520 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



These fronds are disposed shuttlecock-fashion on the summit of a short 

 caudex (stem), which Plumier, who found this plant in almost every place 

 he visited in the American Islands, in describing it in his " Traite des 

 Fougeres de l'Amerique,'' p. 14, says: "La racine de cette Fougere est toute 

 chevelue, par quantite de petites fibres grisatres et longues de deux a trois 

 pouces, d'oii sortent quatre ou cinq pedicules ou costes menues, rondes, d'un 



Fig. 85. Asplenium Colensoi 

 (4 nat. size). 



vert sale et d'environ un pied " (the root of this Fern is entirely hairy on 

 account of a quantity of small greyish fibres 2in. to Sin. long, from among 

 which emerge four or five pedicles or fine round stalks, of a dirty green 

 colour and about 1ft. long). The " racine " which he mentions is evidently 

 the rootstock or caudex, and the "greyish fibres" are undoubtedly rootlets 



