426 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



tinger-shaped leaflets are composed of five or six lobes, reaching nearly down 

 to the base, or once or even twice forked. The barren divisions, Sin. to 

 12in. long and Jin. to fin. broad, are of a beautiful bright green colour and 

 of a leathery texture, with both surfaces naked. The fertile divisions, very 

 much narrower and contracted, have their spore masses disposed in spikes 

 one to two lines long, in close, marginal rows. — Hooker and Greville, 

 Icones Filicum, t. 55. Beddome, Ferns of Southern India, t. 62. Nicholson, 

 Dictionary of Gardening, ii., p. 308. Lowe, Ferns British and Exotic, 

 viii, t. 73. 



L. dichotomum is a species well adapted for covering large pillars, as it 

 is of very robust growth and most effective ; its fohage, though somewhat 

 massive, is very elegant, and remains on the plant for a very long time. 

 It is not unusual to find specimens of this species trained on pillars and 

 against the glass, as in the large Tropical Fernery at Kew Gardens, where 

 they command the admiration of all visitors, retaining their foliage for three 

 or even four years. 



L. digitatum — dig-it-a'-tum (digitate, hand-like), Eaton. 



A native of Panama, New G-ranada, and Guatemala, having very long 

 shoots furnished with hand- shaped fronds. The primary petiole is very short 

 or obsolete, and the secondary ones are lin. or more long. The leaflets are 

 cut down nearly to the base, and once forked mto lobes 6in. to 12in. long 

 and fin. to lin. broad ; they have their point somewhat blunt, are narrowed 

 at the base, and the edges of the barren ones, which are of a leathery 

 texture, are finely toothed. In the fertile divisions the spikes are disposed 

 in close rows along the edge on both sides. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, 

 p. 437. 



L. flexuosum — flex-il-o'-sum (flexuose, winding). This is a synonym 

 of L. dichotomum. 



L. Forsteri— Fors'-ter-i (Forster's). Synonymous with L. reticulatum. 



L. hastatum — has-ta'-tum (hastate, halbert- shaped). Synonymous with 

 L. volubile. 



