576 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



in the forest on dry cliffs in cracks, or on dry, hard, clay earth in woods. 

 Leibmann found it at Tepitongo, in the department of Oajaca, at an altitude 

 of 5000ft. ; also at Mirador, at Trapiche de la Concepcion, in the same depart- 

 ment, at 3000ft. elevation, as well as in Potrero de Consoquitla, where it 

 was growing at an altitude of 2500ft. Its lovely fronds, which are produced 

 abundantly from a very short, upright stem, are of a papery texture and 



Fig. 103. Asplenium formosum 



(\ uat. size). 



of a particularly light green colour ; they are borne on very short, tufted, 

 polished stalks, of a chestnut-brown colour, and measure from 1ft. to If ft. 

 in length and about lin. in breadth. The fronds are furnished with from 

 twenty to thirty pairs of horizontal, sessile pinnse (stalkless leaflets) |in. long, 

 deeply divided almost to the midrib on their upper edge, while their lower 

 edge is cuneate (wedge-shaped) and forms a straight line. The short, narrow- 

 oblong sori (spore masses) are disposed from one to four on each side of the 



