140 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



D. (Stenoloma) Mannii— Sten-ol-o'-ma ; Man'-ni-i (Mann's), Eaton. 



This singular, pretty, stove species, native of the Sandwich Islands, has 

 spear-shaped fronds, 1ft. or more in length, 2in. to Sjin. broad, narrowed from 

 the middle to summit and base, and three times pinnatifid (cleft nearly to the 

 midrib). The closely-set, oblong, spear-shaped, nearly stalkless leaflets are 

 divided into ascending pinnules (leafits), the upper ones of which are simple 

 or forked, and the lower ones pinnatifid, with distant, strap-shaped segments. 

 The sori (spore masses) are usually terminal, free, and twice as broad as 

 the tip of the segment. — Hooker^ Synopsis Filicum, p. 471. 



D. (Microlepia) marginalis— Mi-crol-ep'-i-a ; mar-gin-a'-hs (marginal). 

 Baker. 



This very distinct, nearly deciduous, greenhouse species, native of the 

 Himalayas, Japan, and China, and also known in gardens under the names 

 of D. calvescens, D. scabra and I), villosa, is a very interesting plant. Its 

 fronds, l^ft. to 2ft. long and 9in. to 15in. broad, are simply pinnate (only 

 once divided to the midrib) and borne on upright, slender stalks 1ft. to 

 2ft. long. Their pinnaa (leaflets), 4in. to Sin. long and about lin. broad, 

 are cut down about half-way to the rachis (stalk) into bluntish, oblong 

 lobes ; they are of a somewhat leathery texture, and the nearly marginal 

 sori (spore masses) are disposed two to eight to a lobe. — Hooker, Species 

 Filicum, i., p. 172, t. 48a. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, i., p. 446. 

 Beddome, Ferns of British India, t. 102. 



D. marginalis is thoroughly distinct in appearance from any other Davallia 

 in cultivation, and deserves a place in all good collections, inasmuch as it 

 makes a very pretty object when grown in a basket, the cheerful, hght green 

 colour of its fronds forming a very pleasing contrast with the reddish hue 

 of the slender stalks on which they are borne ; they are abundantly produced 

 from thick, underground rhizomes (prostrate stems) of a scaly nature, and have 

 a gracefully-arching habit. 



D. (Eudavallia) Mariesii — Eu-dav-aF-li-a ; Ma-ries'-i-i (Maries's), Moore. 



An elegant, deciduous, greenhouse species, of dwarf habit and very free 

 growth ; it is a native of Japan, where it is very extensively used for 

 decoration. In general aspect it is not unlike the well-known D. hullata, but 



