318 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



slender, naked stalks 2m. to Sin. long and of a wiry nature. The fronds 

 are three times divided nearly to the midrib, and are hairy only on their 

 margins and midrib. The sori (spore masses), two to eight to a leaflet, 

 are placed at the side or at the extremity of the lateral segments, and are 

 provided with an involucre (covering) that is divided more than half-way 

 down and has rounded ajid copiously -ciliated valves. — Hooker^ Species 

 F'ilicum, i., p. 94, t. 34b. 



H. L'Herminieri— L'Her-min-i-e'-ri (L'Herminier's), Mettenius. 



A very dwarf-growing species, seldom exceeding S^in. in height, native 

 of Gruadeloupe. — Hooker., Synopsis Filicum., p. 463. 



H. Lindeni — Lin'-den-i (Linden's), Hooker. 



This &irly robust-growing species is a native of the Andes of Venezuela 

 and Ecuador. Its fronds. Gin. to 12in. long, 4in. to Gin. broad, and often 

 recurved, are borne on stout, erect stalks 4in. to Gin. long, of a hairy nature ; 

 they are three times divided nearly to the midrib, their main rachis (stalk 

 of the leafy portion) being also hairy and winged in the upper part. Their 

 lower leaflets, 2in. to 4in. long, have numerous deeply- divided pinnules (leafits) 

 on both sides, both surfaces of which are hairy. The very abundant sori 

 (spore masses) are terminal on the segments, and are provided with an 

 involucre (covering) having short, broad, and strongly- cihated valves. — 

 Hooker, Species Filicum, i., p. 93, t. 34c. 



H. lineare — li-ne-a'-re (long and narrow), Sivartz. 



This pretty and distinct species, also known as H. elegans, of a particularly 

 hairy nature, has a very wide range of habitat, being found in Tropical America, 

 from Jamaica and Mexico southward to Brazil and Peru, ascending on the 

 Andes of Ecuador to 12,000ft., and occurring also in the Mauritius. Its 

 pendulous fronds, 3in. to Sin. long, lin. to 2in. broad, and of a flaccid nature, 

 are produced from a slender, hairy, thread-like rhizome (prostrate stem) ; they 

 are fully pinnate (divided quite to the midrib), their leaflets being deeply 

 cut into simple or forked, linear (narrow) lobes with margin and surface 

 densely hairy. The sori (spore masses), two to six to a leaflet, are terminal 

 on the lateral segments, and are provided with an involucre (covering) that 



