BLECHNUM. 



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Principal Species and Varieties. 



B. (Eublechnum) arcuatum — Eu-blech'-num ; ar-cu-a'-tum (curved, or 

 bent like a bow), C. Gay. 

 This is a distinct, greenhouse species, native of Chili and Chiloe. Its 

 fronds, simply pinnate (only once divided to the midrib), are produced from 

 a stout, somewhat upright stem, densely clothed at the crown with spear- 

 shaped, sharp-pointed, dark brown scales ; they are usually Ift. to IJft. long, 

 IJin. to 2in. broad, and borne on strong, upright stipites (stalks) 6in. to 12in. 

 long and scaly at the base ; their outline is linear -lanceolate (narrow- spear- 

 shaped), and they are furnished on each side of the midrib with numerous 

 sickle- shaped leaflets of a rigid and very leathery texture, gradually narrowed 

 upwards, auricled (eared) on the upper side, quite distinct at the base, but 

 sometimes imbricated (overlapping), gradually diminishing downwards to mere 

 auricles. The sori (spore masses) are disposed in a continuous line close to 

 the midrib. — Hooker, Species Filicum, iii., p. 59. 



B. (Eublechnum) asplenioides — Eu-blech'-num ; as-ple'-m-6-i'-des ■ 

 (Asplenium-like), Swartz. 

 A stove species, of small dimensions, native of Tropical America, from 

 Panama and IS'ew Granada to Brazil and Peru. The fronds, stalkless or nearly 

 so, are produced from an elongated stem clothed at the crown with small, 

 narrow scales of a light brown colour ; they are narrow-spear-shaped in 

 outhne, narrowed at both ends, about Gin. long and ^in. broad, and are 

 furnished with numerous leaflets of a somewhat leathery texture, sometimes 

 blunt, at other times sharp-pointed, but all connected at the base with one 

 another, the lower ones very gradually dwindling in size. The sori (spore 

 masses), which are disposed in a short line close to the midrib, are often 

 situated on one side only. — Hooher, Species Filicum, iii., p. 45. 



B. (Eublechnum) australe — Eu-blech'-num ; aus-tra'-le (Southern), 

 Linnceus. 



This greenhouse species, native of South Africa, northward to Bourbon 

 and Madagascar, produces its spear-shaped fronds, 9in. to 18in. long, 2in. to 

 Sin. broad, from a stout, creeping stem of a scaly nature ; the fronds are borne 



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