92 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



C. vestita — ves-ti'-ta (clothed), Martins. 



A greenhouse species, native of Guiana, Brazil, and Columbia. Its ample 

 fronds are tripinnatifid (three times divided half-way to the midrib), and have 

 a straw-coloured and densely-hairy rachis (stalk of the leafy portion). Their 

 oblong- spear- shaped leaflets, 1ft. to l^^ft. long, are divided into sessile pinnules 

 (stalkless leaflets) 2^in. to Sin. long, cut down to a narrow wing into closely- 

 set, ligulate (strap- shaped), blunt segments of thin texture, and with both 

 surfaces, especially the lower one, densely hairy. The very small sori (spore 

 masses), situated on the mid vein, are covered by hairy involucres of a fragile 

 nature, which burst irregularly. — Hooher., Species Filicum, i., p. 20. 



C. Welwitschii — Wel-wit^-schi-i (Welwitsch's), Hooker. 



This greenhouse species, native of West Africa and the Island of 

 St. Thomas, where it is found at various altitudes between 3000ft. and 

 7000ft., is distinct from all other known species, and remarkable through its 

 fronds, 3ft. or more long and of a somewhat leathery texture, being sub-sessile 

 (nearly stalkless). This character is produced by theu^ lower portion being 

 provided with leaflets gradually more dwarfed and extending nearly to the 

 base of the stalks, which are as thick as a swan's quill, and covered with 

 large, firm, glossy scales. The leaflets in the middle portion of the frond are 

 6in. long, lin. broad, and pinnatifid only at their short-pointed extremity, 

 where they form blmit and somewhat sickle-shaped, conspicuously -toothed 

 pinnules or lobes. The whole frond is of a dark green colour and sHghtly 

 hairy above, paler and more hairy underneath. The sori (spore masses), 

 mostly situated near the base of the pimiules and near the midvem, 

 are covered by shallow, cup-shaped involucres, which surround the whole base 

 of each sorus. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 21. 



=>of=^e^=><=- 



CYCLODIUM— Cy-clo -di-um. See Aspidium. 

 CYCLOPELTIS— Cy-clop-el'-tis. See Aspidium. 

 CYRTOMIPHLEBIUM— Cyr-tom-iph-leb -i-um. -See Polypodium. 

 CYRTOMIUM— Cyr-tom -i-um. See Aspidium. 



