414 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



divided. The leaves of the lower plane are crowded, oblong, pointed at the 

 upper corner, of a bright green colour, moderately firm in texture, nearly 

 square on the lower side at the base, and do not overlap the stem. The 

 leaves of the upper plane, broadly spear-shaped and sharp -pointed, are half as 

 long as the others, and the fruiting spikes are from Jin. to lin. long.— Baker, 

 Handbook of the Fern- Allies, p. 91. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, 

 hi., p. 409. 



S. caudata — cau-da'-ta (having a tail). Synonymous with S. canaliculata. 



S. caulescens — caul-es'-cens (stemmed), Spring. 



One of the handsomest of all the cultivated Selaginellas and a native of 

 Japan, China, and the East Indies, where it is said to ascend to 6000ft. 

 elevation. The stems, generally 6in. to ' 12in. long, are stiffly upright, 

 unbranched in their lower half, with very small, closely-pressed leaves, and 

 much divided in their upper half. The branchlets, close and deltoid (in shape 

 of the Greek delta, A), are twice or three times divided to the stem into 

 narrow segments, which are liable to curl up when exposed to drought. The 

 leaves of the lower plane are crowded, sickle-shaped, sharp-pointed, bright 

 green, firm in texture, rather unequal- sided, shortly ciliated on the upper side 

 at the base, and slightly overlap the stem ; those of the upper plane, a third 

 or one-fourth as long, are sharp -pointed and much overlap. The fruiting 

 spikes are square, and from £in. to Jin. long. — Baker, Handbook of the Fern- 

 Allies, p. 94. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, iii., p. 409. 



S. C. amoena — am-oe'-na (pleasing), Spring. 



This variety, which differs from the typical plant through the upper part 

 of its stems, 1ft. long, being triangular and pinnately branched, with spreading, 

 distant, acuminate leaves, is a native of Mexico. It is a very useful subject 

 for indoor decoration, the colour of the whole plant being a bright and cheerful 

 green, and its foliage being of a particularly resisting nature in the dry 

 atmosphere of a room. — Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, iii., p. 409. 



S. C. argentea — ar-gen'-te-a (silvery), Spring. 



In this variety, native of Malaysia, the branchlets are larger and more 

 compound than in the type. The leaves of the lower plane, broadly spear- 



