ASPLENIUM. 



521 



forming it. The fronds are smooth, of a bright green colour and thin, papery 

 texture, lanceolate (spear-head-shaped), and composed of from ten to fifteen 

 pairs of pinnae (leaflets) Sin. to Sin, long at the middle part of the frond, 

 whence they gradually decrease in size to the usually acuminate (tapering) 

 extremity. These leaflets are closely placed ; they are generally oblong- spear- 

 shaped and tripinnatifid (three times divided half-way to the midrib), but 

 more commonly only twice divided in that way, thus forming segments 

 once or twice cleft at their summit. The sori (spore masses) are elongated 

 and disposed principally in two rows on the upper side of each fertile pinnule 

 (leant). — Hooker, Species Filicum, iii., p. 191. Nicholson, Dictionary of 

 Gardening, i., p. 129. Lowe, Ferns British and Exotic, v., t. 20. Eaton, 

 Ferns of North America, ii., t. 56. 



A. (Euasplenium) Colensoi — Eu-as-ple'-m-uin ; Col-en'-so-i (Bishop 

 Colenso's), Hooker. 

 This very useful and elegant, greenhouse species (Fig. 85), native of 

 New Zealand, is also frequently found in the trade under the erroneous name 

 of A. Hookerianum,, which is properly applied to a plant of entirely different 

 appearance. The species dedicated to Bishop Colenso is much in the 

 way of the well-known A. bulbiferum, but of more compact habit and of 

 much smaller dimensions in all its parts. As in that popular species, the 

 fronds, 6in. to 9in. long, 2in. to 4in. broad, and borne on stalks Bin. to 4in. 

 long and clothed throughout with small scales, are produced in abundance 

 from a thick, fleshy crown ; they are of a bright pale green colour and soft 

 texture. The numerous pinnse (leaflets) are divided into spreading and deeply- 

 cut pinnules (leafits) ; these in their turn are subdivided into narrow 

 segments, each of which bears a solitary sorus (spore mass). When fully 

 developed, the fronds are literally studded all over with young plants, by 

 which means this species is usually propagated.— Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, 

 p. 219. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, i., p. 129. 



A. (Euasplenium) compressum — Eu-as-ple'-ni-um ; com-pres'-sum 

 (compressed), Swartz. 

 This greenhouse species, native of the Island of St. Helena, is a thick, 

 fleshy-looking Fern, very different in appearance to any other known 



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