A Dictionary of Choice Ferns. 
519 
TODK,A-—cont'nmed. 
T. barbara. 
This highly decorative species, also known in gardens 
under the names of T. africana, T. arhorea, and T. rivu- 
laris, is a native of New Zealand, Temperate Australia, 
Tasmania, Natal, and Cape Colony. It is a robust-growing 
plant, forming in time trunks of extraordinary thickness in 
comparison to their height, and producing at the same time 
great quantities of fronds 3ft. to 4ft. long, often 1ft. 
broad, on stout, erect, quite naked stalks, 1ft. or more in 
length. Their leaflets, closely set, spreading, 6in. to 9in. 
long, and l^in. to 2in. broad, are furnished with close, 
narrow leafits, the edges of which are more or less dis- 
tinctly toothed, while the upper ones are distinctly con- 
nected at their base. The fronds are of a leathery tex- 
ture, dark green, shining, and naked on both sides. The 
densely-set spore masses, when mature, fill up the w^hole 
under-surface of the leafits on which they are placed. As 
a decorative Fern this has few equals, especially where 
plants are required for very small fancy vases. Good plants 
of it can be grown in comparatively small pots, and its 
lasting qualities are unsurpassed by any other known Fern 
grown for the decoration of the drawing-room, it being but 
little affected by smoke or gas. 
T. b. Vromii. 
This variety, originally introduced from Belgium, is 
quite distinct from T. harhara : its fronds are much longer, 
less triangular in shape, and of a pale green colour ; they 
are borne on shorter stalks, being furnished with leaflets 
nearly to their base, and these are also' of a longer shape 
and less distinctly toothed. It is a quicker grower than 
T. harhara, and possesses the same decorative qualities 
as that useful species. In gardens it is known simply under 
the name of T. Vromii. 
T. hymenophylloides. 
This very handsome species, better known in gar- 
dens under the name of T. pdlucida, forms a thick, 
fibrous trunk, from which its fronds, of a very trans- 
parent nature, are produced in abundance. These fronds 
are borne on firm, erect stalks Gin. to 12in. long, fre- 
quently measure 2ft. in length and 1ft. in breadth, and 
are tripinnatifid. The dark green, spear-shaped leaflets, 
4in. to Gin. long and Jin. to IJin. broad, are closely set, 
and the lowest are of about the same dimensions as the 
others. The closely-set leafits, narrow-oblong in shape, 
fin. to l^in. long, and Jin. broad, are cut down to the 
midrib into simple or forked, very narrow segments. This 
