A Dictionary of Choice Ferns. 
119 
ADIANTUM— continued. 
dimensions, having as little as possible the appearance of 
an Adiantum; but its great distinctnesis alone is sufficient 
to make it indispensable in any collection. Its singular, 
leathery fronds, which are abundantly produced from a 
close, tufted crown, and borne on slender, shining, bright 
chestnut-brown stalks, 4in. to Gin. long, are essentially 
kidney-shaped — hence the specific name ; they are of a bril- 
liant shining-green, smooth, when fully developed, fre- 
quently IJin. across, and their leafy portion is, at the point 
of junction with the stalk, provided with a broad, shallow 
depression (Fig. 52). The venation of the fronds is very 
delicate, conspicuous, and interesting, the main veins which 
start from the basal depression being repeatedly forked until 
they reach the outer margin, by which time they have been 
four times forked. The oblong sori are produced abun- 
dantly, and are disposed in a continuous row all around the 
margin. 
A, r, asarifolium. 
Compared with the typical plant, this scarce variety, 
sometimes given specific rank, is always stouter and 
coarser, and its fronds, instead of being truly kidney-shaped 
are quite round and of a much thicker texture; they usually 
measure 2^m. across, and are produced from a stout, single 
crown, the stalks and the base of the frond itself being very 
woolly. 
A, rhodophyilum. 
This beautiful, stove Fern, of dwarf and compact habit, 
is a supposed hybrid of garden origin : it has the appearance 
of having issued from A. Ghiesbreghtii (A. scutum of com- 
merce), to which it is far superior in its ornamental quali- 
ties. The fronds, which are abundantly produced from a 
densely-tufted crown and borne on very slender, black, 
shining stalks, have their Leafy portion about 1ft. long, 
triangular in shape, tripinnate, and elegantly spreading. 
The leafits, when first developed, are of a beautiful rosy- 
purple, but gradually take on a soft, pale green. The sori 
are sparingly produced, oblong in form, and disposed singly 
at the extremities of the lobes on the outer or superior 
margin only. The remarkable diversity of colours pre- 
sented by the pinnules at different stages of their growth, 
which are all to be seen on the plant at the same time, 
renders this Adiantum one of the most effective decorative 
Ferns in cultivation. To this striking characteristic must 
also be added its compact habit and the elegant contour 
of its tufted fronds. All these characters are faithfully 
reproduced in young plants obtained from spores. 
