106 rOLYPODIUM VENOSUM. 



A native of South America. 



It is an evergreen stove species, which seems to flourish best 

 when grown in a suspended basket of moss and broken pot, 

 mixed with a rich light soil. The creeping rhizoma, when the 

 plant is treated in this manner, will spread itself all round the 

 basket, bearing numbers of beautiful fronds. 



There are two forms of frond. The sterile frond is simple, 

 of an oblong-lanceolate shape, undulated, and attenuated at 

 the base; the colour is dull green with dark veins, which are 

 conspicuous. The fertile frond is also simple and undulated, 

 and attenuated at the base; it is mostly contracted to half the 

 width of the barren frond, being linear-lanceolate in form. 



Both forms of frond are from five to eight inches in length, 

 and are scaly on the rachis and stipes. Fronds lateral, attached 

 to a scaly, creeping, caespitose rhizoma, which eventually becomes 

 much branched. 



Sori uniserial, oval in form and yellowish in colour, very 

 prominent, being raised in rounded heaps which almost touch 

 the midrib and edge of the frond; the upper side of the frond 

 is indented with the sori, and is prettily marked around where 

 it is situated. 



Best known as the Phlehodium venosum in English gardens. 



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

 Moore, of the Chelsea Botanic Gardens; Mr. Lamb, gardener 

 to F. Wright, Esq., of Osmaston Manor; Messrs. Booth and 

 Son, of Hamburgh; and to Mr. E. Cooling, of Derby, for plants 

 of this species. 



It is in the Fern catalogues of Messrs. Booth and Son, of 

 Hamburgh; A. Henderson, of Pine-apple Place; Mr. Pobert 

 Sim, of Foot's Cray; Masters, of Canterbury; E. Cooling, of 

 Derby; Robert Parker, of Holloway; Messrs. Pollisson, of 

 Tooting; and Veitch, of Chelsea. 



The illustration is from a plant sent by Mr. Lamb, of 

 Osmaston Manor. 



