578 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



and bright green colour, 6in. to 9in. long and 3ih. to 4in. broad, are borne 

 on firm, naked, tufted stalks 4in. to Sin. long and of a brownish colour 

 below ; they are tripinnate (three times divided to the midrib), being 

 furnished on each side with numerous closely-set pinna? (leaflets), the lowest 

 Sin, long and divided into spear-shaped pinnules (leafits) and then into 

 segments only one line broad and toothed round the outer edge. The sori 

 (spore masses) are very abundantly produced and so closely set as to cover 

 the whole surface of the segments when mature. — Hooker, Species Filicum, 

 hi., p. 181. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, i., p. 131. 



A. f. fceniculaceum — fce-nic-ul-a'-ce-um (Fennel-like). 



This is the garden or popular name, for which we can find no authority, 

 of a variety of the preceding species, from which it differs by having its 

 fronds lOin. to 15in. long including stalks, only twice divided to the midrib 

 (Fig. 104) and their ultimate segments much more finely divided. 



A. (Diplazium) Franconis — Dip-laz'-i-um ; Fran-co'-nis (Franconis), 

 Mettenius. 



This stove species, native of Mexico, Guatemala, and Ecuador, is of some- 

 what large dimensions, its fronds, 1ft. to 2ft. long and 9in. to loin, broad, 

 being borne on firm, erect, greyish stalks 1ft. long and scaly below. The 

 fronds are furnished with numerous leaflets, the lower ones about 6in. long, 

 tapering to a point, and cut clown in the lower half into distinct pinnules 

 (leafits) of a peculiar shape owing to the mid vein being much nearer their 

 lower edge, which, like the upper one, is cut half-way down into sharply- 

 toothed lobes (Fig. 105). They are of a papery yet firm texture and of 

 a bright green colour. The sori (spore masses), disposed in parallel rows 

 on the pinnules, do not quite reach the edge. — Hooker, Species Filicum, 

 hi., p. 261. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, i., p. 131. 



A. (Euasplenium) furcatum— Eu-as-ple'-ni-um ; fur-ca'-tum (forked), 

 Thunberg. 



This extremely elegant, greenhouse species, of medium size, possesses 

 a wide range of habitat, for it is found in Tropical America, from Mexico 

 and the West Indies to Peru ; in the Polynesian Islands and also in Australia, 

 northwards to Tsus-Sima ; and, according to Beddome, it is very abundant 



