40 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



on the Colorado River. The krncl of spot where it has been collected is 

 not recorded, but it probably grows in the clefts of rocks along the sides 

 and edges of canons. In general appearance it is somewhat similar to 

 the better-known C. tomentosa^ but smaller in all its parts ; it also dilFers 

 from that species in being coated with rather rigid-pointed scales instead 

 of mere woolly hairs on the stalks and midrib of the leaflets beneath, and 

 in being matted with tomentum (flocks of wool) on the upper surface of its 

 fronds. These fronds, oin. to Sin. long and at the most IJin. to 2in. broad, 

 are produced from a short, ascending rootstock, and borne on upright, 

 wiry stalks Sin. to Gin. long and densely clothed with pale brown scales ; 

 they are furnished with leaflets of a coriaceous (leathery) texture, the lower 

 ones distant, alternate or opposite. The numerous pinnules (leafits), linear- 

 oblong in shape and pinnatifid (cut partly to the midrib), are closely set, and 

 their margin is conspicuously incurved. The scales covering the stalks and 

 their secondary divisions are short, broad, and very conspicuous in young 

 fronds : in older fronds they fall away to some extent and are less abundant. 

 — Hooker, Species Filicum, ii., p. 96, t. 109. Nicholson, Dictionary of 

 Gardening, i., p. 308. Eaton, Ferns of North America, i., t. 45. 



C. elegans — e'-leg-ans (elegant). Synonymous with C. myriophylla. 



C. Ellisiana — El-hs-i-a'-na (Ellis's). A variety of C. hirta. 



C. (Aleuritopteris) farinosa — Al-eu-ri-top'-ter-is ; far-i-no'-sa (mealy), 

 Kaulfuss. 



This magnificent, stove species (see Plate), frequently found in gardens 

 under the name of Aleuritojyteris mexicana, has a very extensive habitat, for 

 it is found in Africa, on the Cameroon Mountains, in Zambesi Land, 

 Abyssinia, &c. ; in the Malayan Peninsula, Java, and the Philippine Islands ; 

 in Brazil and Mexico up to 8000ft. elevation ; in Guatemala and New 

 G-ranada ; on the Himalayas at 7000ft. elevation ; and Beddome says that on 

 the Neilgherries, and in other mountainous districts of the Madras Presidency, 

 where it is called the " Silver Fern," it is very common, and also that there 

 is a variety with the powder of a pale sulphur -yellow. This species is very 

 variable in size, its fronds ranging from Sin. to 12in. in length and Sin. to 

 6in. in breadth, and being borne on densely-tufted stalks Sin. to Gin. long, 



