362 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



T. apiifolium— ap'-i-if-ol'-i-um (Apium-leaved), Presl. 



This species resembles the better-known T. maximum in general outline, 

 but it is of more graceful habit, the texture of its fronds is more delicate, 

 and the involucres are much smaller and shorter, being almost like those of 

 Hymenophyllum. It is a native of the Philippine Islands and Polynesia, and 

 its fronds sometimes attain nearly 2ft. in length, including their dark, strong, 

 hairy stalks .—Hooker, Species Filicum, I, p. 137. Nicholson, Dictionary of 

 Gardening, iv., p. 80. 



T. assimile — as-sim'-il-e (assimilated), Mettenius. 



A small-growing species, native of Aneiteum, producing from a slender 

 rhizome oblong- spear- shaped fronds 2£in. long, lin. broad, three times deeply 

 cleft, and proliferous from the stalk, which . is about Ijin. long and winged 

 throughout. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 464. 



T. attenuatum — at-ten-u-a'-tum (attenuated). Synonymous with T. alatum. 



T. auriculatum — aur-ic-ul-a'-tum (eared), Blume. 



This is one of the loveliest of Ferns ; it has a remarkably extensive 

 habitat, being found in Japan, Formosa, Northern Hindostan, the Philippines, 

 Java, and Guiana, where, according to Backhouse, it climbs on rocks, and 

 also to the tops of the loftiest trees. Its fronds, which are almost stalkless, 

 6in. to 12in. long, ljin. to 2in. broad, and twice divided nearly to the 

 midrib, are produced from strong, wide-creeping rhizomes, and have their 

 rachis (stalk of the leafy portion) very slightly winged throughout or above 

 only. They are composed of shortly -stalked leaflets, obliquely wedge-shaped 

 at the base, and exquisitely transparent. This plant is also known in 

 gardens under the name of T. dissectum.— Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 82. 

 Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, iv., p. 80. Beddome, Ferns of British 

 India, t, 182. 



T. Bancroftii — Ban-crof-ti-i (Bancroft's), Hooker and Greville. 



A dwarf species, with wavy, crispy, transparent fronds, Bin. to 6in. long 

 and lin. broad, and borne on* stalks that are lin. to Sin. long and broadly 

 winged to the base; they are broadly egg-shaped, and deeply cleft into 

 oblong, blunt, notched segments, usually overlapping (Fig. 102) and of a deep 



