324 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



lower segments of the upper side, are provided with an involucre (covering) 

 that is divided nearly to the base and has egg-shaped, entire valves. — 

 Hooker., Species Filiciwi, i., p. 96, t. 34d. 



ISTo description, however complete, can do justice to the elegant appearance 

 of this plant, as the greyish-green colour of its fronds, as well as the very 

 conspicuous and beautiful venation of its pinnules (leafits), which are restricted 

 to the upper side of the leaflets only, are characters not shared by any other 

 known species. 



H. Plumieri— Plu-mi-e'-ri (Plumier's). Synonymous with H. ciliatum. 



H. polyanthos — pol-y-an'-thos (many-flowered ?), Sivartz. 



This very interesting species, also known as H. Blumeanum and //. 

 protrusum., is subject to much variation in form ; it is very widely distributed, 

 being found throughout the Tropics, and extending a little beyond them both 

 North and South : in America — from Cuba and Jamaica southward to Brazil, 

 South Chih, and Juan Fernandez ; in Asia — Nepaul and Sikkim to Ceylon, 

 Tsus-Simi, the Malayan Peninsula, Java, and New Zealand ; in West Tropical 

 Africa, Mauritius, and Madagascar. The broadly- oblong fronds, 2in. to Sin. 

 long, lin. to 3in. broad, and tripmnatifid (three times divided nearly to the 

 midrib), are borne on slender, wingless stalks 2in. to oin. long ; their main 

 rachis (stalk of the leafy portion) is usually only narrowly winged above. 

 The lower leaflets are divided to a narrow centre into several pinnules (leafits) 

 on each side, which, in then- turn, are deeply pimiatifid. The sori (spore 

 masses), two to twelve to a leaflet, are terminal or axillary on the segments 

 on both sides, and are provided with a small involucre (covering) that is 

 divided nearly to the base and has egg-shaped or rounded, entire or shghtly- 

 toothed valves. — Hooker., Species FiUcian, i., p. 107. Mcholsoti, Dictionary 

 of Gardening, ii,, p. 166. Lowe., Ferns British and Exotic, viii., t. 8a. 

 Beddome, Ferns of British India, t. 280. 



This species does not require such a close temperature as do most 

 Hymenophyllums ; the most airy place in the house suits it best. It is 

 provided with exceedingly slender, wiry rhizomes (prostrate stems), which 

 dehght in making their way through partly -decayed vegetable matter ; on 

 that account it makes a beautiful object on a block of wood, its slender, 

 elegantly-arching fronds then showing themselves to great advantage. 



