374 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



fronds are broadly spear-shaped in general outline, and are cut down to within 

 a short distance of the midrib into narrow segments lin. long, with deep, 

 rounded lobes. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 78. 



T. plnnatum — pin-na'-tum (pinnate), Hedwig. 



This species, native of Tropical America, and as beautiful as it is curious, 

 is also called T. floribundum. Its fronds are produced from an upright, tufted 

 rootstock, and borne on strong, naked or slightly hairy stalks Sin. to 12in. 

 long and of a wiry nature ; they are simply pinnate (once divided), 4in. to 

 18in. long, Sin, to 12in. broad, and often proliferous and rooting at their 

 summit, where they terminate in a tail-like process. They are composed of 

 from two to ten pairs of very transparent leaflets and a terminal one, all 

 of them 2m. to 6in. long, about fin. broad, sharply and finely toothed, the 

 upper edge being usually free from the stem at the base, while the under-one 

 is attached to it and often furnished with a broad wing. The spore masses are 

 disposed all round the leaflets. This species succeeds best on a mossy piece 

 of Tree Fern and in a temperature higher than that required for most of 

 the Trichomanes. — Hooker and Greville, Icones Filicum, t. 9. Nicholson, 

 Dictionary of Gardening, iv., p. 81. 



T. plum a — plu'-ma (feather-like), Hooker. 



This beautiful and rare species is a native of Borneo, where it was 

 discovered near Sarawak by T. Lobb, growing amongst decayed logs and 

 moss. Its elegant fronds, 6in. to 9in. long including their wiry stalks, are 

 produced from a thick, short, scarcely creeping rhizome ; they are three or 

 four times divided to the rachis, and their segments, which are hair-like and 

 stand out on all sides, form a thickened mass of foliage as delicate as the 

 finest sea- weeds. — Hooker, Icones Plantarum, t. 997 ; Second Century of Ferns, 

 t. 97. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, iv., p. 81. 



T. Prieurii— Prieur'-i-i (Le Prieur's), Kunze. 



This magnificent species, which in gardens is better known under the 

 name of T. anceps, and is also called T. Leprieurii, is a native of the West 

 Indies, Peru, and Brazil. It is of erect and somewhat rigid habit. The fronds, 

 produced from an upright rootstock and borne on strong, tufted stalks 4in. 



