428 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



S. rubella— rub-el'-la (reddish), Moore. 



A greenhouse species, distinct in habit and general appearance, introduced 

 into cultivation (from what country is unknown) about 1870. Its somewhat 

 upright stems, about 1ft. long, are of a reddish-brown colour and branched, the 

 lower branches being again divided into five to seven branchlets. The leaves 

 of the lower plane are oblique-oblong, moderately firm in texture, and of 

 a dark green colour, turning reddish with age ; those of the upper plane are 

 half as long and much overlap. The fruiting spikes are square and §in. to 

 lin. long. — Baker, Handbook of the Fern- Allies, p. 81. Nicholson, Dictionary 

 of Gardening, hi., p. 412. 



S. rilbricaulis — rub-ric-au'-lis (red-stemmed). This is synonymous with 

 S. molliceps. 



S. serpens — ser'-pens (winding), Spring. 



This remarkably pretty, stove species is very useful for covering bare 

 surfaces of rocks or brickwork, upon which it thrives without soil. It is 

 a native of the West Indies, and is also known in commerce as S. mutabilis 

 and S. variabilis: these garden names are indicative of the changes which 

 take place in the colour of the leaves at different times of the day. The stems, 

 densely matted, quite trailing, and 6in. to 9in. long, are copiously branched. 

 The leaves of the lower plane are crowded, blunt, and moderately firm in 

 texture ; those of the upper plane are one-third as long and sharp-pointed. 

 The square fruiting spikes are Jin. to £in. long. — Baker, Handbook of the 

 Fern-Allies, p. 46. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, hi., p. 412. 



S. setosa — se-to'-sa (bristly). A variety of S. erythropus. 



3. sinensis — sin-en'-sis (Chinese). A garden name for S. canaliculata. 



S. spinulosa — spi-nul-o'-sa (having small spines), Spring. 



A stove species, of very small dimensions, native of Java, with very slender 

 and little-branched, trailing stems lin. to 2in. long. The fruiting spikes are 

 very short and square. — Baker, Handbook of the Fern- Allies, p. 65. Nicholson, 

 Dictionary of Gardening, hi., p. 412. 



S. Stolonifera — stol-o-nif'-er-a (stolon-bearing). A variety of S. Martensii. 



