442 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



leaflets are much the largest, and all, except the lowest pau-, are simply 

 pimiate (only once divided to the midrib), 6in. to Sin. long, 2in. to Sin. 

 broad, with, rachises (stalks) flattened and narrowly winged throughont. The 

 pinnules (leafits) are usually under lin. long, Jin. broad, linear-oblong, wedge- 

 shaped at the base, and furnished with broad, blunt teeth on the margins ; the 

 pinnules of the lowest leaflets are again pinnatifid (divided nearly to the 

 midrib). The synangia are disposed one to each lobe of the leafits, and are 

 situated close to their margin, with the sides ultimately spreading.— Z/oo/l-er, 

 Synopsis Filicum, p. 441. 



M. elegans— e'-leg-ans (elegant). A form' of M. fradnea. 



Fig. 11 L Portion of Pinna of Marattia fraxinea 



■ (i nat. size). 



M. (Eumarattia) fraxinea— Eu-mar-at'-ti-a ; frax-in'-e-a (Ash-like), Smith. 



This noble-looking plant, of very large dimensions, has a wider range 

 of habitat than any other known species, being found on the Guinea Coast, 

 in Angola, Zambesi-land, the Mascarene Islands, Natal, Cape Colony, Ceylon, 

 the PhiUppine and Polynesian Islands, New Zealand, Queensland, and Norfolk 



