482 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



N. (Sagenia) cicutarium — Sag-e'-ni-a ; cic-u-ta'-ri-um (Cowbane-like), 

 Baker. 



A rare, stove species, of medium dimensions, native of the Polynesian 

 and Malayan Islands, the Neilgherries, tlie Himalayas (where it is found 

 at 4000ft. elevation), Ceylon, &c. ; it also extends from Cuba and Mexico 

 southward to Brazil and Peru. Its fronds, of an elongated -triangular shape, 

 1ft. to 2ft. long and borne on brownish stalks 1ft. or more long, have their 

 extremity deeply pinnate (cleft to the midrib), with sinuated (wavy), spear- 

 shaped lobes. The three or four pairs of leaflets below this are deeply 

 pinnatifid (cut nearly to the midrib) or pinnate below. The fronds are of 

 a soft, papery texture, bright green and smooth on both surfaces ; their main 

 veins are distinct to the edge, and the rather large and somewhat kidney - 

 shaped sori (spore masses) are disposed in two rows near the main veins and 

 situated at the extremity of the free veinlets. — Hooker, Species Filicum, iv., 

 p. 48. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, ii., p. 440. Lowe, Ferns British 

 and Exotic, vL, t. 45. 



N. (Lastrea) Cirrhosum— Las'-tre-a ; cir-rho'-sum (tendrilled). Baker. 



A stove species, of comparatively small dimensions, native of the Island 

 of St. Thomas, West Africa, with fronds 1ft. long and Gin. broad, borne on 

 slender, tufted stalks 9in. to 12in. long and densely scaly, especially below. 

 The leaflets, of a soft, papery texture, are cut down very nearly to the rachis 

 (stalk) into narrow-oblong, entire lobes ; these have five or six veinlets on 

 each side, with the sori (spore masses) nearly terminal. — Hooker, Species 

 Filicum, iv., p. 92, t. 244. 



N. (Lastrea) Clarkei— Las'-tre-a ; Clar'-ke-i (Clarke's), Baker. 



This greenhouse species, native of Sikkim, is intermediate between 

 N. apiciflorum and N. Filix-mas, but quite different from either of these 

 species in the general outline of its fronds, which are spear-shaped and 

 gradually narrowed from the middle to both ends ; they vary from 1ft. to 

 2ft. in length, and from oin. to Sin. in breadth, and are furnished with stalk- 

 less leaflets. The texture is also more leathery, and the sori (spore masses), 

 disposed very close to the midvein, are covered by a firm, smooth, persistent 

 involucre. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 497. 



