604 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



(leathery) texture of its leaflets, while the latter is a form with wide- spreading 

 fronds of equally dark green colour but copiously proliferous (bud-hearing) at 

 their extremity. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 202. 



A. (Athyrium) macrocarpum — Ath-yr'-i-um ; mac-roc-ar'-pum (large- 

 fruited), Blume. 



A greenhouse species, in general habit somewhat resembling our common 

 Nephrodium (Lastrea) spinulosum and a native of Ceylon, ISTorth China, and 

 the Himalayas, where it is found at an elevation of 6000ft. According to 

 Beddome, it is also found on the Neilgherries and the Anamallays, and is 

 abundant near Neddiwattan. Its fronds, 1ft. to 2ft. long and Gin. to 9in. broad, 

 are borne on firm, upright, straw-coloured stalks Gin. to 9in. long and scaly 

 below. The pinnas (leaflets), of a thin, papery texture, Sin. to 5in. long and 

 1^-in. broad, are spear-shaped and cut down to the midrib into numerous 

 oblong pinnules (leafits) which are deeply notched and on the under -side of 

 which the conspicuously large sori (spore masses) are abundantly disposed. 

 The sori are covered by involucres so nearly reniform (kidney-shaped) and 

 of such a transparent texture that Moore places this species under Lastrea.- — 

 Hooker, Species Filicum, hi., p. 222. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, 

 i., p. 132. Beddome, Ferns of Southern India, t. 152. 



A. (Euasplenium) macrophyllum — Eu-as-ple'-ni-um ; mac-roph-yk-lum 

 (large-leaved), Swartz. 

 A greenhouse species, native of Polynesia, the Malayan Peninsula and 

 Islands, Hong-Kong, and the Himalayas, and which, Beddome says, is also 

 found on the Neilgherries and in the Anamallay forests growing on rocks and 

 trees at various elevations between 2000ft. and 4000ft. Its ample fronds, Gin. 

 to 18in. long and Gin. to 12in. broad, borne on stout, upright, brownish stalks 

 of similar length, are furnished with from six to twelve pairs of stalked 

 leaflets horizontally placed and opposite. These leaflets are of a somewhat 

 leathery texture, oin. to Gin. long, lin. to 3m. broad, sharp -pointed, and have 

 their edges sharply serrated (saw-toothed). The sori (spore masses) are 

 disposed in close, long, parallel lines reaching from the midrib nearly to the 

 edge. — Hooker, Species Filicum, hi., p. 158, t. 196. Beddom,e, Ferns of 

 Southern India, t. 142. 



