FERNS— STOVE AND GREENHOUSE. 



601 



TrichomaNES. — This genus and Hymenophyllum bear 

 the popular name of Filmy Ferns, on account of the 

 peculiarly membranous and pellucid nature of their 

 fronds. The veins in the former are simple, free, with 

 terminal sori surrounded by cup-shaped or tubular in- 

 volucres. 



In cultivation these plants do not require much heat, 

 but they must have a saturated atmosphere and shade. 

 The csespitose kinds should be planted on rough peat and 

 chopped sphagnum moss, to which may be added some 

 sharp sand and a few lumps of sandstone, whilst those 

 with creeping rhizomes should be provided with branches, 

 stems of Tree-Ferns, or some suitable surface to which they 

 can attach themselves. They are usually grown under 

 large bell-glasses or in Wardian cases. 



T. nlatum. — Csespitose; fronds tripinnatifid, lanceolate, 

 6 to 12 inches long, pale-green. Var. attenuatum has 

 pinnatifid fronds 6 inches high; stipes hairy. West 

 Indies. 



T. auriculatum. — Fronds 6 to 12 inches long, bipinna- 

 tifid, sessile, the lower segment eared. Java. 



T. crispum. —Fronds pinnate, 6 to 8 inches long; pinnae 

 sessile, linear-oblong, obtuse. Tropical America. 



T. elongatum.— Fronds bipinnate, triangular, 6 to 12 

 inches high ; segments incised, deep-green ; stipes and 

 rachis terete. New Zealand. G. 



T. javanicum. — Fronds pinnate, 6 to 12 inches long; 

 pinnae entire, obtuse, intense deep-green; caudex csespitose; 

 stipes hairy. Java, &c. 



T. Kaulfussii. — Fronds pinnatifid, 8 to 12 inches long; 

 segments lanceolate, lobed, dull-green; stipes hairy. West 

 Indies, &c. 



T. Luschnathianum. — Fronds bipinnate; pinnae sessile; 

 segments deeply and finely incised. Brazil, &c. 



T. membranaceum. — Fronds simple, 2 to 3 inches long 

 and 1 to 2 inches broad, sessile, roundish, with margins 

 often incised. West Indies, &c. 



T. pinnatum (floribundum). — Fronds pinnate; sterile 

 fronds broad, prolif erous at apex ; fertile ones narrower, 

 the pinnae 2 to 3 inches long; involucres exserted, form- 

 ing a beautiful continuous fringe; caudex erect. Tropical 

 America. 



T. Pluma. — Fronds narrow, 6 to 12 inches long ; pinnae 

 cut into hair-like segments, forming a beautiful feather- 

 like bright-green frond. Borneo. 



T. Prieurii (anceps). — Caudex erect; fronds 10 to 20 

 or more inches long, decompound, broadly triangular, deep 

 metallic-green. West Indies. 



T. pyxidiferum. — Fronds two to three times divided; 

 segments linear, deep shining - green ; caudex creeping. 

 Tropics. 



T. reniforme. — Fronds simple, entire, reniform, 4 to 6 

 inches long, 2 to 3 inches wide, coriaceous, rich bright- 

 green. New Zealand. G. 



T. rigidum.— Fronds decompound, triangular, 6 to 

 12 inches long; segments finely cut, deep sea-green; 

 caudex erect; stipes wiry, half the length of frond. 

 Tropics. 



T. scandens.— Frond bipinnate, 12 to 18 inches long; 

 pinnae lanceolate, bipinnatifid, pale-green; caudex creep- 

 ing; stipes and rachis hairy. Central America. 



T. sinuosum.— Fronds pinnatifid, lanceolate, 3 to 9 

 inches long, membranous, pale-green, almost transparent; 

 lobes obtuse with hairy margins. Tropical America. 



2. tenerum.— Stem slender, creeping; fronds lanceolate, 

 3 to 6 inches long, pinnate; pinnae divided into narrow 

 segments. Tropical America. 



T. trichoideurn.— Fronds tripinnate, 3 to 10 inches long; 



segments numerous and hair-like, lively-green; involucres 

 stipitate; receptacles exserted. Tropical America. 



T. venosum. — Fronds pinnate, membranous, 4 to 6 inches 

 long; pinnae small, linear, sinuate, bright-green; caudex 

 slender, creeping. New Zealand. G. 



Woodwardia. — Bold evergreen Ferns of a highly 

 decorative character, and nearly hardy. 



W. orientalis. — Fronds bipinnatifid, 1 to 4 feet long, 

 broad ; pinnae broad, bearing little bulbils, which form 

 young plants; stipes and crown scaly. Japan, &c. G. 



W. radicans. — Fronds bipinnatifid, broad, 1 to 6 feet 

 long, viviparous at the apex; segments lanceolate, serrate, 

 bright-green; stipes scaly; caudex stout, creeping. Ma- 

 deira,, &c. A crested variety is very ornamental. 



SELAGINELLAS. 



Athough popularly known as Ferns, the 

 Selaginellas belong to a different natural order. 

 There are over 300 species, some of which form 



1 2 3 



Fig 730.— Selaginellas. 

 1, S. flabellata. 2, S. grandis. 3, S. lepidophylla. 



minute tufts 5 whilst others have long scandent 

 stems, copiously branched; many are of creep- 

 ing (sarmentose) habit; all of them emit roots 

 freely. The leaves are small and scale-like, 

 arranged in two rows along the branchlets. 

 The spores are borne in angular, generally 

 conical spikes at the end of the leafy branches. 

 Nearly a hundred species are in cultivation, but 

 many of them are so much alike that for horti- 

 cultural purposes the number might be reduced 



