44 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



and less distinctly beaded segments, is essentially a North. American species, 

 popularly known as the " Lace Fern of North America." Eaton states that 

 it is found growing in dense masses amongst rocks, mostly at elevations 

 varying between 6000ft. and 8000ft., from the Yosemite Yalley to Oregon ; 

 also in British Columbia, near the Pend d' Oreille River ; and in Missouri, 

 New Mexico, and Guatemala. He adds that, although described from a few 

 small specimens collected by Dr. Newberry in the Cascade Mountains of 

 Oregon, this charming little species was first discovered on the Sacramento 

 River, California, and on the banks of streams in Oregon, by Brackenridge. 

 Its fronds, Sin. to 4in. long and lin. broad, are narrowly spear-shaped, bi- or 

 tripinnatifid (twice or three times divided half-way to the midrib), and are 

 produced from a rootstock covered with very narrow, slender-pointed scales of 

 a rusty-brown colour ; they are borne on densely-tufted, wiry, slender stalks 

 Sin. to Gin. long, of a dark chestnut-brown colour, polished and only slightly 

 scaly towards the base. The leaflets, about Jin. long, Jin. broad, and of 

 a somewhat leathery texture, are opposite, and cut down to the midrib into 

 several linear-oblong segments on each side, the lowest of which are again 

 slightly divided. The upper surface, of a bright green colour, is naked, but 

 the lower side is densely matted with a woolly tomentum which in young 

 fronds is nearly white, while in the mature ones it is of a dark chestnut- 

 brown colour. The margins of the segments, on which the sori (spore masses) 

 are disposed, are much incurved, and the involucres (coverings of the sori) 

 are of a soft, papery nature, and continuous round the margins. — Hooker^ 

 Synopsis Filicum, p. 139. Nicholson, Dictionary of Garde7iing, i., p. 308. 

 Eaton, Ferns of North America, ii., t. 79. 



C. (Eucheilanthes) hirta— Eu-cheil-antV-es ; hir'-ta (hairy), Sioartz. 



This very handsome, dehcate -looking, greenhouse species is a native of 

 the Cape of Good Hope, Port Natal, Graham's Town, Mexico, and the Java 

 Mountains. It is one of the most decorative of the entire genus. Its fronds, 

 of a pale green colour and very brittle nature, are produced from a somewhat 

 erect crown, and borne on strong, erect stalks Sin. to 4in. long, densely coated 

 with spreading, woolly hairs of a bright reddisb-brown colour ; they are 4in. 

 to 12in. long, 2in. to 5in. broad, spear-shaped, and three times divided half- 

 way to the midrib (Fig. 10). The leaflets, also spear-shaped, are opposite. 



