592 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



Sima, Chusan, and Western China. Its fronds, Sin. to 12in. long and ljin. 

 to 2in. broad, are borne on tufted, polished stalks of a chestnut-brown colour 

 and 2in. to 3in. long. The numerous leaflets, of a particularly thin, papery 

 texture, are blunt in the lower part of the frond, whereas the central ones, 

 lin. long and spear-shaped, are cut down to the midrib into numerous 

 egg-shaped pinnules (leafits) conspicuously truncated (appearing as if bitten 

 off) at their base on the lower side and deeply pinnatifid. The linear-oblong 

 sori (spore masses) are disposed one to each vein. This species is also 

 known as A. elegantulum. — Hooker, Species Filicum, hi., p. 190. Nicholson, 

 Dictionary of Gardening, i., p. 131. 



A. (Darea) irregulare— Da'-re-a ; ir-reg-ul-a'-re (irregular), Baker. 



A stove species, of small dimensions, native of the Sierra del Crystal, 

 Guinea Coast. Its fronds, of a sub -coriaceous (almost leathery) texture, Gin. 

 to Sin. long and 2in. to Sin. wide, are borne on naked, firm, erect, pale green 

 stalks 2in. to 4in. long. The numerous leaflets vary considerably in shape : 

 while the upper ones are simple, about Jin. wide, and narrow-sickle-shaped, 

 those next to it are dichotomously (repeatedly) forked, and the lowest, which 

 are regularly pinnate, show a prolonged simple point and several distant 

 pinnules (leafits) Jin. to Jin. long. The sori (spore masses), which are 

 covered with very narrow involucres, are sometimes Jin. long. — Hooker, 

 Synopsis Filicum, p. 222. 



A. (Euasplenium) Jamesoni — Eu-as-ple'-ni-um ; Jame-so'-ni (Jameson's), 

 Hooker. 



This stove species, of medium dimensions, native of the Andes of 

 Ecuador, is distinguishable at first sight by the firm, erect nature of its 

 stalks, the lower part of which is densely clothed with large, brown scales. 

 The fronds which they support, of a thin, papery texture, are 1ft. to 2ft. 

 long, 9in. to 12in. broad, and furnished with numerous leaflets cut down to 

 a broadly- winged stalk into pinnules (leafits) which are again deeply cleft, thus 

 forming segments of a peculiar spathulate (spoon- shaped) form. The main stalk 

 of the leafy portion is compressed and winged upwards. The large, oblong 

 sori (spore masses) are disposed in two lines close to and nearly parallel 

 with the midrib. — Hooker, Species Filicum, hi., p. 184, t. 205. 



