100 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



P. (Phegopteris) amplum — Phe-gop'-tcr-is ; am'-plum (large), Humboldt. 



This stove species, native of Martinique, is a plant of very large 

 dimensions, with fronds tripinnatifid (three times divided nearly to the midrib), 

 and furnished with oblong, blunt segments of smooth texture and slightly 

 dented at the edge (Fig. 33). The large and conspicuous sori (spore masses) 

 are disposed in one row on each side of the midvein, and eventually cover the 

 whole under-side of the frond. — Lowe, Ferns British and Exotic, ii., t. 52. 



Fig. 33. Segment of Mature Frond of Polypodium amplum 

 (much reduced). 



P. andinum — and'-in-um (native of the Andes), Hooker. 



This stove species, of small dimensions, native of the Andes of Ecuador 

 and Peru, has fronds nearly stalkless, 4in. to Gin. long, Jin. to Jin. broad, 

 and cut about a third of the way down to the midrib into regular, blunt 

 lobes, the lower part of which is very gradually narrowed. These fronds 

 are of a somewhat leathery texture, and are thinly coated on both sides with 

 soft, spreading hairs. The large, round sori (spore masses) are disposed one 

 to each lobe. — Hooker, Species Filicum, iv., p. 178 ; Second Century of 

 Ferns, t. 6. 



P. (Goniopteris) androgynum — Go-m-op'-ter-is ; an-drog'-yn-um 

 (hermaphrodite), Poiret. 

 This strong-growing, stove species, also known in gardens under the 

 name of P. tetragonum, is a native of Cuba, Panama, Brazil, and Peru. Its 

 fronds, which are 1ft. to 3ft. long, lft. or more in breadth, and borne on erect 

 stalks lft. to 2ft. long, naked or slightly hairy, are furnished with numerous 

 leaflets which vary greatly in their breadth and in the depth of their lobes. 

 These leaflets are usually 6in. to 8in. long and Jin. to lin. broad ; the lowest, 

 narrowed at the base and sometimes stalked, are cut from a quarter to half- 



