FEEXS. 



373 



t)f the shorter fertile ones. The latter have head or 

 necklace-like pinnae, whilst in outline the former are 

 broadly-lanceolate, the narrowly-lanceolate deeply 

 pinnatifid pinnae being verynamerous. the lowest ones 

 gradually much smaller. The name Ostrich Fern is 

 given in allusion to the plume-like arrangement of 

 the divisions of the fertile fronds. 0. German ica was, 

 it is said, introduced to British gardens hy Peter 

 Collinson in 1760, and is a native of Xorthem and 

 Eastern Europe, Xoi-th Asia, and Xortli America. 

 The only remtuniug species, 0. orietitalis, hails from 

 Sikkim — where it ascends to 12,000 feet above sea- 

 level — and Japan. It has ovate- oblong fronds, not 

 attenuated towards the base as in the last-named 

 species, the contracted fertile 

 ones often attaining a length 

 of two feet. 



All the Onodeas like a rich 

 alluvial soU and plenty of 

 moisture ; under these condi- 

 tions they attain their masi- 

 mnm development. They 

 will, however, grow well in 

 almost any garden soil 



The Iiygodiums. — The 



genus Lt/godium belongs to 

 the SeAhteaeece, n, sub order 

 which comprises not a few re- 

 markably handsome and ele- 

 gant ferns ; one of its allies, 

 Anemia, has already been de- 

 scribed in these articles. Xot 

 more th^n a score of species 



of Lygodium are known to science, and of these 

 perhaps not more than half are in cultivation. They 

 are readily recognised by their widely- seandent, 

 slender, twining stems, some of which attain a length 

 of twenty feet or more. The capsules are solitary 

 (now and then in pairs), in the axils of large imbri- 

 cating clasping involucres, which form spikes either 

 in separate pinnae or in lax rows along the ei^ of 

 the leafy ones. 



STOVE KIXDS. 



Z. dichotomum. — A strikingly beautiful plant in 

 all its stages ; a native of Chusan, Hong Kong, the 

 Philippines, Ceylon, and the Malayan Peninsula and 

 Islands. It is one of the most robust of the species 

 hitherto introduced, the main rachis in fully -grown 

 specimens being about twenty feet in length. The 

 -emerald-green leathery pinnules are digitate, with 

 five or six narrow lobes — sometimes once or even 

 "twice forked — ^reaching nearly down to the base. 

 In L. laneeolatum, from Madagascar, the pinnules are 

 a fine glossy-green, both above and below, and 

 their texture leathery ; they measure from four to 



six inches in length, and each has from three to six 

 somewhat lanceolate, never cordate, segments. L. 

 pinnatifidum resembles the first-named species in 

 habit, and is nearly as vigorous; the pinnules 

 clothing the lower poition of the rachis are often 

 pinnate, with five to seven oblong, alternate, shoi-tly- 

 stalked segments. The rachis is a reddish-brown 

 colour, and forms a pleasing contrast to the duU 

 Ught green of the leather}- pinnules. It occurs in 

 Hindostau from the Himalayas to Ceylon, the 

 Philippines, the Malaccas, North Au-ti-alia, Angola, 

 and Guinea. X. reliculatum (Kke L. laneeolatum) 

 has netted veins, and on this account is placed by 

 some pteridologists in a genus apart. Mr. J. 

 Smith, the veteran ex-curator 

 of the Eoyal Gai-dcns, Kew, 

 laises it to the rank of a genus 

 under the name of Lygodie- 

 tyon, and not unfi-e'juently it 

 will be found under this name 

 in gardens. The pinnules are 

 six to nine inches long by four 

 to six inches broad, with a 

 terminal segment, and from 

 foiu- to six neai ly uniform ones 

 on each side ; in texture these 

 are not so leathery as those of 

 the foregoing species ; they 

 are dull light gi-een above, and 

 bright green below. The rachis 

 is naked or slightly hairy, some- 

 times polished. It is a native 

 of the Polynesian Islands and 

 eastern tropical Australia. 

 Z. venustiim differs from the species alrendy de- 

 scribed, in having the rachis and both siu-faces of the 

 pimmles densely clothed with hairs. The pinnules 

 measure from six to twelve inches long by four to 

 six inches broad, with a terminal sogmeut. and from 

 four to twelve simple ligulate-oblong ones on each 

 side, thelower ones usually spear-shaped or pinnate 

 below. It is a native of the West Indies and 

 Mexico, to Brazil and Peru. L. coliihile has pin- 

 nules six to twelve inches long by six to ten 

 inches broad, somewhat leathery in texture, and 

 with both surfaces either naked or slightly hairj-. 

 The terminal segment is stalked, three to six inches 

 long by one inch to one and a quarter broad, uncut 

 and lig^ulate-oblong in outline ; there ai-e fiom three 

 to five similar segments on each side of the central 

 one. 



GREEX-HOrSE KIXDS. 



Perhaps the most widely-known species of the 

 genus is L. japonicum, a native of Japan, Hindustan, 

 from the Himalayas to Ceylon, Java, the Philippine 

 Islands, Hong Kong, and Xorth Australia. It may 



SESSIBnjS. 



