160 
Choice Ferns for Amateurs. 
ASPLiKNlUM— continued, 
A. fontanum. 
One of tlie prettiest of the dwarf, compact-growing 
species contained in the genus (Fig. 73). It is known to 
grow wild in various parts of France, Switzerland, Italy, 
Spain, Grermany, Siberia, and also in Britain. The fronds, 
Sin. to 6in. long, including the slender, wiry, naked, greenish 
stalks on which they are borne, and about l^in. broad, are 
oblong-spear-shaped, broadest above their middle, and taper- 
ing towards the base and the extremity ; they are furnished 
with numerous dark-green leaflets, about Jin. long, and cut 
down to the midrib into several leafits, which are again 
pinnatifid. The margin of each lobe is deeply notched with 
from three to seven angular teeth. The plentiful sori are 
disposed from two to four on each pinnule, but when mature 
they become confluent and then cover nearly the whole of 
the under-surface of the frond. 
A. formosum. 
This elegant, delicate-looking, small-growing, evergreen, 
stove species, Avhich, by the wiry, polished nature of its 
dark-coloured stalks, approaches the Trichomanes group, is 
a native of Tropical America ; it is also found in Ceylon and 
on the Neilgherries. Its lovely fronds, which are produced 
abundantly from a very short, upright stem, are of a 
papery texture and of a particularly light green colour ; 
they are borne on very short, tufted, polished stalks, of a 
chestnut-brown colour, and measure from 1ft. to IJft. in 
length and about lin. in breadth. They are furnished with 
from twenty to thirty pairs of horizontal stalkless leaflets, 
-o-in. long, deeply divided almost to the midrib on their 
upper edge, while their lower edge is wedge-shaped, and 
forms a straight line. The short, narrow-oblong sori are 
disposed from one to four on each side of the midrib. 
A. Gorin^ianum pictum. 
This remarkably pretty greenhouse species, popularly 
known as Athyrium Gorincfianum tricolor^ is a native of 
Japan, and is said to be quite hardy in sheltered positions ; 
but to have it in perfection, so that none of its beautifully- 
coloured foliage shall be damaged by late frosts, cold winds, 
&c., it is necessary to give it at least the protection of a 
cold frame. It is distinguished from all other members of 
the genus by the bright colour of its fronds, which are 
entirely deciduous; they are from lOin. to 15in. long, spear- 
shaped, and pendulous. The numerous leaflets are divided 
into sharply-toothed leafits, on which the oblong or some- 
times kidney-shaped sori are abundantly disposed in two 
