254 
Choice Ferns for Amateurs. 
HYPOLEPIS. 
This genus^ closely allied to Cheilanthes, as it 
is accepted now, comprises only about a dozen species 
of Ferns of medium and large dimensions, all 
furnished with, creeping rhizomes. The distinctive 
characters of the plants reside in the non-confluent 
% nature of their uniform, roundish, marginal, small 
sori, and in their invariably being placed in the 
notches of the ultimate divisions of the frond; also 
in the involucre, of the same shape as the sorus 
which it covers, being membranous in texture and 
formed out of the reflexed margin. All the species 
require either stove or greenhouse temperature. 
They are highly ornamental when planted in the 
rockery, for which purpose they are most useful, as 
they thrive best when associated with stones, over 
and amongst which their creeping rhizomes delight 
to run, although they do not cling thereto. All are 
of easy culture, and when kept in pots should be 
grown in rough peat with a good sprinkling of small 
stones and silver sand, as they require an abundant 
supply of water at the roots at all times of the year. 
On that account also it is indispensable that the 
drainage of either the pots or the part of the rockery 
in which they are planted should be perfect, any 
• deficiency in this respect producing most disastrous 
results. Hypolepises should be grown in a fairly 
shaded position, as the rays of the sun are hurtful to 
their foliage, which in most instances is of a soft, 
papery texture. All the species may be propagated 
from spores ; but they are usually increased by the 
division of their rhizomes, this being a quicker and 
less troublesome mode of reproduction. 
H, Bergiana. 
This well-markedj greenhous'e species is a native of 
South Africa, and one of the handsomest. Its beautiful, 
triangular, quadripinnatifid fronds are of a peculiarly 
upright habit; they are from 1ft. to l^ft. long, 6in. to 9in. 
broad, and borne on strong, tufted, upright stalks, l^ft. to 
2ft. long, dark chestnut-brown in colour, and woolly through- 
out. The leaflets are also triangular, and their leafits, of 
a similar shape, are further divided into eggnshaped seg- 
ments ^in. to fin. long and Jin. to ^in. broad, witli oblong, 
