294 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



overlapping, spear-shaped pinnules 2jin. to oin. long, divided into strap- 

 shaped, blunt segments that are wedge-shaped at the base, deeply cleft, of 

 a somewhat leathery texture, dark green on their upper surface, paler 

 underneath, and clothed on the ribs with short, broad, white scales. The 

 minute sori (spore masses) are disposed close to the midvein ; they are 

 partly covered by a small, smooth, depressed uivolucre, of thin, parchment- 

 like texture. — HooJcer, Syno'psis Ftlicum, p. 455. 



H. multiflora — mul-tif-lo'-ra (many-flowered), R. Brown. 



A native of Guiana, Columbia, and the Amazon Valley, with fronds 

 tripinnatifid (three times divided nearly to the -midrib) and borne on stalks 

 full of sharp points and furnished at their base with firm, spear-shaped 

 scales of a dark brown colour. The leaflets, oblong- spear- shaped and 1ft. to 

 IJft. long, are furnished Avith strap-shaped pinnules (leafits) Sin. to 4in. 

 long, cut down to a narrow wing into blunt segments of a moderately firm 

 texture, bright green on the upper surface, and paler beneath. The, sori 

 (spore masses) are small and medial, and are partly covered Avith a smooth 

 involucre of firm texture. — Hooker^ S'pecies Filicum, i., p. 31. Nicholson, 

 Dictionary of Gardening, ii., p. 135. 



H. petiolata — pet-i-ol-a'-ta (furnished with petioles or stalks). Hooker. 



This species, native of the Isthmus of Panama, is very distinct through 

 the large, glossy scales of a chestnut colour, but pale at the edge, Avith 

 AAdiich the prickly stalks on Avhich the fronds are borne are densely clothed. 

 Its large fronds, tAvice or tlu-ee times divided to the midrib, are pinnatifid 

 only at their extremity ; their leaflets and leafits, distinctly stalked and 

 oblong-spear-shaped, are more or less pointed, sometimes entire (undivided), 

 sometimes more or less deeply cleft, Avith rounded or broadly -oblong lobes. 

 This species is also rendered very interesting and ornamental through its 

 sori (spore masses) forming a beautifully continuous border at the A'-ery 

 margin, and foUoAving the sinuous (Avavy) outline of the lobes. — Hooker, 

 Species Filicum, p. 31, t. 16. 



H. platylepis — plat-yh-ep-is (flat-scaled), Hooker. 



This species, native of Rio Nigro, Brazil, and also knoAAm under the name 

 of Amphicosmia platylepis, is very distinct, the stout, smooth frond-stalks being 



