A Dictionary of Choice Ferns. 
257 
^KPHRODIVM— continued. 
a beautiful species, of upright habit. Its narrow-oblong, 
speiar-shiapod fron-ds, usually 1ft. to l^ft. long, 3in. to 5in. 
broad, and borne on tufted stalks Gin. or more long, 
sparingly clothed with egg-shaped, light-coloured scales, are 
rend-ered very attractiv-e through the bold charaeter of their 
fructificatioii, which is almost bliack soon after the covering 
has been shed. They lare produced from a rootstoek creep- 
ing just below the surface of the ground, 5in. to Gin. long, 
chaffy with large, thin, light brown, ovate scales, which 
also cover the stalks and are more or less persistent on 
the lower part of them. The leaflets, of a soft, papery 
texture, are broadly triangular near the base, being more 
elongated near the centre of the frond; they are cut down 
nearly, or quite, to the base below into broad, blunt, obloJig, 
slightly-cleft leafits, which are also of a blunt nature. The 
numerous round sori are disposed close to the midvein. 
N, cristatum is somewhat difficult to grow successfully for any 
length of time unless planted in peaty soil near the water. 
N. cuspidatum. 
This greenhouse species, native of Ceylon, is valuable 
either as a pot plant or for the rockery. It is of compact 
habit and of easy culture, producing in abundance from a 
decumbent, fleshy stem its handsome fronds 2ft. to 3ft. 
long. Sin. to 12in. broad, borne on succulent, round stalks 
that are barely 1ft. long, and densely furnished at the base 
with pale straw-coloured, chaffy scales. The leaflets, spear- 
shaped and sharply toothed on the margins, are somewhat 
papery and of a glossy dark green colour, which, however, 
is relieved by the refreshing claret colour of the stalks. The 
sori, disposed in rows close to the mid- vein, are covered with 
a fugacious involucre. 
N, cyatheoides. 
A very handsome, but rare, greenhouse species, native 
of the Sandwich Islands and Sumatra. Its ample fronds, 
simply pinnate, 2ft. to 3ft. long, 1ft. or more broad, and 
borne on strong, naked, glossy, greyish stalks 1ft. to 2ft. 
long, are furnished with closely-set, spreading leaflets, 4in. 
to Gin. long and about lin. broad. These leaflets have their 
extremity sharp-pointed and their edge irregular and vei-y 
deeply toothed ; they are of a somewhat leathery texture, of 
a pleasing light green colour, and their yeinlets, disposed 
in groups of from ten to twelve on each side, often show a 
sorus on each, close to the main vein. 
N. decompositum. 
This very handsome, greenhouse species, native of Aus- 
tralia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Tahiti, and the Fiji Islands, 
S 
