124 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



D. (Microlepia) ciliata— Mi-crol-ep'-i-a cil-i-a'-ta (ciliated or fringed 

 with hairs), Hooker. 

 A very distinct, stove species, of medium growth, native of the Philippine 

 Islands. Its fronds, 1ft. to IJft. long, 6in. to 9in. broad, spear-shaped and 

 tripinnatifid (three times divided half-way to the midrib, are borne on firm, 

 erect stalks Sin. to 4in. long, and of a hairy nature, and produced from a 

 creeping rhizome (prostrate stem) that is densely covered with soft, brown 

 hairs. They are of a thin, papery texture, and their under-surface, like the 

 rachis (stalk of the leafy portion), is softly hairy. The very small sori 

 are disposed two to twelve to a pinnule (leafit), and placed near the centre 

 of the teeth near the base. — Hooker, Species Filicum, i., p. 184, t. 60a. 



D. (Leucostegia) Clarkei— Leu-cos-teg'-i-a ; Clar'-ke-i (Clarke's), Baker. 



This greenhouse species, native of the Eastern Himalayas, where it is found 

 at 10,000ft. elevation, is the Acrophorus Hookeri of Moore. It is of small 

 dimensions ; its fronds, about Gin. long and borne on stalks of the same 

 length, are deltoid (in shape of the Greek delta. A), tri- or quadripinnatifid 

 (twice or three times divided half-way to the midrib), and of a bright green 

 colour. The very small and round sori (spore masses), covered with pale 

 involucres, broader than deep, and membranous (thin and more or less 

 transparent), are disposed at the base of the ultimate lobes. — Hooker, Synopsis 

 Filicum, p. 91. 



D. (Prosaptia) COntigua — Pros-ap'-ti-a ; con-tig'-ii-a (contiguous), Swartz. 



A stove species, native of Ceylon, Java, and the Polynesian Islands, with 

 tufted, sessile (stalkless) fronds 1ft. to IJft. long, IJin. broad, narrowly spear- 

 shaped, cut down nearly or quite to the rachis (stalk of the leafy portion) 

 into numerous narrow-pointed or bluntish, slightly -toothed lobes of a leathery 

 texture. The sori (spore masses), two to eight to a lobe, are disposed in the 

 teeth on their upper part. — Hooker, Species Filicum, i., p. 161. Beddome, 

 Ferns of Southern India, t. 19. 



D. (Eudavallia) decurrens — Eu-dav-ar-li-a ; de-cur'-rens (running down), 

 Hooker. 



A stove species, native of the PhilijDpine Islands, resembhng D. divaricata 

 (D. polyantha of commerce), with fronds Iffc. to 2ft. long, and produced from 



