6 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



O. C. Sibbaldi— Sib-bald'-i (Sibbald's), Grevilte. 



A variety with thinner foliage, of a more hairy nature than in the 

 species, and with sori (spore masses) disposed in very irregular lines not so 

 near the midrib. This form, gathered in Tahiti by Sibbald and Bid well, 

 probably occurs also in Tropical Australia, as there are specimens of it 

 amongst Leichhardt's plants. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 303. 



O. hirtella — hir-tel'-la (slightly hairy). A form of 0. neriiformis. 



O. Moritzii — Mor-itz'-i-i (Moritz's). This is only a variety of 0. muscefolia. 



0. musaefolia — mu - sas - foF- 1 - a 

 (Musa-leaved), Kunze. 

 A very pretty and distinct, stove 

 species, native of Ceylon and the 

 Malayan Islands. It is a plant of 

 dwarf, compact habit, and is best 

 adapted for growing on mounds of 

 peat. As in 0. articulata and 0. 

 Cumingii, the stalks, Jin. to lin. 

 long, are jointed near the base, but 

 the shoots are different in texture, 

 being of a more woody nature than 

 those of any other dwarf-growing 

 kind, wide-climbing, and clothed with 

 adpressed scales, curving upwards to 

 where they bear their fronds, singly 

 or in tufts of from two to five, and 

 then downwards. The fronds, of a 

 somewhat leathery texture, 6in. to 

 12in. long and lin. to l^in. broad, 

 are gradually narrowed towards both 

 ends, and naked or slightly hairy on their midrib. The very prominent sori 

 (spore masses) are disposed in two irregular rows, one on each side of and 

 near the midrib. The whole plant is of a fine, dark green colour. — Hooker, 

 Synopsis Filicum, p. 302. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, ii., p. 481. 



Fig. 7. Oleandra Cumingii longipes 



(J nat. size). 



