418 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



S. erythropus— er-yth'-rop-us (red-footed), Spring. 



A beautiful, stove species, native of the West Indies, Chili, and Central 

 Brazil, and extensively cultivated in gardens under the name of S. umbrosa. 

 Its stems, about 6in. long and of a bright crimson colour, are simple in their 

 lower half or third and branched upwards ; the lower branches are broadly 

 triangular and three times divided again. The leaves of the lower plane, 

 oblong or broadly spear-shaped, are of a bright green colour, moderately firm 

 in texture, unequal- sided, broadly rounded, strongly ciliated, and overlap the 

 stem on the upper side at the base ; those of the upper plane are half as long 

 and sharp-pointed. The fruiting spikes are square. — Baker, Handbook of the 

 Fern- Allies, p. 103. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, hi., p. 410. 



S. e. major — ma'-jor (large), Spring. 



In this form the stems are more branched than in the type, their 

 unbranched part is longer, and all the leaves are closely pressed against it. 

 — Baker, Handbook of the Fern- Allies, p. 103. 



S. e. setosa — se-to'-sa (bristly). 



According to Baker, the plant grown in gardens under this name, for 

 which we can find no authority, is but a small, starved form of the species. 

 — Baker, Handbook of the Fern-Allies, p. 103. 



S. fllicina — fil-ic-i'-na (Fern-like). The plant known by this name is 

 identical with S. hcematodes. 



S. flabellata — fla-bel-la'-ta (fan-shaped), Spring. 



A stove species, of large dimensions, found in the tropical and sub-tropical 

 regions of America and Asia. Its upright stems, 1ft. to 2ft. long, are simple 

 in the lower half and divided in their upper half, the broadly -triangular 

 branches being repeatedly divided into little branchlets. The leaves of the 

 lower plane are sharp-pointed, ascending, of a bright green colour, moderately 

 firm in texture, and distinctly overlap the stem on the upper side at the 

 base ; those of the upper plane are only from one-fourth to one-third as long, 

 egg-shaped, and sharp -pointed. The fruiting spikes are square and Jin. to 

 lin. long. — Baker, Handbook of the Fern- Allies, p. 98. Nicholson, Dictionary 

 of Gardening, iii., p. 410. 



