156 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



which its fronds, 1ft. to ljft. long and 1ft. broad, are produced ; these are 

 borne on smooth stalks 5in. to 6in. long and of a reddish-brown colour. The 

 loose, spreading leaflets are stalkless, oin. to 7in. long, lin. to ljin. broad, 

 wedge-shaped at the base, and slightly notched along the edges ; they are of 

 a somewhat leathery texture, naked on both sides, and, unlike P. subauriculatum, 

 have their spore masses disposed in two or three rows on each side of the 

 mid vein. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 345. 



P. Krameri — Kra'-mer-i (Kramer's), Franchet and Savatier. 



This very pretty, hardy species, introduced from Japan in 1878, though 

 quite distinct, resembles our common Beech Fern (P. Phegopteris) in being 

 of a deciduous nature, and in having extensively -creeping and freely-branching 

 rhizomes. Its fronds, borne on slender, wiry stalks 3in. to 4in. long, are of 

 a particularly pale green colour, 5in. to 6in. long, and 2 Jin. to 3in. broad ; 

 they are not cut to the midrib, but all the segments are connected with it by 

 a broad wing, being cut half-way down into oblong, undulated lobes, while 

 the lower pair, which are more deeply cut, are conspicuously deflexed. The 

 fronds are of a thin, papery texture, and the numerous black spore masses 

 are scattered over the whole of their under-surface, from the wing to the apex 

 of the segments, in which they form two lines on each side of the midvein. 

 — T. Moore, Gardeners' Chronicle, 1881, p. 136. 



P. (Phymatodes) Labrusca — Phy-mat-o'-des ; Lab-rus'-ca (resembling 

 Vitis Labrusca), Hooker. 

 This very distinct, stove species, native of Borneo, produces from a woody 

 rootstock its very distinct, curiously- shaped fronds, 3in. to 4in. long, 2 Jin. to 

 3in. broad, with a deep notch at the base and wavy edges ; they are of 

 a leathery texture, naked on both sides, and resemble the leaves of Vitis 

 Labrusca, the American Grape Vine. The small and abundant spore masses 

 are irregularly scattered over the whole of the under-surface. — Hooker, Species 

 Filicum, v., p. 73, t. 285b. 



P. lachnopodium — lach-nop-od'-i-um (downy-footed), J. Smith. 



A very ornamental, stove species, native of Jamaica, and said by Lowe 

 to have been introduced into the Royal Gardens, Kew, in 1843. Its fronds, 



