8 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



suddenly narrowed to an acaminate point, with tiieir margin finely toothed, 

 quite distinct and heart-shaped at the base ; while young they are of 

 a beautiful rosy colour. In the fertile fronds, which are much smaller, the 

 leaflets stand erect and are much contracted, being thus much narrower 

 and also more distant, their breadth varying from lin. to Jin. The s]3ore 

 masses form with the midrib an uninterrupted and contiguous line about 

 two lines broad, covered ^^dth large brown involucres of a membranous nature. 

 — Hooker., Species Filimm, iii., p. 56. Lowe, New and Bare Ferns, t. 58. 



B. (Eublechnum) Lanceola— Eu-blcch'-num ; Lan'-ce-ol-a (lance-leaved), 

 Swartz. 



An interesting, evergreen, greenhouse species, of dwarf habit, native of 

 Tropical America, where it is found from Panama southward to Brazil and 

 Peru, Its little, entire (undivided) fronds, 4in. to 6in. long and Jin. broad, 

 spear-shaped, and of a somewhat leathery texture, are borne on slender, 

 erect stalks 2in. to 4in. long, and produced from a slender, creeping rhizome 

 of stoloniferous nature ; that is to say, at the point of junction between the 

 crown and the roots the plant is provided with loose, traihng branches or 

 shoots which take root at intervals, whence fresh buds are developed. The 

 sori (spore masses) are disposed in a continuous hne on each side of and 

 close to the midrib. — Hooker, Species Filicum, iii., ^. 47. Nicholson, 

 Dictionary of Gardening, i., p. 195. Lowe, Ferns British and Exotic, 

 iv., t. 33a. 



This pretty little species is particularly adapted for planting in Fern- 

 cases, where it thrives admirably, and where the contrast between the 

 bright dark green of the upper surface of its fronds and the continuous 

 central band of deep brown formed by the sori is very conspicuous and 

 attractive. 



B. L. trifoliatum — trif-ol-I-a'-tum (three-leaved), Kaulfuss. 



This is very similar to the typical plant, but its fronds are furnished 

 with one or two pairs of small, oblong, blunt lateral leaflets at their base. 

 As in the little-known B. p)lantagineum of Presl, an open space is frequently 

 observed between the line of fructification and the midrib. — Nicholson, 

 Dictionary of Gardenimi, i., p. 195. 



