54 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



P. (Platyloma) Brownii— Plat-yW-ma ; Brown'-i-i (Brown's). This is 

 synonymous with P. paradoxa. 



P. (Holcochlsena) Burkeana — Holc-och-hc'-na ; Bur-ke-a'-na (Burke's), 

 Baker. 



A stove species, of small dimensions, native of the Cape of Good Hope, 

 Angola, and the Mascarene and Comoro Islands. Its fronds, borne on tufted, 

 zigzag, nearly black, polished stalks 4in. to Gin. long, seldom measure more 

 than 4in. in length and 2in. in breadth. They are furnished in their upper 

 part with several pairs of simple, short-stalked leaflets ljin. long, Jin. broad, 

 quite entire, rounded at the base, and blunt at the point ; and in their lower 

 part with two or three pairs of slightly-divided leaflets. These leaflets are of 

 a leathery texture and naked on both surfaces. The sori (spore masses), 

 disposed in quite a continuous line round the margin of the leaflets, ultimately 

 hide the reflexed involucre. — Hooker, Species Filicum, ii., p. 213, t. 126b. 



Fig. 19. Frond of Pelleea oalomelanos 

 (J nat. size). 



P. (Platyloma) calomelanos — Plat-yl-o'-ma ; cal-om-el'-an-os (beautiful- 

 dark), Link. 



The specific name of this beautiful, greenhouse species applies to the dark 

 brown colour of its strong, tufted, upright, polished stalks, which are din. to 

 6in. long and slightly scaly towards the base. The fronds (Fig. 19), 4in. to 

 Sin. long and oin. to 6in. broad, are somewhat in shape of the Greek 

 delta, A, and twice or three times divided to the midrib. The rigid, spreading 

 leaflets are sometimes simply pinnate, but frequently are twice pinnate ; their 

 leafits, borne on rigid, though slender, black, shining stalks, are Jin. to fin. 



