494 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



and one entirely distinct from any other species in cultivation. Its fronds, 

 which are produced from a succulent, underground-creeping rhizome covered 

 with chaffy, greyish scales, are borne on tufted stalks, which are Sin. to 4in. 

 long and clothed throughout with narrow scales of a particularly light colour. 

 These fronds are upright in habit, 1ft. or more in length, Sin. to 4in. broad, 

 and furnished with narrow leaflets lin. to 2in. long and Jin. broad. The 

 edges of the leaflets are more or less deeply cleft, and the bases are connected 

 by a broad, lobed wing, the lower ones reduced and sometimes distinct. The 

 texture is soft and papery, the under-side slightly hairy, and the copious 

 scattered sori (spore masses) are covered with a minute indusium of 

 a fugacious nature.— Sipecies Filicum, iv., p. 231 ; Second Century of 

 Ferns, t. 49. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, ii., p. 440. Lowe, Ferns 

 British and Exotic, vi., t. 6. 



N. (Lastrea) deltoideum— Las'-tre-a ; del-toid'-e-um (delta- shaped), 

 Desvaux. 



Undoubtedly this beautiful, stove species, found at the same time in 

 Jamaica and in Southern India, is one of the most distinct evergreen species 

 contained in the genus. Although in its native habitats its fronds are said 

 to attain 2ft. in length and Sin. in breadth, it is very seldom indeed, under 

 cultivation, that they exceed IJft. in height ; they are borne on tufted stalks 

 Sin. to 6in. long, densely clothed with narrow scales, and pinnate nearly 

 to the base. The disposition of the leaflets is most peculiar : the first eight 

 or ten pairs, in the lower part of the frond, are reduced in size, measuring 

 only about Jin. in length ; whereas the others, which are bluntly lobed, are 

 2in. to 4in. long, about lin. broad, and cut two-thirds of the way down into 

 close, entire lobes of a leathery texture, and nearly naked on their under-side. 

 The very prominent veinlets are disposed eight to ten on each side, and 

 the sori (spore masses) are situated nearer the edge than the midrib and 

 covered with an involucre of a very fugacious nature. — Hooker, Sjjecies 

 Filicum, iv., p. 103. 



N. (Eunephrodium) denticulatum— Eu-neph-ro'-di-um ; den-tic-ul- 

 a'-tum (having small teeth). Hooker. 

 A stove species, of medium dimensions, whose habitat extends from the 

 West Indies and G^uatemala to South Brazil. Its triangular fronds, 1ft. to 



