598 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



discovered it was thought to be a variety of A. marinum and was described 

 as such by T. Moore, owing to its being so little divided. The larger and 

 more fully-developed fronds, however, have shown it to be an undivided form 

 of A. lanceolatum. Its fronds, 9in. to 12in. long and about ljin. broad, are 

 simply pinnate (only once divided to the midrib) ; they are irregularly linear 

 and terminate in a tapering point. The leaflets are very distinct, being 

 shortly stalked and deeply lobed ; the lowest ones are triangular, oblique, 

 defiexed (thrown back), and taper to a blunt point ; the upper ones are 

 shorter, but are ecpially lobed and undulated at the margin, which is finely 

 toothed. The basal lobes are rounded, divided nearly to the midrib, and 

 overlapping, the divisions becoming shallower upwards. The small and oblong 

 sori (spore masses) are situated near the margin. — Lowe, Our Native Ferns. 

 ii., p. 154, t. 39b; also New and Rare Ferns, ii., t. 11b. Nicholson, 

 Dictionary of Gardening, i., p. 131. 



A. (Diplazium) lanceum— Dip-laz'-i-um ; lan'-ce-um (lance : shaped), 

 Thunberg. 



A greenhouse species, of small dimensions, native of the Himalayas, 

 Ceylon, China, and Japan. The fronds are of a leathery nature, entire, 6in. 

 to 9in. long, about fin. broad, and attenuated gradually upwards and 

 downwards, the edge being entire or slightly undulated. The sori (spore 

 masses) are narrow and long, reaching nearly to the edge but not to the 

 midrib. — Hooker, Species Filicum, hi., p. 235. Nicholson, Dictionary of 

 Gardening, i., p. 131. Beddome, Ferns of Southern India, t. 227. 



A. (Euasplenium) laserpitiifolium— Eu-as-pW-ni-um ; la-ser-pi'-ti-if- 

 or-I-um (Laserpitium-leaved), Lamarck. 

 This very handsome and deservedly popular, greenhouse species, native 

 of the Polynesian Islands and North Australia, is remarkable on account of 

 the elegance of its much-divided fronds, which usually measure from 2ft. to 

 4ft. in length and 6in. to 18in. in breadth, and are borne on firm, erect, 

 greyish stalks Gin. to 12in. long. The numerous leaflets are of a papery texture 

 and vivid green colour ; the lowest are from Gin. to 9in. long and 4in. to 

 Gin. broad, and are cut down to the midrib into numerous distinct pinnules 

 (lea-fits) which are again cut half-way or cmite to the midrib (Fig. 112). The 



