502 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



(stalk of the leafy portion) with from ten to twenty pinna; (leaflets) 2in. 

 to 4in. long and about lin. broad. The pinna; occupy a nearly horizontal 

 position and are attached to the midrib by short stalks ; they are subfalcate 

 (somewhat sickle-shaped), have their edge crenate (deeply toothed), and 

 their two sides unequal, the upper one showing at the upper half of the 

 pinna a distinctly cordate (heart-shaped) auricle, which is the most 

 distinguishing character of this plant. The sori (spore masses) are distant, 

 and are situated close to the midvein, which they do not reach, any more 

 than they do the edge.— Hooker, Species Filicum, iii., p. 118, t. 171. 

 Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, i., p. 128. 



A. (Euasplenium) auritum— Eu-as-ple' -ni-um ; au-ri'-tum (eared), 

 Swartz. 



This stove species, though common in Tropical America, is also found 

 in the Bourbon Islands and in Madagascar, and, according to Beddome, it 

 is plentiful on the Neilgherries and Anamallays, where it grows principally 

 on rocks in the bed of the Toracaddoo Eiver, at an elevation of 4500ft. Its 

 fronds, produced from a thick, decumbent rhizome, are borne on firm, erect, 

 naked stalks 4in. to Sin. long and of a greyish colour. They are from 9in. 

 to 12in. long, Sin. to 4in. broad, and furnished on each side of their stalk 

 with ten to fifteen distinctly -stalked pinna3 (leaflets) about 2in. long ; the 

 extremity of these pinna; is somewhat blunt, and the edge sharply toothed 

 or often lobed, especially towards the base, which is distinctly auricled (eared) 

 and suddenly narrowed. The whole of the plant is of a bright green 

 colour, and the sori (spore masses) are disposed in two broad and rather 

 oblique rows. — Hooker, Species Filicum, iii., p. 179. Nicholson, Dictionary 

 of Gardening, i., p. 128. Lowe, Ferns British and Exotic, v., t. 32. 

 Beddome, Ferns of Southern India, t. 137. 



A. (Thamnopteris) australasicum— Tham-nop'-ter-is ; aus-tra-las'- 

 ic-um (Australian). A variety of A. Nidus. 



A. (Athyrium) axillare— Ath-yr'-i-um ; ax-il-la'-re (axillary), John 

 Smith. 



This interesting, large-growing, yet elegant, greenhouse species is a native 

 of Madeira and the Azores. The fronds, which- are 2ft. to 3ft. long, are 



