378 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



to 6in. long, of a dark colour, and scaly beloAV, are produced from a stout 

 stem that is densely scaly at the crown ; they are of a leathery texture, and 

 gradually narrowed towards both ends. The barren ones are quite pinnate, 

 the numerous leaflets with which they are furnished on each side of the midrib 

 being quite distinct and lin. or more distant at the base. The leaflets of the 

 fertile fronds, very narrow and 4in. to 6in. long, are also about lin. distant. 

 — Hooker, S'pecles F/'Ucum, iii., p. 30, t. 151. 



L. (Plag-iogyria) adnata— Plag-i-og-y'-ri-a ; ad-na'-ta (adnate, attached 

 to the midrib), Blume. 

 In this stove species, of medium growth, native of Java and Khasya, the 

 central leaflets of the barren fronds are dilated and connected at the base, 

 while the lower ones are narrowed at the base and situated about Jin. distant ; 

 all are of a somewhat leathery texture, have their point narrowed gradually, 

 and are finely toothed. The whole barren fronds, produced from a stout, 

 short stem, and borne on firm, erect, naked stalks 6in. to 18in. long and 



enlarged at the base, are broadly-egg- 

 shaped, 1ft. to IJft. long and 4in. to 

 Gin. broad. The fertile fronds are 

 of similar shape, but the leaflets are 

 distant and narrowly linear. — Hooker, 

 Synopsis F/l/cum; p. 182. 



L. alpina — al-pi^-na (raountain- 

 Fig. 93. Lomaria alpina loving), Sprengel. 



(i nat. size). Xj^ig pretty little evergreen, almost 



hardy Fern, of smaller dimensions 

 than our common L. Spicant, is a native of Temperate South America (where 

 it is plentiful), l^ew Zealand, Tasmania, and South Australia. As in 

 the case of all other Lomarias, the barren and the fertile fronds are totally 

 distinct ; both are produced from a wide-creeping rhizome (prostrate stem) 

 clothed at the crown with spear-shaped, rusty-brown scales. The barren 

 ones, 4in. to Sin. long and Jin. to fin. broad, are narrowly spear-shaped, with 

 closely-set, blunt leaflets (Fig. 93) Jin. long, of a somewhat leathery texture, 

 and of a bright metallic hue when young, turning with age to a very dark 



