FERNS. 



197 



following list are the test and most distinct of those 

 which are now to be met with in British gardens, 



G. circinata is a dwarf species, with the lobes of 

 the pinnae ovate or subrotund, more or less glaucous 

 beneath ; the capsules are superficial, three or four 

 in number, and the branches and rachis are either 

 smooth or clothed with a chaffy pubescence. G. cir- 

 cinata glauca is a handsome form, with the young 

 growths and the under surfaces beautifully glau- 

 cous. It differs from the typo, too, in its fronds 

 being of a 

 thicker tex- 

 ture, and in 

 the plant be- 

 ing altogether 

 of more robust 

 habit. This 

 makes a 

 splendid ex- 

 hibition plant. 

 In a wild 

 state, G. cir- 

 cinata has 

 been dis- 

 covered in 

 Australia, 

 Tasmania, 

 New Zealand, 

 New Caledo- 

 nia, and Ma- 

 lacca. In 

 some nurse- 

 ries and gar- 

 dens it is 

 found under 

 the names of 

 G.micro'phylla^ 

 G, semives- 

 tita, and G. 

 Speluncce. G. 

 Gunninghami, 



from New Zealand, has from two to four cap- 

 sules in a sorus, and erect, leathery, fan-shaped 

 fronds, which attain a height of about three or four 

 feet ; in colour these are a bright green above and 

 very glaucous beneath. In its native country this 

 fern is known as the Umbrella Fern. Unfor- 

 tunately this handsome species is somewhat rare, 

 owing to the difiiculty experienced in propagating 

 it, or even in establishing imported roots. G. di- 

 carpa has scandent, dichotomously divided fronds ; 

 the branches are pinnate, and the pinnae are di- 

 vided into small orbicular segments, with recurved 

 margins. The capsules are about two in number, 

 and are concealed within the almost slipper-shaped 

 lobes. It is a native of Australia and New Z saland, 



Gleichenia circinata 



where it is a common fern. The variety alpina, 

 from the high mountains of Tasmania, New Zealand, 

 and the islands of the Malayan Archipelago, differs 

 from typical G. dicarpa in being very much smaiier 

 and more compact in habit, and in the ferruginous 

 rachis being clothed with chaffy scales. The entire 

 fronds in this form only measure from three to 

 twelve inches in height, and the plant is one of the 

 best for the cool fernery and for an in-door rockery 

 of limited extent. G. dichotoma is a most distinct 



species, with 

 zigzag, repeat- 

 edly dichoto- 

 mously or 

 .even trichoto- 

 rnously bran- 

 ched stipes, 

 the ultimate 

 branches bear- 

 ing a pair of 

 forked pirm.9e ; 

 a distinct pair 

 of pinnae also 

 arises from 

 the base of 

 the forked 

 branches (not 

 of the frond). 

 The segments 

 are never de- 

 current. The 

 fronds vary in 

 length from 

 two to four 

 feet, and are 

 bright green 

 above and 

 glaucous be- 

 neath. This 

 species is al- 

 most universal 



in tropical and sub -tropical regions in both the Old 

 and New Worlds, and occurs as far north as Japan. 

 As might be expected, on account of its very wide 

 geographical distribution, a considerable number of 

 slightly varying forms are met with ; they differ m 

 the size of the pinnae and the shape of the segments, 

 in being more or less glabrous or densely tomentose 

 beneath, in the texture of the fronds, &c. ; but the 

 pairs of accessory pinnae at the base of a fork are 

 invariably present. Perhaps G. dichotoma succeeds 

 best in a stove temperature, but it grows well under 

 cool treatment. G. flabellata, from Australia, Tas- 

 mania, and New Zealand, has sub-membranous, 

 dichotomously fan-shaped branches, and very pro- 

 liferous fronds, which sometimes attain a height of 



