296 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



A. Lathomi— La'-thom-i (Lathom's), Moore. 



A beautiful, garden variety, possibly a natural sport from A. Ghiesbreghtii 

 {A. scutum of commerce), which it somewhat resembles, though it differs 

 from that species in having a gracefully-drooping instead of a semi-erect 

 habit. Its pendulous and massive fronds, which are produced from a tufted 

 crown, measure, when fully developed, 2|.ft. to 3ft. in length, including 

 the smooth, black, shining stipes (stalks) on which they are borne. They 

 are pentangular (having five angles) in shape, from the enlargement of the 

 basal pinnules (leafits) of the lowest pair of pinnae (leaflets), are quadripinnate 

 (four times divided to the midrib), and furnished with very large, imbricated 

 (overlapping) pinnules. The roundish or kidney-shaped sori (spore masses) 

 are disposed in the lobes of the upper margin of the pinnules. This is 

 one of the most ornamental of the large-growing Maidenhairs in cultivation, 

 and quite as useful in its way as the smaller A. cuneatum and varieties. — 

 Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, L, p. 27. 



A. Lawsonianum — Law-so-ni-a'-num (Lawson's). This is a variety 

 of A. cuneatum. 



A. Legrandi— Leg-rand'-i (Legrand's). A variety of A. cuneatum. 



A. Leprieurii— Lep-rieur'-i-i (Leprieur's), Hooker. 



A stove species, of no great decorative value, but interesting on account 

 of the anastomosing (intermixed) veins of its foliage. It grows to a height 

 of about lift., and is a native of British Guiana. — Hooker, Species Filicum, 

 ii., p. 31, t. 82b. 



A. Lindeni — Lin'-den-i (Linden's), Moore. 



This is a magnificent, stove species, native of the Amazon Valley. Its 

 large, erect (upright) fronds, borne on black stipes (stalks) 9in. to 12in. long, 

 are tripinnate (three times divided to the midrib) and furnished with falcate 

 (sickle- shaped) pinnules (leafits) l£in. long, having their outer margins closely 

 but bluntly lobed : these pinnules are of a peculiarly deep green colour 

 and their lobes are toothed. The oblong or kidney-shaped sori (spore 

 masses) are disposed in interrupted lines along the superior margin of 

 the pinnules. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 473. Nicholson, Dictionary of 

 Gardening, i., p. 27. 



