344 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



brown, chaffy hairs.— Hooker, Species Filicum, i., p. 40. Nicholson, Dictionary 

 of Gardening, i., p. 55. 



A. aspera — as'-per-a (rough), Brown. 



A very handsome, stove species, also known as A. nitens, native of the 

 West Indies, and readily identified through the large, glossy, lanceolate (spear- 

 shaped) scales, lin. or more in length, which are found at the base of the 



Fig, 51. Alsophila aspera 

 (much reduced). 



stalks. The trunk is 10ft. to 30ft. high, slender, and covered with short, 

 stout spines, which also extend to the stalk and rachis (stalk of the leafy 

 portion) of the fronds. These fronds, which reach some 10ft. to 12ft. in length 

 and are gracefully arched (Fig. 51) and of a very light and pleasing green 

 colour, are bipinnate (twice divided to the midrib). The pinnules (leafits), 

 of oblong shape, are borne on short footstalks : they are pinnatifid (cut 



