ASPLENIUM. 



527 



A. (Diplazium) cyatheaefolium — Dip-laz'-i-um ; cy-ath'-e-Ee-fol'-T-um 

 (Cyathea-leaved), Bory. 

 A stove species, native of Luzon and New Guinea, producing from 

 a somewhat arborescent caudex (stem) fronds ljft. to 2ft. long and 1ft. to 

 1 Jft. broad ; these are borne on firm, erect, dark brown, nearly naked stipes 

 (stalks), and are furnished with numerous pinnae (leaflets), the lowest of 

 which are fully 9in. long by 3in. broad. The leaflets are divided into 

 numerous pinnules (leafits), the lower ones being again cut down one- third 

 of the distance to the rachis (stalk of the leafy portion) into oblong, falcate 

 (sickle-shaped), sharply-toothed lobes, of a thin, papery texture. The sori 

 (spore masses), situated near the midvein, fall considerably short of the edge. 

 — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 238. 



A. (Euasplenium) Dalhousise — Eu-as-ple'-ni-um ; Dal-hou'-si-se (Lady 

 Dalhousie's). Synonymous with A. alternans. 



A. (Darea) davallioides — Da'-re-a ; dav-al'-li-o-i'-des (Davallia-like), 

 Hooker. 



This greenhouse species, native of Japan, Tsus-Sima, and Hong-Kong, 

 is, of all known Aspleniums, that which comes nearest to the genus Davallia. 

 It is a very pretty little plant, of small dimensions, its fronds, borne on 

 firm, naked stipes (stalks) from 3in. to 4in. long, seldom attaining more 

 than 6in. in length and 3in. in breadth. They are quadripinnate (four times 

 divided to the midrib) and bear on each side of the rachis (stalk) from six to 

 nine leaflets of a thick, leathery texture, the lowest of which are much the 

 largest, 2in. to 3in. long and lin. to l^in. broad. Like the bright green 

 pinnules (leafits) into which these pinnas are subdivided, they are deltoid 

 (in shape of the Greek delta, A) and are provided with a broadly -winged 

 rachis. The abundant sori (spore masses) occupy a lateral position ; they 

 are oblong in form, and often cover the whole upper side of the ultimate 

 divisions. — Hooker, Species Filicum, iii., p. 212. 



A. (Euasplenium) decurrens — Eu-as-ple'-ni-um. ; de-cur 7 -rens (decur- 

 rent), Baker. 



A stove species, native of Samoa and Ceylon, with fronds ljft. to ljft. 

 long, borne on short, grey, naked stalks ; they are oblong-spear-shaped and 



