94 
Choice Ferns for Amateurs. 
ADIANTUM — continued. 
and the upper part of which is deeply lobed. The sori are 
disposed in several roundish patches. 
Severial popular kinds, usually given as speeies, are here 
regarded simply as forms. The most striking are : 
A. fie. assimile. 
This beautiful Maidenhair thrives best under cool 
treatment. It' is la common Fern in Australia, and one 
that appears to vary considerably in different situations. 
The form generally met with in cultivation here is that 
found growing in low, damp situations. Its delicate fronds, 
which are slender, measure, with the stalks on which they 
are borne, lOin. to 12in.in length; they are smooth, three 
times divided to the rachis, and furnished with numerous 
oblong l-eafits of a peculiarly vivid green colour, wedge-shaped 
at the base, and slightly toothed at the edge. These fronds 
are produced from a thin, wiry rhizome. For that reason 
the plant is well adapted for growing in suspended wire 
baskets. The fronds generally disappear about November, 
and the plant starts growing afresh about February. It is 
almost, if not quite, hardy in sheltered situations. 
A. ae. chilense. 
The fronds of this greenhouse, Chilian form are about 
1ft. long, including the stalks on which they are borne. 
They are furnished with roundish, bluish-green, leathery 
leafits, thus differing essentially from the type. The fronds, 
too, are produced from a very short, woody rhizome. 
A. se. emarginatum. 
This very handsome, greenhouse Fern is known as the 
Californian Maidenhair. It resembles A, Capillus-V eneris. 
It differs from the species to which it is said to be related 
through the shape of its leafits, which are sometimes 
roundish, but more frequently broader than long, so as to 
be semi-circular, or even slightly kidney-shaped. 
A. se. scabrum. 
Popularly known as the Silver Maidenhair, this lovely little 
greenhouse Fern, native of Chili, is of very compact habit. 
Its very interesting fronds, which are produced in great 
quantities from a tufted crown, seldom attain more than 
9in. in length, including the slender stalks on which they 
are borne. They are tripinnate, triangular, and furnished 
with kidney-shaped leafits, dusted on both sides with a 
white meal-like substance. This little gem, which is now 
seldom met with in cultivation, is generally considered to 
be a difficult plant to grow; but it is only on account of 
