CHEILANTHES. 



39 



membranous fronds always destitute of powdery substance) ; it is a native 

 of JSTorthern Hindostan and the Himalayas, where it ascends to 1 0,000ft., and, 

 according to Beddome, it is also common in woods near Makoorty, in the 

 Neilgherries. Its fronds, 6in. to 12in. long and 3in. to 4in. broad, are 

 borne on densely-tufted, wiry, polished stalks of a dark chestnut-brown colour, 

 covered with narrow scales when young ; they are tripinnatiiid (three times 

 divided half-way to the midrib), and furnished with numerous leaflets of 

 a soft, papery texture, disposed in opposite pairs, the lowest 2in. to oin. long 

 and lin. to l^in. broad. The pinnules (leafits) on the lowest side are the 

 largest, sometimes lin. long, blunt and deeply pinnatifid. The abundant 

 sori (spore masses) are roundish and small. — Hooker^ Species Filicum, 

 ii., p. 80. Beddome, Ferns of Southern India, t. 193. 



C. dealbata — de-al-ba'-ta (whitened). Synonymous with C, farinosa. 



C. (Adiantopsis) dichotoma — Ad-i-ant-op'-sis ; dich-ot'-om-a (dich- 

 otomous, or repeatedly divided into two), Swartz. 

 This stove species, of comparatively strong habit, native of Quito, 

 Brazil, and Uruguay, is remarkably distmct from all others in its mode of 

 growth and in the singnilar division of its fronds. These fronds are 1ft. 

 to IJft. long, 4in. to 6in. broad, and borne on densely-tufted, slender stalks 

 4in. to Gin. long and of a dark chestnut-brown colour. They are oblong in 

 shape and three or four times divided to the rachis (stalk of the leafy 

 portion), which, like the secondary stalks, is very slender, tortuous, and 

 furnished with deltoid (in the shape of the Greek delta, A) leaflets Sin. to 

 3in. long. The leaflets are divided into oblong- spear- shaped pimiules (leafits) 

 that are again cut down into a few segments ternately divided (arranged by 

 threes), or even again slightly branched at the base. The roundish and distinct 

 sori (spore masses) are disposed all along the margins of the segments. — 

 Hooher, Species Filicum, ii., p. 104, t. 102b. 



C. (Physapteris) Eatoni — Phy-sap'-ter-is ; Eat'-on-i (Eaton's), Baker. 



A very distmct and pretty, gTeenhouse species, native of North America, 

 where, according to Eaton, it is found in Texas and New Mexico ; near 

 Canon City, Colorado ; and from the Rio Grande westward along the Gila, 



