200 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



A. ferrugineum — fer-ru-gin'-e-uni (rust-coloured), Linden. 



A greenhouse species, of little decorative value, native of the Andes 

 of Columbia, entirely similar in habit to the better-known A. latifolium 

 (la-tif-ol'-i-um), but with fronds smaller, bright green on their upper surface, 

 while their under-side is covered with minute scales of a rusty-brown colour. 

 — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 522. 



A. (Rhipidopteris) flabellatum — Rhi-picl-op'-ter-is ; fla-bel-la'-tum (fan- 

 shaped), Hooker. 



A stove species of small dimensions, whose habitat extends from New 

 Granada to Peru. Its barren fronds are dichotomously divided (each division 

 again forked in two), and the fertile ones are entire (undivided) and nearly 

 round. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 415. 



A. flaccidum — flac'-cid-um (relaxed), Fee. 



This greenhouse species, native of Panama and North Brazil, though 

 closely related to the very decorative A. Leehlerianum (Lech-ler-i-a'-nuru) 

 and A. simplex (sim'-plex), is of botanical interest only. Its barren fronds, 

 which are of a dark green colour on both sides, seldom exceed 9in. in length, 

 including the stalks ; while the fertile ones are shorter still. — Hooker, Synopsis 

 Filicum, p. 401. 



A. (Gymnopteris) flagelliferum — Gym-nop'-ter-is ; flag-el-lif -er-um 

 (rod -shaped), W allien. 

 This is a free-growing stove species, native of the East Indies. The 

 barren fronds are of a somewhat succulent texture, and the terminal pinna? 

 (leaflets), at least 1ft. long, become narrower towards the extremity of the 

 frond, where it becomes proliferous. These barren fronds, which average 

 about 2ft. in length, are borne on stems 6in. to 12in. long, and are usually 

 furnished with three pairs of pinna?, 3in. to Gin. long and lin. to 2in. 

 broad, borne on short stalks, undulated or crimped, and of a dull green 

 colour. The fertile fronds are from 1ft. to l^ft. long, and their pinna?, 2in. 

 to oin. long, are seldom more than ^in. in breadth. Both are produced 

 from a creeping, scaly rhizome (prostrate stem) of a woody nature. See 

 Fig. 27. — Hooker, Species Filicum, v., p. 258. Nicholson, Dictionary of 



