CYATHEA. 



75 



pale brown, dark purple, or even black. The ample fronds are bipinnate (twice 

 divided to the midrib), and furnished with stalkless, oblong-spear-shaped 

 leaflets oin. to Sin. long, deeply pinnatifid (cut nearly to the midrib), and 

 sometimes again pinnate ; the lobes or pinnules thus formed are oblong, finely 

 toothed, of a dark green above, and paler below. The involucres (coverings 

 of the spore masses) are of a pale or dark brown colour and exactly cup- 

 shaped when mature, and show a very even margin. — Hooker^ Species 

 Filicum, i., p. 17. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, i., p. 415. 



C. assimilis — as-sim'-il-is (very like). Hooker. 



This handsome, greenhouse species, first discovered by Thomas Lobb on 

 the hills in Sarawak, Borneo, is a gigantic grower, its trunk often being 20ft. 

 high. The stalks of the fronds are slightly rough, of a bright chestnut- colour, 

 and fringed on one side with long, rusty -coloured scales. Its ample fronds 

 are bi- or tripinnate (twice or three times divided to the midrib), being 

 furnished with broad-oblong, smooth leaflets 1ft. long and Sin. to 4in. broad. 

 These leaflets are divided into pinnules (leafits) which are again cut 

 almost to the midrib, their lowest inferior lobe being always the smallest. 

 The sub-globose sori (spore masses) are covered by very thin and filmy 

 involucres, wliich at first are entire, but eventually break into very irregular 

 lobes. — Hooker, Synojjsis Filicum, p. 24. 



C. aurea — au'-re-a (golden), Klotzsch. 



A strong-growing, greenhouse species, native of the Andes of Columbia. 

 Its ample fronds are tripinnatifid (thrice divided nearly to the midrib), being 

 furnished with oblong-spear-shaped leaflets l^ft. to 2ft. long, divided into 

 sessile pinnules (stalkless leafits) of a peculiar, strap-shaped form, oin. to 4in. 

 long, lin. broad, subdivided into falcate (sickle -shaped), toothed segments 

 of a moderately firm texture, smooth on their upper surface. The sori 

 (sj)ore masses), disposed on the midvein, are covered by small involucres 

 of a delicate, tender nature. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 451. 



C. barbata — bar-ba'-ta (bearded), Bory. 



A stove species, native of Guadeloupe, with ample fronds borne on slightly 

 rough, nearly naked stalks and furnished with leaflets 1ft. long and 4in. to 



