66 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



whatever for several months in summer, and is exposed to an intensely 

 scorching sun" (Eaton, " Ferns of North America," ii., p. 12). Its 

 triangular fronds, 4in. to 6in. long, 2in. to Bin. broad, and twice divided 

 nearly to the midrib, are produced from a short, thick, knotted rootstock, 

 densely chaffy with very narrow, dark brown scales, and are borne on stiff, 

 erect, dark chestnut-brown, polished stalks 3in. to 6in. long. The rigid, 

 spreading leaflets are furnished with distantly-placed, stalkless leafits on each 

 side, which are cut at the base into three narrow, mucronate (sharply-pointed) 

 segments, of which the central one is the largest. In very large plants, some 

 of the leaflets are more or less elongated and have from five to seven pairs 

 of leafits. The fronds are of a leathery texture, very pale glaucous -green and 

 naked on both surfaces, and the sori (spore masses) are quite hidden by the 

 broad, toothed, leathery involucre, which is rolled permanently over them. — 

 Hooker, Species Filicum, ii., p. 144, t. 116a. Nicholson, Dictionary of 

 Gardening, hi., p. 67. Eaton, Ferns of North America, ii., t. 47. 



P. (Platyloma) pallida — Plat-yl-o'-ma ; pal'-lid-a (pale), Baker. 



A greenhouse species, native of Mexico, with oblong- spear -shaped fronds 

 9in. to lOin. long, 2in. to 2^in. broad, twice cut to the midrib, and borne on 

 grey-brown stalks 3in. to 4in. long, clothed with minute, rough, narrow, 

 brown scales. The short- stalked leaflets are distantly placed, and are 

 furnished with oblong, blunt, slightly -lobed leafits ; they are of a leathery 

 texture, of a pale greyish-green colour on their upper surface, and thinly 

 hairy underneath. The sori (spore masses) are furnished with a narrow 

 involucre, which is soon hidden. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 478. 



P. (Platyloma) paradoxa — Plat-yl-o'-ma ; par-ad-ox'-a (paradoxical), 

 Hooker. 



This handsome, greenhouse species, of medium size, native of Queensland 

 and New South Wales, is said by Lowe to have been introduced into England 

 in 1821. It is frequently found in gardens under the name of P. Brownii. 

 The oblong fronds, 6in. to 9in. long, 4in. to 6in. broad, and only once divided 

 to the midrib, are borne on strong, upright stalks 6in. to 9in. long, of a dark 

 brown colour, and slightly woolly. The short- stalked leaflets, four to six to 

 a frond, have a considerable space between them ; they are l£in. to 2in. long, 



