314 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



clumps of Cattleyas imported from Brazil. At first sight it seems intermediate 

 between H. caudiculatum and H. dilatatum, its large, handsome fronds, 

 lift, long and fully 6in. broad, being borne on stalks which are 6in. to 

 Sin. long, conspicuously winged to the very base, and measure in the leafy 

 portion quite Jin. in breadth. Their fronds are tripinnatifid (three times 

 divided nearly to the midrib), the leaflets, Sin. long and not tailed hke 

 those of ff. caudiculatum^ as well as their segments, being of a hght green 

 colour, closely set, and prettily undulated. The sori (spore masses), two to 

 six only on a leaflet, are terminal at the summit of the segments on the upper 

 side only, and are provided with a very large involucre (covering) that is 

 divided nearly to the base and has broad, entire valves smooth on the edges. 



This is a very free-growing plant, whose wiry rhizomes (prostrate stems) 

 are particularly fond of moss and decaying vegetable matter, and which 

 produces fronds in great abundance. 



H. fuciforme— fu-cif-or'-me (Fucus-like), Swartz. 



This handsome species, which takes rank amongst the strongest-growing 

 Hymenophyllums, is a native of Chili and Juan Fernandez, where it grows on 

 trunks of trees in shady woods. Its upright-growing fronds, of a glaucous 

 (bluish-gTcen) colour, 1ft. to 2ft. long, 4in. to 6in. broad, broadly spear-shaped, 

 and three times divided nearly to the midrib, are borne on strong, erect stalks 

 narrowly winged above ; their main rachis (stalk of the leafy portion) is winged 

 throughout, and their lower segments are two or three times forked. Instead 

 of being produced from slender, wiry rhizomes (prostrate stems), hke most 

 of those of the other known species, the fronds in this case spring from 

 thick, decumbent rhizomes, which have all the appearance of crowns. The 

 numerous and comparatively small sori (spore masses) are disposed in the 

 axils of the segments, and are provided with an involucre (covering) that is 

 divided nearly to the base and has rounded, entire valves. — Hooker^ Species 

 Filicum^ i., p. 103, t. 36d. Lowe^ Neiv and Rare Ferns^ t. 72. 



H. gracile— grac'-il-e (slender), Bory. 



A species of medium dimensions, native of Bourbon, l^Tatal, and Mauritius, 

 with spear-shaped fronds three times divided nearly to the midrib, 2in. to 6in. 

 long, lin. to 2in. broad, and borne on slender, wiry stalks 2in. to Sin. long. 



