SELAGINELLA. 



425 



S. M. formosa — for-mo'-sa (beautiful). 



This variety is of a much slenderer habit than the typical plant ; its 

 stems, more erect and of a softer nature, are more divided, and their branchlets 

 have a peculiar drooping habit and are pale green in colour. 



S. M. stolonifera — stol-o-nif'-er-a (stolon-bearing). 



In habit, this variety resembles formosa, but its slender, light branchlets, 

 as well as the stems, are conspicuously upright. 



S. M. Yariegata— var-i-eg-a'-ta (variegated). 



The only distinctive character of this form, which is extensively grown 

 for decorative purposes, resides in the nature of its foliage, which is copiously 

 blotched with creamy -white all over the plant. 



S. molliceps — mol'-lic-eps (soft-stemmed), Spring. 



With this very pretty, stove species, of small dimensions, S. rubricaulis 

 of A. Braun and of gardens is identical. Its dense, upright stems are of 

 a pale reddish colour, about 6in. long, and copiously divided, their lower 

 branches being again several times forked. The leaves of the lower plane 

 are oblong-spear-shaped, sharp-pointed, very unequal- sided, rounded at the 

 base, and slightly overlap the stem on the upper side at the base ; those of 

 the upper plane are half to one- third as long, egg-shaped or broadly spear- 

 shaped, and sharp-pointed. The fruiting spikes, abundantly produced, are 

 resupinate (so turned or twisted that their under-side becomes the upper side) 

 and Jin. to Jin. long. — Baker, Handbook of the Fern-Allies, p. 120. Nicholson, 

 Dictionary of Gardening, hi., p. 411. 



S. mutabilis — mu-ta'-bil-is (changeable). Synonymous with S. serpens. 



S. nitens — nit'-ens (shining), Baker. 



This stove species, closely allied to S. flabellata, but of smaller dimensions, 

 is a native of Fernando Po and the Cameroon Mountains. — Baker, Handbook 

 of the Fern-Allies, p. 98. 



S. oregana — or-eg-a'-na (from Oregon), Eaton. 



This singular and very pretty, greenhouse species was discovered by 

 General Kautz in 1855, hanging in dense masses from branches of trees in the 



