358 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



brown colour, and possesses the peculiarity — very rare in Alsophilas — of 

 producing on its surface lateral growths or young plants, which, when 

 sufficiently furnished with roots, can be safely detached and soon form 

 independent subjects. Although the trunk is of comparatively short stature, 

 it produces very fine, broad, lanceolate (spear-shaped) fronds 5ft. to 6ft. 

 long, including the stalk, which are bipinnate (twice divided to the midrib). 

 The pinnaB (leaflets), also spear-shaped, are 1ft. to ljft. long and 5in. to 6in. 

 broad, and are furnished with pinnules (leafits) of a dark, shining green 

 colour and deeply toothed. The stipes (stalks), of a light brown colour 

 similar to that of the trunk, are covered all over with numerous short, 

 black spines. The whole plant is of a particularly elegant habit, its fronds 

 being conspicuously arched in a very graceful manner. 



A. Intermedia — in-ter-nied'-i-a (intermediate). A form of A. lunulata. 



A. khasyana — khas-y-a'-na (native of Khasya). This is probably identical 

 with A. latebrosa Oldhami. 



A. lasiosora— las-i-os-o'-ra (having woolly spore masses). A form of A. infesta. 



A. latebrosa — lat-eb-ro'-sa (dark, shady), Hooker. 



A stove species, native of Formosa, the Malay Islands, &c, and, according 

 to Beddome, the commonest Tree Fern almost throughout India proper, 

 notably on the Neilgherries, Pulnies, Shevaroys, Anamallay Mountains, &c. 

 The fronds are bipinnate (twice divided to the midrib) ; they are borne on 

 stipes (stalks) that are prickly at their base, muricated (rough with short, 

 hard, tubercular excrescences) upwards, and of a dark mahogany-brown 

 colour. Their primary pinnae (principal leaflets) are 1ft. to 2ft. long and 

 Gin. to Sin. broad, and terminate in a tapering point ; the pinnules (leafits) 

 are spear-shaped and also taper -pointed, Sin. to 4in. long, Jin. broad, cut 

 down nearly to the rachis (stalk of the leafy portion of the frond) into 

 numerous narrow, blunt, slightly-toothed lobes on each side : these lobes are 

 of soft, papery texture, dark green and smooth on their upper surface, while 

 their lower surface is slightly hairy and scaly. The sori (spore masses), 

 which are elevated and conspicuous, often occupy the lower two-thirds of 

 the fertile segments. — Hooker, Species Filicum, i., p. 37. Beddome, Ferns 

 of Southern India, p. 19, t. 58. 



