118 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



P. (Goniophlebium) colpodes — Go-ni-oph-leb'-i-um ; col-po'-des 

 (embosomed). This is synonymous with P. plesiosorum. 



P. COncinnum — con-cin/-num (pretty). A synonym of P. lanigerum. 



P. (Niphobolus) COnfluens — Niph-ob'-ol-us ; con'-flu-ens (cohering), 

 R. Brown. 



A singular, greenhouse species, of very small dimensions, native of 

 Temperate Eastern Australia, with fronds of two totally different characters, 

 produced from a wide -creeping, thread-like rhizome. The barren ones are 

 roundish or oblong ; the fertile ones are longer and narrower, seldom more 

 than lin. long and Jin. broad, with the edge quite entire. Both kinds are of 

 a leathery texture, naked on their upper surface, but densely clothed on their 

 under-side with a reddish-brown, woolly substance. The sori (spore masses), 

 though immersed, are prominent and sometimes cover the whole under-surface 

 of the frond. There is another plant of totally different habit, known in 

 commerce under the name of P. confluens of Fee ; this is synonymous with 

 P. apiculatum. — Hooker, Species Filicum, v., p. 46. 



P. (Drynaria) conjugatum — Dryn-a'-n-a ; con-jug-a'-tum (mixed), 

 Lamarck. 



This very handsome, stove species, which is the P. coronans of Wallicb, 

 is a native of Northern India (according to Beddome, it occurs in Nepaul, 

 Kumaon, Assam, Sikkim, Khasya, Mishmee, and Moulmein), Hong-Kong, &c. 

 It must not be confounded with P. coronans of gardens, which is P. Heracleum 

 of Eumze, a totally different plant. The handsome fronds, which are 

 arranged in a circle and produced from a very thick rhizome densely matted 

 with narrow, bright brown scales, are 2ft. to 4ft. long and 1ft. to ljft. broad. 

 Their stalk is furnished with a lobed wing 2in. to 4in. broad on each side at 

 the base ; this is narrowed and more deeply lobed upwards, gradually passing 

 into the frond, Avhich is cut down nearly to the rachis throughout into entire 

 leaflets 4in. to Sin. long, lin. to ljin. broad, of a rigid texture, and naked on 

 both sides. The sori (spore masses) are disposed in a single row close to the 

 anterior main vein, and are sometimes confluent. — Hooker \ Sj)ecies Filicum, v., 

 p. 95 ; Filices Exoticoe, t. 91. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, iii., p. 188. 

 Beddome, Ferns of British India, t. 13. 



