HYMENOPHYLL UM. 



307 



are provided with a very large involucre (covering), divided nearly to the 

 base, with valves twice as broad as deep and bluntly toothed. — Hooker^ 

 Species JFilicum, i., p. 102. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, ii., p. 166. 

 Lowe, New and Rare Ferns, t. 68. 



H. Cheesemanni — Cheese-man'-ni (Cheeseman's), Baker. 



A species of very dwarf dimensions, native of the Titiranja Range, New 

 Zealand, with small fronds forked or palmately three or four times divided 

 to near the midrib, seldom lin. long, including their filiform (thread-like) 

 stalks. The sori (spore masses), which are terminal on the lobes, are provided 

 with an involucre (covering) immersed at the base only, and having entire, 

 rounded valves. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 464. 



H. chiloense — chi-lo-en^-se (from Chiloe), Hooker. 



This real gem amongst Filmy Ferns is a small, pendent, tufted species 

 which, in Southern Chih and in Chiloe, is said to form a dense carpet over 

 trees and rocks alike. Its pretty little fronds, triangular or broadly spear- 

 shaped, seldom more than 2in. long and lin. broad, are of a dull green 

 colour, with very conspicuous, dark veins covering their entire surface ; they 

 are bipinnatifid (twice divided nearly to the midrib), their leaflets being 

 regularly ciliated on the margin with short, strong hairs, and thcK under- 

 surface slightly hairy. The sori (spore masses) are placed singly at the base 

 of the leaflets on the upper side, divided about half-way down, with a wedge- 

 shaped base free or sunk in the frond, and half-rounded, strongly- ciliated 

 valves. — Hooker, Species Filicum, i., p. 90, t. 32. Lowe, New and Rare 

 Ferns, t. 69a. 



H. ciliatum — cil-i-a'-tum (hairy), Swartz. 



Somewhat similar in habit and general appearance to H. chiloense, though 

 three times larger, this species has a very wide range of habitat, being 

 common in Tropical America, from Cuba and Mexico southward to Chili and 

 South Brazil ; it is also found in the Eastern Himalayas, in West Tropical 

 Africa, and in Mauritius, Madagascar, and the Bourbon Islands. The African 

 plant weU known as H. Boryanum seems quite to coincide with the American 

 H. ciliatum. The fronds, 2in. to 6in. long, lin. to 2in. broad in the centre, 



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