292 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



side, are of peculiar form, the upper ones being nearly square, lin. long, and 

 almost stalkless. The inferior pinna? are longer, and have their lower side 

 more developed and their inner side imbricated (overlapping) over the midrib. 

 The sori (spore masses) are numerous, straight, and sometimes Jin. in length. 

 — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 472. 



A. Hendersonii— Hen-der-so'-ni-i (Henderson's). A variety of .4. tetra- 

 pliyllum. 



A. HensloYianum— Hen-slo-vi-a'-num (Henslow's), Hooker. 



This beautiful and most distinct, stove species, also known as A. Icetum, 

 A. Beichenbachii, and .4. sessilifolium, is a native of Columbia and Peru, 

 and is of quite a different aspect from all other Adiantutns, as the stipes 

 (stalks), instead of being as usual thin, black, and polished, are thick, 

 green, and gradually become of a dark chestnut- brown colour and slightly 

 hairy. The fronds, which are produced from a creeping rhizome (prostrate 

 stem), are from 1ft. to l|ft. long, Gin. to 9in. broad, and of a peculiarly 

 arching (half-drooping) character. They are tripinnate (three times divided to 

 the midrib), with the lower pinnse (leaflets) slightly branched and having 

 numerous pinnules (leafits) of a delicate texture and light green in colour : 

 the lower line of the pinnules is nearly straight, while the upper margin is 

 somewhat rounded and lobed, and the point bluntly rounded. The reniform 

 (kidney-shapecl) sori (spore masses) are abundantly produced in the hollows 

 of the lobes. This species is also readily distinguished from most others 

 by the peculiarity possessed by its pinnules, the inner edge of which 

 usually overlaps the midrib. See Plate (for which we are indebted to 

 Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons).— Hooker, Species Filicum, ii., p. 43. Nicholson, 

 Dictionary of Gardening, i. 7 p. 26. 



A. Henslovianum is of very easy culture, but, being entirely deciduous, 

 requires a period of rest from November to February, when it is almost, 

 if not entirely, leafless. 



A. Hewardia — Hew-ard'-i-a (Heward's), Kunze. 



This stove species, of small dimensions, also known under the name of 

 Hewardia adiantoides, is a native of Jamaica. Its fronds, pinnate or bipinnate 

 (once or twice divided to the midrib), borne on erect, black, glossy stalks 



