204 
THE FERN PARADISE. 
broad, however, at the base, and tapering up- 
wards. The frond is divided into narrow taper- 
ing branches alternately placed along and on 
each side of the mid-stem or rachis. These 
branches are again divided into leaflets, each 
leaflet being wing-shaped and attached to the 
mid-stem of the branch by a short but distinct 
stalk. The arrangement of these leaflets is as 
follows: — The mid-stems of the branches — which, 
as before stated, run at intervals along each side 
of the rachis — are placed at right angles with the 
latter. On these branch mid-stems are arranged, 
in the most beautiful order, wing-shaped leaflets 
— one row above and one row underneath the 
stem. The first leaflet next the rachis, on the 
upper part of each stem, is much larger than 
the others, but with this exception all the leaflets 
gradually become diminished in size as they 
proceed from the rachis towards the point of 
each branch. This gradation of leaflets over and 
under the stem goes on until the branch ends 
in a point. Each leaflet is sharply spiked or 
toothed, and hence the prickly appearance of this 
