282 
Choice Ferns for Amateurs 
ONOCL,KA— continued. 
their leaflets faee to face, for which reason, Eiaton says, 
the plant has received the popular name of Sensitive 
Fern. The foliage of this Fern is also very sensitive to a 
cold temperature, for the first autumn frosts always destroy 
it, and the late spring frosts which we sometimes experience 
in May and June have the same injurieus effects. These 
remarks apply to barren fronds only, which are by far the 
handsomer and the more numerous. Fertile fonds are not 
very conimon, and are so unlike the barren ones that no one 
unacquainted with the plant would suppose them to be 
related to each other. Both kinds are produced from a 
thick, fleshy rhizome which runs underground; the fertile 
ones stand about half the height of the barren ones, and 
are perfectly rigid and nearly black when fully developed. 
Another peculiarity is that they dry up in winter, but 
remain erect during the following summer, so that a fruit- 
ing plant often bears fertile fronds of two years' growth. 
The involucre witJi which the sori are covered is globose, 
and bursts at the summit. Fig. 110. 
ONYCHIUM. 
Although, four species belonging to this genus 
are known in cultivation, the two most extensively 
grown — 0. auratum and 0, japo7iicum — are ex- 
tremely elegant, and possess some useful decorative 
qualities. Their fronds are so light and finely cut, 
and of such a pleasing colour, that they are specially 
adapted for mixing with cut flowers, amongst which 
they look as graceful as some of the finest Adiantums, 
and remain fresh much longer. While 0, auratum 
produces its ample and handsomely decompound 
fronds from a single crown, thus forming a sort 
of miniature Pteris tremula with finely-divided 
foliage, O. japonicum, on the contrary, produces 
them from numerous underground rhizomes, making 
thick tufts of graceful and pleasing foliage, 
green on both sides ; whereas that of the former 
species, when in a fertile state, is of a beautiful 
golden colour beneath, which gives the plant quite 
the appearance of a golden Fern. The colouring, 
however, is due, not, as in Gymnogrammes and 
Nothochlsenas, to the presence of powder, but to the 
indusia, which are of a bright, rich golden hue. 
These two most interesting species differ alike in 
