142 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



D. M. cristata — cris-ta'-ta (crested),' Moore. 



This is a prettily -crested, garden variety of the foregoing species, rendered 

 still more elegant by the tasselled extremities of the fronds, which have 

 retained their normal size, and of their leaflets. It is extremely attractive 

 when cultivated in a suspended basket, over which its flexuose rhizomes 

 (bending, prostrate stems) creep freely in every direction, the weight of the 

 tassels helping to show to perfection the grace of its arching fronds. 



D. (Eudavallia) mauritiana — Eu-dav-ar-li-a ; mau-rit-i-a'-na (native 

 of Mauritius), Hooker. 

 A strong-growing, finely-divided, stove species, with triangular fronds 

 Ift. to 2ft. long, Iffc. to IJft. broad, and four times pinnatifid (cut nearly 

 to the midrib). The main rachis (stalk of the leafy portion) is shghtly 

 winged above ; the ultimate pinnules (leafits), Sin. to 4in. long, 2in. broad, 

 and of a leathery texture, are cut down to the rachis in the lower part with 

 deeply-incised lobes. The abundant sori (spore masses) are disposed in the 

 teeth of the ultimate segments. — Hooker., Species Filicum, i,, p. 164, t. 55b. 



D. (Stenoloma) meifolia — Sten-ol-o'-ma ; me-if-oF-i-a (Meum or Spignel- 

 leaved), Humboldt, Bonpland, and Kunth. 

 A very pretty, delicate-looking, stove species, of small dimensions, native 

 of the Amazon Valley, and having spear-shaped fronds seldom more than 4in. 

 long, produced from a short-creeping rhizome (prostrate stem), and borne on 

 naked, slender, erect stalks 2in. to 12in. long. The leaflets, which are also 

 spear-shaped, and about lin. long, have spreading pinnules (leafits), of a 

 somewhat leathery texture, and these are again divided into ligulate (strap- 

 shaped) segments, on the extremities of which the cup-shaped spore masses 

 are disposed. — Hooker, Species Filicum, i,, p. 189. 



D. (Leucostegia) membranulosa— Leu-cos-teg'-i-a ; mem-bra-nul-o'-sa 

 (thin and transparent), Wallich. 

 A greenhouse species, native of the Himalayas, Kumaon, and Bhotan. Its 

 fronds are of a very thin, papery texture, 6in. to 9in. long, 2in. to Sin. broad, 

 borne on stalks 2in. to oin.. long, and produced from wide-creeping, stout 

 rhizomes (prostrate stems) densely clothed with spear-shaped scales of a pale 



