198 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



creeping rhizome its slender, pinnate fronds, 1ft. to 2ft. long, 6in. to 12in. 

 broad, often elongated and rooting at the point, and copiously bearing young 

 plants in the axils of the leaflets. The leaflets, of a dull green colour, of 

 a somewhat leathery texture, and slightly hairy on both sides, are 4in. to 

 6in. long, Jin. to fin. broad at the base, with their edge bluntly lobed and 

 their extremity often blunt. The abundant oval spore masses are sometimes 

 confluent. — Hooker, Species Filicum, v., p. 13. Nicholson, Dictionary of 

 Gardening, iii., p. 192. Lowe, Ferns British and Exotic, ii., t. 18. Beddome, 

 Ferns of Southern India, t. 172. 



P. (Drynarla) propinquum — Dryn-a'-ri-a ; prop-in'-qu-um (allied), 

 Wallich. 



A stove species, of medium dimensions, native of Nepaul, Sikkim, Simla, 

 Khasya, and Assam, where, according to Beddome, it occurs at elevations 

 varying between 5000ft. and 7000ft. ; it is also found in Java and in the West 

 African Islands. Its barren and fertile fronds, produced from a wide-creeping 

 rhizome of a woody nature, are of totally distinct appearance : the barren ones, 

 4in. to 9in. long and 3in. to 4in. broad, are cut half-way or more down to the 

 rachis into bluntish lobes, while the fertile ones, 1-Jffc. to 3ft. long and often 

 lft. broad, have their lobes 4in. to 6in. long, reaching down nearly or quite 

 to the rachis ; all are of a somewhat leathery texture and of a dull green 

 colour. The sori (spore masses), disposed in a regular row on each side of 

 and close to the midrib, are placed at the point of union of several veinlets. 

 P. Willdenovii of Blume is identical with this species. — Hooker, Species Filicum, 

 v., p. 97 ; Garden Ferns, t. 35. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, iii., 

 p. 192. Lowe, Ferns British and Exotic, ii., t. 57. Beddome, Ferns of British 

 India, t. 160. 



P. pruinatum — pru-i-na'-tum (hoary), Baker. 



A greenhouse species, of very diminutive dimensions, native of Nicaragua. 

 — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 508. 



P. (Phegopteris) pteroideum— Phe-gop'-ter-is ; pter-o-i'-de-um (wing- 

 like), Klotzsch. 



This gigantic, stove species, which is said to attain as much as 15ft. in 

 height, is a native of Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil. Its fronds, 3ft. to 6ft. 



