CYATHEA. 



91 



break and form a shallow cup with an even margin. — Hooher^ Species Filicum, 

 i., p. 15. Nicholsoii^ Dictionary of Gardening, i., p. 415. Beddome, Ferns of 

 Southern India, t. 259. 



C. Smithii — Smith'-i-i (Smith's). A garden name for Hemitelia Smithii. 



C. speciosa — spec-i-o'-sa (beautiful). The Fern commonly known in gardens 

 under this name is Hemitelia (Amjjhicosmia) speciosa of Hooker. 



C. spinulosa — spi-nul-o'-sa (somewhat spiny), Wallich. 



A greenhouse species, native of India, and Tsus-Sima, South Japan. 

 Beddome, who says that it is found in Southern India, on the Shevagherry 

 Hills, adds that although Moore gives the Neilgherries as a locality, he has 

 never met with it on those hills. It is a robust plant, distmct from most 

 others by the strongly and conspicuously thorny nature of the dark purple 

 stalks of its ample, somewhat flaccid fronds. The oblong, pointed leafits are 

 cut into sharp-pointed, finely-toothed lobes. The abundant sori (spore masses) 

 are situated close to the midveins, and are covered by roundish, very thin 

 and fi-agile involucres, which soon break irregularly. — Hooker, Species Filicum, 

 i., p. 25, t. 12g. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, iv., p. 524. Beddome, 

 Ferns of Southern India, t. 57. 



C. Sprucei — Spru'-ce-i (Spruce's), Hooker. 



This greenhouse species, whose caudex (trunk) often attains 15ft. in 

 height, is a native of Ecuador, where it is found on Montana di Canelos and 

 Tungaragua, growing at altitudes varyhig between 4000ft. and 6500ft. ; also 

 on Chimborazo, at elevations between 3000ft, and 4000ft. Its spear-shaped 

 fronds, about 5ft. long and bipmnate (twice divided to the midrib), are 

 borne on stout, strong stalks about 1ft. long, clothed at their base with very 

 long, pale scales of a silky or woolly nature ; besides these they bear on 

 their whole length strong black spines intermixed with long and slender ones 

 of an exceedingly fragile nature. The oblong leaflets, 1ft. to 2ft. long, are 

 divided into horizontal, almost stalkless, narrow-oblong pinnules (leafits) that 

 are deeply pinnatifid, forming narrow -egg- shaped lobes with shghtly-recurved 

 margins. The abmidant sori (spore masses) are covered by fragile involucres, 

 which eventually break into irregular lobes. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicu7n, p. 20. 



