glabrous, are triangularly-elongate in 

 form, spreading, and tripinnate. 



The pinnae and pinnules triangularly elongate-acuminate, 

 with flat, oblong, somewhat pinnatifid lobes, rounded at the 

 apex, crenate on the margin, and decurrent. 



Rachis, costa, and veins glabrous, or hairy. 



Sori globose, exserted, and produced as little cups on the 

 apices of the venules, the special and accessory indusium about 

 equal and forming a reflexed calyciform cyst, containing the 

 spore cases. 



Fertile segments contracted, and having a very elegant 

 appearance. 



Rhizoma creeping. 



Veins pinnate; venules direct and free. 



Length of frond from four to eight feet. Colour a pale 

 vivid shining green. 



Amongst the different forms of this species may be mentioned. — 

 The Fern known as Dicksonia tenera of Martius, found in Brazil, 

 is more membranaceous. Another known as Dicksonia dissecta 

 of Sieber, has the barren segments more cuneate, and serrated 

 above: it is a native of Peru and Guatemala. A third form, 

 Patania erosa of Presl, has larger and more hairy pinnules 

 than in the normal form, and which are less profoundly lobed, 

 and brighter green in colour. 



For plants my thanks are due to Sir Oswald Mosley, Bart., 

 of Rolleston Hall; Mrs. Delves, of Tunbridge Wells; Mr. Sim, 

 of Foot's Cray; Mr. Downs, of Ilfracombe; Mr. Lamb, gardener 

 to Mr. F. Wright, of Osmaston Manor, near Ashbourne; and 

 to Mr. Stewart, late gardener to Lord Vernon, at Sudbury, 

 Staffordshire; and for fronds to M. Schott, Director of the Im- 

 perial Gardens of Schonbrunn, near Vienna; and to Mr. G. 

 Norman, of Hull. 



It is in the Catalogues of Messrs. Rollisson, of Tooting; Sim, 

 of Foot's Cray; A. Henderson, of Pine-apple Place; and Cool- 

 ing, of Derby. 



The illustration is from a plant in my own collection. 



