150 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



D. (Odontoloma) pulchella— Od-on-tol-o'-ma ; pul-cheF-la (neat), Eooher. 



A very pretty, stove species, of medium growth, native of the Phihppine, 

 Fiji, and Samoan Islands. Its elegant fronds, 4in. to 12in. long and fin. to 

 lin. broad, are produced from a slender, wide- creeping, and much-branched 

 rhizome (prostrate stem), and are borne on slender, wiry, upright, naked 

 stalks 2in. to oin. long. The leaflets, of a soft, papery texture and naked 

 on both surfaces, are slightly stalked and about Jin. across ; their lower 

 margin is more or less curved upwards, while the upper one is cut into two 

 to four blunt lobes, on which the small and inconspicuous sori (spore 

 masses) are placed at a short distance from the edge. — Hooker, Species 

 Filicum, i., p. 177, t. 548. 



D. pulchra — pul'-chra (fair). Synonymous with D. cheer ophylla. 



D. (Eudavallia) pyxidata — Eu-dav-al'-li-a ; pyx-id-a'-ta (box-like), 

 Cavanilles. 



This singular and interesting, greenhouse species, whose habit is totally 

 distinct from that of all other Davallias furnished with rhizomes, is a native of 

 New South Wales. Its stout, creeping rhizomes, which are densely clothed 

 with long, narrow scales of a pale brown colour, possess the peculiarity of 

 growing upwards to the height of 3ft. to 4ft., their points always standing 

 up, thus giving the plant a sort of shrubby appearance. The fronds, which 

 are produced on these strange-looking rhizomes, and borne on strong, upright 

 stalks 4in. to 6in. long, are 9in. to 18in. long. Gin. to Din. broad, deltoid 

 (in shape of the Greek delta, A), and four times pinnatifid (cut nearly to the 

 midrib). The pimiules of the lower leaflets are spear-shaped, Sin. to oin. long, 

 lin. broad, and divided into oblong, toothed segments, the lowest of which are 

 cut down nearly to the rachis (stalk). The sori (spore masses), wliich are 

 disposed in the teeth of the segments, are deeply half- cup -shaped, and show 

 a horn-like process projecting beyond them. The whole of the plant has 

 a very pleasing appearance, as it is of a lively green colour, although 

 deprived of the rich gloss which is generally found, and so much admired, 

 on nearly all the other strong-growing species of Davallia that have fronds of 

 a coriaceous (leathery) texture. — Hooker, Sjjecies Filicum, i., p. 170, t. 55c. 

 Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, i,, p. 447. Lowe, Ferns British and 

 Exotic, viii., t. 21. 



