2 GYMNOGRAMMA. 



free. The length of the frond varies in different species, from 

 a few inches to nearly four feet. The form of the frond is 

 either simple, or pinnate, or bipinnate; or it is decompound. 

 The surface is either smooth, hairy, or it is covered with a 

 farinose powder. 



The sporangia, or seed-cases, are medial, that is, they are 

 situated along the veins between the base and the apex, and 

 usually occupy almost the whole length of the venules. The 

 sori are linear, 'and branched obliquely; after a time they become 

 confluent, and when this occurs, the proper distribution and 

 arrangement of the sori are no longer seen. 



vSome of the most attractive Ferns in cultivation are included 

 in this tribe, known commonly as the "Gold and Silver 

 Ferns." 



The solitary British representative is the Gymnogramma 

 leptoplnjUa, and this is only to be found in the Channel 

 Islands. It is a plant "very recently added to our country's 

 Ferns. Most of the species are inhabitants of hot climates, 

 requiring the temperature of a moist stove in order to cultivate 

 them successfully. 



