80 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



of the under -side of its fronds shows itself to perfection when seen by 

 artificial light. 



C. divergens — di-ver'-gens (spreading outwards), Kunze. 



This greenhouse species, native of New Granada, Peru, and Ecuador, 

 where it is found growing at an altitude of 11,000ft., is one of the tallest 

 members of the genus, its trunk being often 40ft. in height and 1ft. in 

 diameter. The large and smooth fronds are usually about 7ft. long including 

 their stalks, which are stout, rough, and clothed on the upper side with 

 firm, spear-shaped scales of an intensely black colour and pale-margined ; they 

 are bipinnate (twice divided to the midrib), with about twelve pairs of leaflets 

 of a firm, leathery texture, which in their turn are deeply pinnatifid (cut 

 more than half-way down to the midrib). The abundant sori (spore masses) 

 are disposed on the midveiu, and covered by thin, fragile involucres, which 

 soon break in a very irregular manner. — Hooker^ Sjjecies Filicum, i., p. 19, 



t. llA. 



C. Dregei — Dre'-ge-i (Drege's), Kunze. 



A stove species, also known as C. BurJcei, native of I^atal, Macalisberg, 

 and Zambesi Land, with a trunk seldom more than 4ft. high and very thick. 

 Its fronds are bipinnate (twice divided to the midrib), borne on smooth stalks, 

 and furuished with stalkless pinnules (leafits) 2in. to oin. long, which are 

 also cut into blunt, somewhat sickle- shaped, and more or less deeply-toothed 

 lobes. The sori (spore masses), disposed half-way between the midvein and 

 the margin, are covered by thin, fragile involucres, which, opening at the 

 summit, form cups with a small, slightly irregular margin. — Flooker, Species 

 Filicum, i., p. 23, t. 10b. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, i., p. 415. 



C. excelsa — ex-cel'-sa (tall), Swartz. 



A stove species, of large dimensions, native of the Mauritius and Bourbon 

 Islands. Its fronds, borne on smooth stalks, are bipinnate (twice divided to 

 the midrib), being furnished with leaflets 2ft. long and Gin. to Sin. broad, which 

 in their turn are again cut into stalkless, deeply -pinnatifid pinnules (leafits), 

 thus forming oblong lobes which are toothed and sharply pointed. The sori 

 (spore masses) are disposed in the fork near the midvein, and are covered by 



