610 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS, 



N. fragilis — frag'-il-is (fragile), Hooher. 



A distinct, greenhouse species, native of Arnliem, Tropical Australia. Its 

 triangular fronds, l^in. to Sin. eacli way, are borne on very slender, naked, 

 glossy stalks oin. to 4in. long and of a dark chestnut-brown colour ; they are 

 twice pinnate, and their leaiits are again divided into oblong segments of a 

 soft, papery texture, and densely coated on both surfaces with grey, spreading 

 hairs. The small and abundant sori (sjDore masses) have their edge slightly 

 recurved. — Hooher, Sjyecies Filicum. v., p. 114, t. 287a. 



N. Fraseri — Fra'-ser-i (Fraser's), Baker. 



This greenhouse species, native of Tucuman and Argentine territory, 

 produces from a firm, short-creeping rhizome (prostrate stem), covered with 

 minute, spear-shaped scales, its spear-shaped fronds, which are borne on slender, 

 naked, brownish-black stalks 4in. to 6in. long. These fronds are 4in. to 6in. 

 long, IJin. to 2in. broad, and bipinnatifid (twice divided nearly to the midrib), 

 being furnished with ten to fifteen pairs of spear-shaped leaflets cut down 

 nearly to the rachis (stalk) into blunt, oblong lobes, short- stalked and distant 

 in the lower part of the fronds, closer and stalkless in the upper portion. The 

 fronds are of a somewhat leathery texture, dull green on their upper surface, 

 and densely matted with pale brown scales on their under-side. The 

 chestnut-coloured sori (spore masses) finally emerge from amongst the scales. 

 — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 514. 



N. Gillesii — Gil-les'-i-i (Gilles'). A synonym of N. squamosa. 



N. hirsuta — hir-su'-ta (hairy), Desvaux. 



In this stove species, which is a native of Hong-Kong and Polynesia, 

 the oblong- spear- shaped fronds, Gin. to Sin. long, l^in. to Sin. broad, tri- or 

 quadripinnatifid (three or four times divided nearly to the midrib), are borne 

 on tufted, glossy stalks Sin. to 6in. long and of a dark chestnut-brown colour. 

 The lower leaflets, somewhat triangular and disposed lin. to l^in. apart, are 

 divided into spear-shaped pinnules (leafits) and oblong, blunt, entire or slightly- 

 lobed segments, of a soft, papery texture, finely hairy, and glandular on their 

 under-side. The abundant brown sori (spore masses) are disposed on the 

 margins of the lobes. — Hooker, Species Filicum, v., p. 116. 



