444 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



Its gigantic fronds, twice or occasionally three times divided to the midrib, 

 and borne on stout, light green, round stalks, assume a much more horizontal 

 position than those of most other plants in the genus. They often attain 

 7ft. in length, and are furnished with broad leafits of a bright shining green 

 colour, finely notched on the margins, and principally at their extremity. 



M. f. salicifolia— sal-ic-if-or-i-a (Willow-leaved), Schrader. 



A native of the Society Islands, with leafits sharply toothed throughout, 

 often only Jin. broad, and of a dark green colour. The synangia, which have 

 only six capsules, are long and narrow, and are disposed further from the 

 edge than in the species. 



M. f. sambucina— sam-bu'-cin-a (Elder-like), Blume. 



A native of Java, with leafits Sin. to Sin. long, lin, broad, narrowed to 

 both ends, and very pale beneath. The small synangia are placed half as 

 far from the edge as from the midrib, and the rachis (stalk of the leafy 

 portion) of the leaflets is more distinctly winged than usual. — Hooker, 

 Synopsis Filicum, p. 441. 



M. (Eupodium) Kaulfussii — Eu-pod'-i-um ; Kaul-fus'-si-i (Kaulfuss'), 

 Smith. 



This noble and distinct species, native of the West Indies, Colombia, 

 Ecuador, and Rio Janeiro, is totally distinct in habit as well as in general 

 appearance from any other cultivated kind. Its beautiful fronds, 3ft. to 4ft. 

 long and quadripinnatifid (four times divided nearly to the midrib), are borne 

 on thick, naked, round stalks 2ft. to 3ft. long, of a very light green colour, 

 and totally deprived of scales ; these stalks are disposed in an almost 

 perpendicular position, the leafy portion of the fronds being gracefully 

 recumbent. The lowest leaflets are much the largest, being 1ft. or more 

 long and 6m. to 8in. broad ; they are furnished with numerous small, 

 deeply-toothed pinnules (leafits) oin. to 4in. long, closely set along the very 

 distinctly- winged rachises (stalks of the leafy portion), which also produce at 

 intervals long, silvery, hair-like scales standing erect on the upper part of the 

 fronds, which are of a most delightful pale green colour. This species difiers 

 also from all other members of the genus through the synangia not being 



