484 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



A. (Athyrium) achilleaefolium — Ath-yr'-i-um ; ach-ill- e'-Ee-foF-I-um 

 ( Achillea-leaved ) , Liebmann. 

 A greenhouse species, of medium growth, native of Mexico, and remarkable 

 on account of the regularity of the broad wing of the midrib of its pinna; 

 (leaflets). The fronds, about 2ft. long including the stalks, which are grey 

 and scaly below, are somewhat lanceolate (spear-shaped), and are furnished on 

 each side of the midrib with numerous pinna? of a peculiarly soft texture ; 

 these are 4in. to 6in. long, lin. broad, and cut throughout to the midrib into 

 numerous bluntly-toothed pinnules (leafits) Jin. long and not more than 

 £in. broad. The sori (spore masses), oblong in shape, are frequently disposed 

 one to each lobe of the pinnules. — Hooker, Species Filicum, hi., p. 230. 



Fig, 75, Frond of Asplenium abscissum 



(I nat. size). 



A. (Euasplenium) acuminatum— Eu-as-ple'-ni-um ; ac-u / -inin-a / -tum 

 (ending in a long taper-point), Hooker and Arnott. 

 This stove species, which in appearance is intermediate between the 

 popular A. hdbiferum and the less-known A. cuneatum, is a native of the 

 Sandwich Islands. Its fronds, ljffc. to 2ft. long and about 1ft. broad, are 

 borne on strong, erect stalks of a peculiar greyish colour. They are provided 

 on each side of their midrib with very numerous and closely-set pinna; 



