PTERIS. 



303 



P. t. Yariegata — var-i-eg-a'-ta (variegated), May. 



This variety, of much smaller dimensions than the type or any of the 

 other known varieties, is beautifully and very distinctly marked with a white 

 band running along the centre of the leaflets and leafits, and forming a very 

 pleasing contrast with the bright green colour of their edges. 



P. tricolor — tric'-ol-or (three-coloured). This is a variety of P. aspericaulis. 



P. tripartita — trip-ar-ti'-ta (thrice-parted). Synonymous with P. Milneana. 



P. umbrosa — um-bro'-sa (shady), R. Brown. 



This very handsome, greenhouse species, native of New South Wales and 

 Australia, was, according to Lowe, introduced into the Royal Gardens, Kew, 

 in 1824. It is a tall, erect-growing plant, with fronds 1ft. to 2ft. long, Gin. 

 to 12in. broad, and of a particularly drooping character. These fronds are 

 borne on strong, reddish-brown stalks lft. to l|ft. long, and are composed of 

 a terminal leaflet and from six to nine pairs of lateral ones, all of which run 

 down the stalk at the base, so as to form a broad wing which extends nearly 

 or quite from the base of one leaflet to the next. In the barren fronds the 

 leaflets have finely-toothed edges, while in the fertile ones they are narrower 

 and smooth on the edge. The lowest leaflets in each frond are usually divided 

 into from two to four leafits, but the others are entire ; all are of an elegantly 

 pendulous nature, leathery in texture, and dark shining green in colour. The 

 spore masses are disposed in a continuous line extending to within lin. of 

 the point of the leaflets and leafits ; they are green when young, afterwards 

 of a conspicuous reddish -brown colour, and are turned back so as to cover the 

 edges. — Hooker, Sjjecies Filicum, ii., p. 162, t. 130b. Nicholson, Dictionary 

 of Gardening, iii., p. 245. Lowe, Ferns British and Exotic, iii., t. 39. 



P. undulata — un-dul-a'-ta (wavy), Moore. 



A very handsome, evergreen, stove Fern, native of Fiji, somewhat 

 resembling P. Endlicheriana ; it differs, however, in the undulated nature of 

 the margins of its segments, which are also less pointed. The stalks, ljft. 

 long, are of a dark chestnut-brown colour. The fronds, 2ft. long and 2ft. 

 broad, are triangular and pinnate, with leaflets cleft more than half-way to 

 the midrib and divided so as to leave a broad, wavy wing to the rachis. The 



