328 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



shady rocks upon whichi, in a natural state, it grows apace. These fronds, 

 which vary from 6in. to 2ft. in length and from 2in. to Sin. in breadth, are 

 borne on wiry, naked stalks 2in. to 4in. long. They are thus exceptionally 

 long and comparatively narrow, simply pinnatifid (only once divided nearly 

 to the midrib), and of a pendulous habit ; they are rendered very attractive 

 by their leaflets, which are sometimes simply notched and sometimes divided 

 more than half-way to the midrib, being covered with a tawny and dense 

 silky down, which in its young stage is of a peculiarly light or silvery hue. 

 The very numerous small sori (spore masses) are terminal on the edge of 

 the leaflets, and are provided with a small, roundish involucre (covering), the 

 base of which is sunk in the leaflet, and which has rounded valves covered with 

 shaggy, reddish-brown hairs. — Hooker, Species FlUciim, i., p. 92. Nicholson, 

 Dictionary of Gardening, ii., p. 167. Lowe, Ferns British and Exotic, 

 viii., t. 8b. 



Although requiring a gTeat amount of moisture in the atmosphere, this 

 extremely beautiful species is particularly averse to having its long, flexuose, 

 woolly fronds wetted. The material most suitable to its growth is a piece of 

 sandstone, or any other porous stone over which its tiny rhizomes can run 

 freely without, however, clinging to it. 



H. Simonsianum — Sim-ons-i-a'-num (Simons'), Hooker. 



A small-growing species, native of the Ivhasya Hills and Sikkim, with 

 narrow-oblong fronds 2m. to oin. long, about fin. broad, and borne on slender, 

 naked stalks lin. to 2in. long and of a wiry nature. These fronds are only 

 once divided nearly down to a broadly -winged rachis (stalk of the leafy 

 portion) into fan-shaped segments with shallow divisions. The sori (spore 

 masses), terminal on the upper parts of these divisions, are provided with 

 a broadly-oblong involucre (covering) that is divided nearly to the base and 

 has toothed valves. — Hooker, Second Century of Ferns, t. 13. Beddome, Ferns 

 of British India, t. 281. 



H. Smithii — Smith-i-i (Smith's), Hooker. 



This species, which is the Leptocionium affine, L. holochilum, L. Preslii, 

 and L. serrulatum, of Van den Bosch, the principal, or at any rate the most 

 copious, recent writer on Trichomanes and HymenojjhyUum, is a native of 



