642 



THE BOOK OF CHOICE FERNS. 



and furnished at the base with egg-shaped scales of a peculiar nature, being- 

 dark brown and fleshy in the centre and furnished with a broad, suddenly 

 thin, dry, and membranous margin. The pinnae (leaflets), of a thin, papery 

 texture and dark green colour, vary between 9in. and loin, in length, and 

 are divided into spreading pinnules (leafits) Sin. long : these are further 

 cut into oblong segments, the lower ones of which are cut down so close 

 to the stalk as to appear only as mere blunt lobes. The abundant sori 

 (spore masses) are disposed in regular rows not reaching the edge— Hooker, 

 Species Filicum, hi., p. 225. 



A. (Darea) scandens— Da'-re-a ; scan'-dens (climbing), J. Smith. 



A very interesting and totally distinct, stove species, native of New 

 Guinea and the Philippine Islands, with fronds 1ft. to 2ft. long, 6in. to 12in. 

 broad, produced from a stout, short, and peculiarly woody, creeping rhizome. 

 The numerous horizontal leaflets, din. to 6in. long and l£in. broad, are cut 

 down to a distinctly-winged stalk into numerous pinnules (leafits) that are 

 divided to the rachis (stalk of the leafy portion) throughout the plant into 

 narrow-linear divisions, each of which bears on its margin one solitary 

 sorus (spore mass). — Hooker, Species Filicum, hi., p. 216. Nicholson, Dictionary 

 of Gardening, iv., p. 496. 



A. SChlzodon — schiz'-od-on (cut- toothed). Synonymous with A. Vieillardii. 



A. (Diplazium) Sehkuhrii — Dip-laz'-i-um ; Schkuhr'-i-i (Schkuhr's), 

 Thwaites. 



A stove species, native of Ceylon, with fronds l^ft. to 2ft. long, borne 

 on naked stipites (stalks) 1ft. to l^ft. long and of a peculiar grey-green 

 colour. The leaflets, oblong-spear-shaped, cut into stalkless pinnules (leafits) 

 that are divided again into shallow, close, blunt lobes, are of moderately firm 

 texture and bright green colour. The sori (spore masses), about Jin. long, 

 are disposed in a single row near the mid vein of the pinnules. In general 

 habit this species somewhat resembles a form of A. crenulatum of Baker. 

 A. Schkuhrii of Hooker is synonymous with A. japonicum. — Hooker, Synopsis 

 Filicum, p. 491. Nicholson, Dictionary of Gardening, i., p. 134. Beddome, 

 Ferns of Southern India, t. 230. 



