ADIANTUM. 



265 



A. colpodes — eol-po'-des (hollowed), Moore. 



This elegant species, native of Tropical America, is most useful for growing 

 in suspended baskets or for planting in the wall of the stove Fernery, where 

 its long, slender, and pendulous fronds can show themselves to advantage. 

 These fronds are from 1ft. to l^ft. long, 4in. to Sin. broad, tripinnate (three 

 times divided to the midrib), and borne on slender stipes (stalks) covered 

 with long but very narrow, light brown scales. The lower pinnae (leaflets) 

 spread at right angles from the stalk, and are about 4in. long by l^in. broad, 

 slightly branched below. The pinnules (leafits), with which the pinnae are 

 abundantly furnished, although of a very rich green when matured, are, when 

 in a young state, of a very delicate pink colour : they are nearly or quite 

 sessile (stalkless), about Jin. long and Jin. broad, with their upper margin 

 rounded, lobed, and toothed. The sori (spore masses) in this species are 

 disposed on the teeth of the outer edge of the pinnules. — Hooker, Synojisis 

 Filicum, p. 124. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, i., p. 25. 



A. COncinnum — con-cm'-num (neat), Hooker. 



A stove species of great beauty, native of Tropical America, from Mexico 

 to the West Indies, southward to Peru and Brazil. On account of its 

 decorative qualities, it is well worthy of a place in every collection. The 

 fronds, which often reach 2ft. in length and measure about 8in. in their 

 broadest part, are produced from a central, tufted crown and borne on stipes 

 (stalks) 4in. to Sin. long, green when in a young state, but shining black 

 when mature. They are tripinnate (three times divided to the midrib) and 

 furnished with numerous spreading, flexuous pinnae (leaflets bending in a 

 zigzag manner), the lowest of which are frequently Gin. long by 3in. broad. 

 The pinnules (leafits) are of thin texture and quite smooth, and are 

 broadly wedge-shaped at the base, while their upper edge is irregularly 

 rounded and has lobes blunt and mostly entire : the lowest segment of each 

 pinna and pinnule is large and sessile (stalkless). The sori (spore masses) 

 are kidney- shaped and disposed in distinct hollows all round the outer margin 

 at the rate of eight or ten to each pinnule. The fronds — which are of 

 about an equal width for two-thirds of their length, then gradually tapering 

 to their extremity — being of a semi-transparent nature and the sori being 

 numerous, the latter are shown to great advantage, especially when the plant 



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