530 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



rocks ; but instead of being found on the sides of rocky ledges like the 

 Northern species, it is restricted to rocky sides of depressions of rock-holes 

 lower than the surrounding surfaces." The fertile and the barren fronds, 

 though of similar shape, are very distinct in size, as the barren ones are 

 much smaller and borne on shorter stalks than the fertile ones. These 

 latter, 2in. to 3in. long and lin. broad, are borne on stalks 2in. to 6in. long, 

 of a slender nature, smooth and blackish below, and the upper part of which 

 is flattened and green, much as in A. viride ; they are composed of from 

 six to eight pairs of stalked leaflets and a terminal one, obtuse, but often as 

 large as any other. The leaflets are roundish in the barren fronds and 

 oblong-ovate (egg-shaped) in the fertile ones, and have their outer edge 

 irregularly notched. The sori (spore masses), copiously produced and oblong 

 in shape, are disposed four to eight to each pinna in two parallel rows 

 nearer the midvein than the margin ; the basal superior one is often double. 

 — Hooker, Species Filicum, iii., p. 130. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, 

 i., p. 129. Eaton, Ferns of North America, ii., t. 80. 



A. (Darea) dichotomum — Da'-re-a ; dich-ot'-om-um (dichotomous or 

 repeatedly divided in two), Hooker. 

 A stove species, of small dimensions, native of Borneo, with fronds oin. 

 to 4in. long and l|in. broad, oblong, and borne on firm, erect, greenish 

 stalks only about lin. long. They have from eight to twelve pairs of leaflets, 

 of a soft, papery texture, which are cut down to a compressed, narrow stalk ; 

 the lower pinnules (leafits) are again divided into two segments, each of 

 which when fertile bears a solitary sorus (spore mass), long and very narrow, 

 and situated quite on the margin. — Hooker, Species Filicum, iii., p. 210. 



A. (Euasplenium) dimidiatum — Eu-as-ple'-ni-um ; di-mid-i-a'-tum 

 (unequal -sided), Swartz. 

 This very pretty, stove species, of medium growth, is a native of Cuba 

 and Peru. Its fronds, 6in. to 15in. long and 4in. to 6in. broad, are borne 

 on firm, erect, blackish stalks of a somewhat scaly nature. They are composed 

 of from six to eight pairs of simple pinme (undivided leaflets), of a leathery 

 texture, oblong in shape, slightly imbricated (overlapping), sharply toothed, 

 and attached to the stem by a short footstalk situated at their base, which 



