586 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



with small Ferns, Mosses, Begonias, &c. Some 

 wall brackets, into which larger specimens can 

 be planted, should be placed at the highest 

 point to break the otherwise flat character of 



Fig. 713.— Acrostichum crinitum. 



the arrangement. It takes a little time to get 

 these walls well covered, but once they are 

 established they give little trouble, and are a 

 never-failing source for Fern-fronds for cutting. 



[J. OB.] 



List op Stove and Greenhouse Ferns. 



Acrophorus. See DavaUia. 



Acrostichum. — A large and heteromorphous genus, 

 including Chrysodium, Elapfcoglosmrn, &c. The fronds 

 vary very much, but they are all alike in having the 

 sori spread over the whole surface of the fertile or spore- 

 bearing fronds. They are all tropical. 



A. aureum. — Fronds pinnate, 2 to 6 feet in height; 

 pinnae lanceolate, brilliant-green ; fertile pinnae slightly 

 contracted. Tropics generally. 



A. caudatum. — Sterile fronds bipinnate, 2 to 3 feet 

 long, 12 to 18 inches broad, the pinnules broad, dentate, 

 bright - green ; fertile frond with spike -like segments. 

 West Indies. 



A. (Hymenodiv/m) crinitum (fig. 713). — Distinguished 

 by its large simple fronds, and blackish sori, the fertile 

 frond being more or less contracted. Sterile fronds ovate, 

 12 to 18 inches long, the upper side and edges and also 

 the stipes clothed with long black hairs. West Indies, &c. 



A. cuspidatum. — Sterile fronds linear-oblong, 6 to 8 

 inches long, densely clothed with golden-reddish chaffy 

 scales. West Indies. 



A. Herminieri, called the Eel Fern, has pendulous, 

 coriaceous fronds, from 1 to 3 feet long, 2 to 3 inches 

 broad, deep-green, shaded with a lustrous metallic blue. 

 Trinidad. 



A. osmundaeeiun. — Sterile fronds tripinnate, 2 to 3 feet 

 long, the pinnules broad, deep-green; fertile fronds con- 

 tracted. Tropical America. 



A. (Rhipidoptcris) pcltatum (fig. 714). — A small, creep- 

 ing, slender plant ; fronds 3 inches long, scaly, the blade 

 2 inches wide, divided into numerous narrow segments; 

 fertile frond smaller, two-lobed. Tropical America- 



A. scolopendrifolium. — Fronds oblong-lanceolate, 12 to 

 18 inches long, pale-green, furnished on the margins and 

 stipes with brown chaffy scales. Brazil. 



A. squamosum. — Fronds elliptical, 4 to 6 inches long, 

 clothed when young with large white chaffy scales, which 

 become deep reddish -brown with age. West Indies, &c. 



Adiantum.- — This genus contains perhaps more truly 

 beautiful and decorative species than any other. They 

 are distinguished by their marginal sori, forked veins, 

 with free venules, and in the majority black shining 

 stipes and rachis. 



A. cemulum. — Similar to A. cuneatum, less drooping and 

 of a blue-green colour ; pinnules obliquely oblong, with 

 two to five sori on each ; stipes black. Brazil. 



A. cethiopicum. — Stipes black, 6 to 18 inches long; frond 

 slender, loose, 1 to 2 feet long and wide ; pinnae \ inch 

 across ; sori in round patches. Var. assimile has fronds 

 9 to 12 inches long, the pinnules small, delicate-green. 

 Tropics. 



A.Bausei. — A hybrid between trapeziformezmd decorum. 

 Fronds 1 to 2 feet long; pinnae triangular, deflexed, giving 

 it a drooping aspect. 



A. bcllum. — A dwarf species of close -tufted habit; 

 pinnae small, brownish when young; stipes hair-like, 

 black. Affined to A. cuneatum. Bermuda. 



A. Capillus -Veneris. — There are several tender exotic 

 varieties of this native hardy species. The best of them 

 are Mairisii, Moritzianum, imbricatum, grande, Fergusoni, 

 and regince. G. 



A. caudatum (fig. 715). — Frond pinnate, pendulous, 

 proliferous at the apex ; pinnae downy, 6 to 18 inches 

 long, of a gray-green colour. East Indies. Suitable for 

 basket-culture. 



A. Claesii. — Similar to A. trapcziformc, but the pinnules 

 are streaked and flaked with white. Brazil. 



A. eoljjodes. — Fronds tripinnate, 2 feet long, pinnules 

 roundish in the young state, rich rosy-pink, changing 

 with age to deep-green. Tropical America. 



A . concinnum. — Fronds tripinnate, glabrous, membran- 

 ous, spreading, 1 to 2 feet long, broadest in the middle ; 



vVfe^ 



Fig. 714.— Acrostichum peltatum. 



pinnules rhomboid, cuneate, bright-green. West Indies. 

 The variety Fhmingii is a dense-growing decorative plant; 

 var. latum has wide somewhat twisted pinnae. 



