178 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



D. d. Young-ii — Young'-i-i (Young's), Moore. 



This highly ornamental variety, originally introduced from the New 

 Hebrides, where it is said to grow in swampy places, is of very robust habit 

 and vigorous growth. Its underground rhizome (prostrate stem) is thick and 

 fleshy, and produces fronds of noble proportions, attaining a length of 10ft., 

 including their stout, erect, quite smooth, green stalks, which are rounded on 

 the under-side and flattened on the upper side, with a furrow extending along 

 their entire length. The leafy portion of the frond is beautifully arching, 

 broadly spear-shaped, terminating in a regular point, and minutely subdiwled 

 (see Plate). The spreading leaflets are sessile (stalkless) or nearly so ; their 

 rachis (stalk of the leafy portion) is furrowed on the upper side like the 

 stalks, and their finely-cut pinnules (leafits) are of a light, cheerful green 

 colour. The aspect of the whole frond is airy and graceful. It is a grand 

 Fern for a warm conservatory, and is unsurpassed as a central subject in 

 grouping where bold and spreading foliage is required. — Nicholson^ Dictionary 

 of Gardening., iv., p. 536. 



D. (Eudicksonia) Deplanchei — Eu-dick-so'-nl-a ; Dep-lan'-che-i 

 (Deplanche's), Vieillard. 

 A stove, arborescent species, native of New Caledonia, with ample fronds 

 of rigid, leathery texture, smooth and uniformly green on both sides. It is, 

 however, of little decorative value. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 462. 



D. dissecta — dis-sec'-ta (cut-leaved). A variety of D. cicutaria. 



D. dubia — dub'-i-a (doubtful). A synonym of Davallia diibia. 



D, (Patania) Elwesii — Pat-an'-i-a ; El-wes'-i-i (Elwes's), Baker. 



A greenhouse species, of small dimensions, native of Sikkim, and found 

 near Lachen, at 8500ft. elevation. Its spear-shaped, thrice -pinnatifid fronds 

 seldom exceed Ift. in length and 6in. in breadth ; the spear-shaped, 

 nearly stalkless leaflets have their rachis flattened, and are furnished with 

 twenty to thirty pairs of small, stalkless leafits that are wedge-shaped at the 

 base and deeply pinnatifid, thus forming numerous very narrow segments, the 

 tips of which are completely filled up with spore masses in the fertile fronds. — 

 Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 54. 



D. erosa — e-ro'-sa (bitten). A variety of D. cicutaria. 



