A Dictionary of Choice Ferns. 
521 
TO DC A — continued. 
T. superba. 
This remarkable plant, known in gardens as the 
Crape Fern, the Prince of Wales's Feather Fern, and 
the ''New Zealand Filmy Fern," is undoubtedly the most 
striking as well as the most beautiful species known 
(Fig. 121). It was first gathered by Forster in New Zea- 
land, during Captain Cook's voyage. This species does 
not form a stem, but produces a somewhat erect, fibrous 
trunk, of a woody nature in the interior, reaching at the 
most l^ft. in height. Its handsome fronds, 2ft. to 4ft. 
long and Gin. to lOin. broad, are borne on firm, erect stalks 
2in. to Sin. long; they are tripinnatifid, and their narrow, 
spear-shaped leaflets are closely set, the central ones being 
4in. to 5in. long and the lower ones gradually reduced. 
Tihe leafits have simple or forked linear segments, and the 
stalks of the leaflets are densely woolly underneath. 
T. Wilkesiana. 
This beautiful miniature Tree-Fern, native of Fiji and 
the New Hebrides, is closely allied to T. Fraseriy but is 
of larger growth, and has the lower leaflets distinct and 
deflexed and the stalk ^of a more or less hairy nature. 
Mr. Brackenridge describes the trunk as from 18in. to 20in. 
high and IJin. in diameter, scaly towards the top, and 
producing near the base black, wiry roots about the thick- 
ness of a crow-quill, the surface of the trunk being 
roughened by the raised scars of fronds that have fallen 
off. The summit is crowned by from ten to twelve spreading 
fronds 2ft. or more in length, IJft. wide at their broadest 
part, and broadly spear-shaped. The leaflets are stalkless, 
oblong-spear-shaped, spreading, the two or three lower pairs 
distant and deflexed. The leafits are blunt-oblong, ob- 
liquely wedge-shaped at the base, toothed, transparent, and 
marked with numerous small, brown spots. The stalks 
of the leaflets are winged and clothed with short hairs. 
The slender, tree-like habit of the plant gives it quite a 
distinct aspect amongst its allies. This interesting species 
requires a little warmer treatment than the others. 
TRICHOMANES. 
This genus, knows as Bristle Ferns, is composed 
of over 100 species, agreeing with the Hymeno- 
phyllums in habit of growth and in delicacy of tex- 
ture, the character furnished by the shape of the 
involucre dividing a very natural tribe into two 
nearly equal halves. Baker separates the genus into 
Feea and Eutrichomanes , 
Y 
