594 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



A. (Anisogonium) Kunzei— An-is-og-o'-ni-um ; Kunz'-e-i (Kimze's), 

 Mettenius. 



A stove species, of small or medium dimensions, native of Ecuador and 

 Peru. Its coriaceous (leathery) fronds, 9in. to 18in. long and 2in. to 6in. 

 broad, are spathulate (spoon- shaped) and pinnate (divided to the midrib) 

 only at their base, where they are distinctly lobed ; their upper part is 

 deeply cleft into small, lanceolate (spear-shaped) lobes. The sori (spore 

 masses) are disposed in slender lines extending from the midrib to the 

 edge of the fronds. — Hooker, Species Filicum, hi., p. 266. 



A. (Euasplenium) laciniatum— Eu-as-ple'-ni-um ; lac-in-i-a'-tum (torn, 

 fringed), Don. 



This pretty, greenhouse species, native of Japan and the temperate regions 

 of the Himalayas, somewhat resembles the better-known A. planicaule. Its 

 fronds, however, are of a much thinner texture, larger, and more deeply 

 divided ; they are borne on erect, firm stalks 4in. to Sin. long, of a greyish 

 colour and often scaly, usually measure 1ft. to l|ft. in length and about 3in. 

 in breadth, and are furnished with from twelve to twenty pairs of stalked, 

 horizontal, sharply-pointed pinnas (leaflets). The leaflets have their edge cut 

 down nearly or quite to the midrib into small, stalked, egg-shaped lobes, which 

 are also deeply toothed round their outer edge. The sori (spore masses) fall 

 short of the edge.— Hooker, Species Filicum, hi., p. 164, t. 200a. Beddome, 

 Ferns of Southern India, t. 145. 



A. (Euasplenium) laetum — Eu-as-ple'-ni-um ; ke'-tum (cheering), 

 Swartz. 



A stove species, whose habitat extends from Mexico and Cuba southwards 

 to the Amazon. Its fronds, Gin. to 12in. long and Sin. broad, are borne on 

 stalks 4in. to 6in. long and of a brownish colour ; they are furnished on each 

 side of the midrib with from sixteen to twenty-four sessile pinnae (stalkless 

 leaflets) of a thin, papery texture, sharply pointed and irregularly toothed at 

 the edge ; the upper side of the pinnas is suddenly narrowed at the base, 

 while the lower one, partly cut away, forms a broad, truncate (broken-off 

 curve. The sori (spore masses) are disposed in two unequal rows falling- 

 short of both edge and midrib. — Hooker, Species Filicum, hi., p. 133, t. 173. 



