82 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



C. gracilis — grac'-il-is (slender), Grisehach. 



A stove species, of comparatively small dimensions, native of Jamaica, 

 with fronds bipinnate (twice divided to the midrib) and borne on stalks that 

 are strongly muricated (rough with short, hard excrescences) at the base. 

 A very peculiar feature is given to this plant by the unusually well-marked 

 stalked character of the pinnas and pinnules (leaflets and leafits), which arei' 

 borne on stalks generally 2in. to 2Jin. long and are deeply pinnatifid, being 

 eventually divided into blunt, oblong lobes toothed on their margin. The 

 abundant sori (spore masses) are usually confined to the superior half of the 

 lobes, and are covered with dark brown involucres, which, when ripe, burst 

 into somewhat regular valves or lobes to near the cup-like base. — Hooker., 

 Synopsis Filicum., p. 18. 



C. Grevilleana — Grev-il-le-a'-na (Greville's). Synonymous with C. arhorea. 



C. Hookeri — Hook'-er-i (Hooker's), Thwaites. 



This very distinct and peculiar, stove species is a native of the Forest 

 of Singhe Rajah, Ceylon, and though of comparatively dwarf dimensions, is 

 arborescent ; its trunk seldom exceeds l^in. in thickness. The fronds, 2ft. 

 to 3ft. long and 4in. to 5in. broad, borne on short, black stalks that are 

 muricated (rough with short excrescences) at the base, are simply pinnate 

 (only once divided to the midrib), and only pinnatifid at their extremity. 

 The leaflets, of a somewhat leathery texture, are sub- sessile (almost stalkless) 

 and auricled on both sides at the base ; they are coarsely toothed or undulated, 

 and more or less entire towards their extremity. The sori (spore masses) 

 are disposed on the veins or in the lower axils, and are covered by involucres 

 which, when ripe, break into irregular lobes. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, 

 p. 16. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, i., p. 415. Beddome, Ferns of 

 Southern India, t. 260. 



C. horrida — hor'-rid-a (horrid). The Fern usually found in collections 

 under this name is really Hemitelia horrida. 



C. Imrayana — Im-ray-a'-na (Imray's), Hooker. 



This greenhouse species appears to be a high mountain Fern, having 

 been gathered in Caracas and on the Blue Mountain Peak in Jamaica 

 at 5000ft. elevation. Its fronds are usually bipinnate (twice divided to the 



