CHEILANTHES. 



33 



C. (Aleuritopteris) argentea — Al-eu-ri-top'-ter-is ; ar-gen'-te-a (silvery), 

 Hooker. 



This is a well-known and much-appreciated, greenhouse species, native 

 of Siberia, Japan, China, the Malayan Peninsula, and Khasya, where it is 

 found at various elevations up to 

 5500ft. Its pretty fronds, Sin. 

 to 4in. long and deltoid (in shape 

 of the Greek delta. A), are hi- or 

 tripinnatifid, the upper part not 

 being cut down to the midrib. 

 The lower leaflets, much the 

 largest, are cut down nearly to 

 the midrib, and their lowest pin- 

 nules (leafits) are sinuately pinna- 

 tifid (waved and cut partly to the 

 midrib). Their upper surface is 

 of a bright, dark shining green, 

 while their under- side is covered 

 with a ceraceous (waxy) powder 

 of a pale lemon or straw colour 

 at first, but which becomes gra- 

 dually as white as snow. The 

 numerous very small sori (spore 

 masses) are blackish, united at 

 the base, and marginal. The 

 curious contrast formed by the 

 black marginal hne running all 

 round the divisions of the frond, 

 produced by the presence of the 

 spore masses, is remarkable in the 

 extreme, the elfect being very pleasin; 

 " Ferns of British India," by the kind permission of the author. — Hooker^ 

 Species Filicum, ii., p. 76. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, i., p. 307. 

 Lowe, Ferns British and Exotic, iv., t. 12. Beddome, Ferns of British 

 India, t. 143. 



VOL. II. D 



Fi^. 7, Cheilanthes argentea 

 (i nat. size). 



g. Fig. 7 is reduced from Col. Beddome' s 



