320 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



A. rhodophyllum— rhod-oph-yl'-luui (rose-fronded), Moore. 



This beautiful, stove Fern, of dwarf and compact habit, is a supposed 

 hybrid of garden origin: it has the appearance of having issued from 

 A. Ghiesbreghtii (A. scutum of commerce), to which it is far superior in its 

 ornamental qualities. The fronds, which are abundantly produced from a 

 densely-tufted crown and borne on very slender, black, shining stipes (stalks), 

 have their leafy portion about 1ft. long, triangular in shape, tripinnate (three 

 times divided to the midrib), and elegantly spreading. The pinnules (leafits), 

 borne on short, hair-like, black footstalks, are nearly fan-shaped, lin. to l|in. 

 across, truncate (terminating abruptly) on the basal side, very finely dentate 

 and split on the outer margin : when first developed they are of a beautiful 

 rosy-purple tint ; this gradually changes to a soft, pale green colour, which 

 they assume when mature. The sori (spore masses) are sparingly produced, 

 oblong in form, and disposed singly at the extremities of the lobes on the 

 outer or superior margin only. The remarkable diversity of colours presented 

 by the pinnules at different stages of their growth, and which are all to be 

 seen on the plant at the same time, renders this Adiantum one of the most 

 effective decorative Ferns in cultivation. To this striking characteristic must 

 also be added its compact habit and the elegant contour of its tufted fronds. 

 All these characters are faithfully reproduced in young plants obtained from 

 spores. For the Plate illustrating this plant and A. deflexum, we are 

 indebted to Messrs. J. Veitch and Sons.— Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, 

 iv,, p. 485. 



A. rhomboideum — rhom-boid'-e-um (rhomboid). A South American 

 Fern identical with the West Indian A. villosum. 



A. rigidulum— rig-id'-ul-um (somewhat stiff), Mettenius. 



A stove species, of small dimensions and of little decorative value, with 

 fronds of a glaucous (bluish-green) or whitish colour on both surfaces ; native 

 of the West Indies. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum,, p. 474. 



A. roseum — ros'-e-um (rosy), Backhouse. 



A greenhouse Fern, of dwarf habit, whose fronds, scarcely Sin. long, are 

 of a lovely pinkish tint when young. It is of garden origin.— Nicholson, 

 Dictionary of Gardening, iv., p. 485. 



