36 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



the roundish stalks on which they are borne, become nearly smooth and of 

 a bright green colour, a little of the wool in the axils of the leaflets and along 

 the midrib alone remaining. The distinction as regards the bearing of the 



barren and fertile fronds is not always to 

 be depended upon, especially in plants of 

 moderate growth. For instance, in one 

 frond the third leaflet on one side is 

 barren, while its neighbour is barren at 

 the base but fertile in the upper part ; 

 in another frond there are five fertile 

 leaflets on one side and only three on the 

 other ; in some other instances there are 

 only five pairs of barren leaflets on each 

 side below the fertile ones, whereas there 

 may be ten or twelve pairs above' them, 

 but in any case there are no fi'onds 

 entirely fertile. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, 

 p. 426. Nicholson, Dictionary of Garden- 

 ing, ii,, p. 530. Eaton, Ferns of North 

 America, i., t. 29. Beddome, Ferns of 

 British India, t. 187. Lowe, Ferns British 

 and Exotic, viii., t. 2. 



O. gracilis — grac'-il-is (slender). A 

 variety of 0. regalis. 



O. interrupta — in-ter-rup'-ta (inter- 

 rupted). This is a common garden 

 name for 0. Claytoniana. 



O. japonica — jap-on'-ic-a (Japanese). 

 This and 0. j. corymbifera are 

 varieties of 0. regalis. 



0. javanica— ja-van'-ic-a (Javanese), Blume. 



A handsome and very distinct, stove species, also known as 0. Presliana 

 and 0. Vachellii. It is of somewhat rigid habit, and is found growing in 



Fig. 11. Portion of Frond of Osmunda Clavtoniana 



(much reduced). 



