A Dictionary of Choice Ferns, 
137 
ASGlOPTKRlS—contimied. 
A. evecta. 
This, the only recognised species, is found all over the 
tropics of the Old World, in Madagascar, in New Caledonia, 
in Queensland, land from Japan to Ceylon. Its fronds impart 
to a Fernery of sufficient size to accommodate them a noble 
and tropical appearance, but it is very unlike a Fern in 
general aspect. The fronds, with their stalks, lattain la length 
ol 18ft. land a breadth of 10ft. ; they are produced from 
a thick, fleshy crown, forming in time a sort of stem 2^ft. 
high and IJft. to 2ft. thick, and are borne on stout, blackish, 
fleshy stalks. The base of the stalk is swollen, often 
measuring Sin. in circumference, and is furnished with two 
large, leathery ear-like flaps, which remain attached to the 
% stem after the fronds have fallen. The fronds are bipinnate, 
' with spreading leaflets 1ft. to 3ft. long, the lowest the 
largest, and have their rachis swollen at the base. The 
leafits are of a leathery texture, bright shining green on both 
sides, from 4in. to 12in. long and from lin. to l^in. broad, 
boiat-shaped, land either stalkless or very short-stalked (Fig. 
66j; their edge is entire or slightly toothed, and they ter- 
minate in a tapering point. The sori are oblong in form, 
and consist of from eight to fifteen capsules to each pinnule; 
they are disposed near the edge, where they form a broad, 
marginal, and laterally continuous row. Fig. 66. 
ANTIGRAMME, ^ee Scolopendrlum. 
ARTHROPTERIS. See Nephrodium and Nephrolepis. 
ASPIDIUM. 
Buckler or Shield Ferns are the common names 
for this popular genus, and are in allusion to the 
form the covering of its sori, which may be fanci- 
fully likened to the Buckler or Shield of history. 
The distinguishing characters of the genus Aspidium 
reside partly in the disposition of the sori, which are 
almost spherical, dorsal, and terminal on the vein- 
lets, and partly in the presence of a roundish 
covering common to all the species alike, which is 
fixed to the frond by the centre. The genus is thus 
subdivided : Cyclodium, Cyrtomium, Eiiaspidium, 
and P oly stichu7n . 
Very few Aspidiums are fastidious in their 
habits. The exotic species belonging to the 
Polysticlium section are particularly robust ; and 
