_e^K§2' 
2 
THE GENERA AND SPECIES OF CULTIVATED FERNS. 
MOTHOCHLJEXA, R. Brown. — Name derived from not/ios, spurious, and chlaina, a cloak ; 
of the species appearing to have an involucre. Sometimes written Nothola?na. 
in allusion to some 
^8a?5 
Fig. 0. 
Sori round, solitary, subsequently confluent ; spore-cases terminal, attached on or 
near the apes of the venules, forming a linear, continuous or interupted, marginal line. 
Veins forked, free, pinnate or bifurcate. Fronds varying from pinnate to bi-tripinnate, 
hairy densely scaly woolly or covered with a farinose powder, through which the spore- 
cases protrude, and which are usually but few to each sorus. Margin of fronds sometimes 
slightly reflexed. — The plants arranged under this genus are all very elegant, of dwarf 
habit, and generally difficult to cultivate, owing to the woolly or scaly surface of the 
fronds, which retains moisture ; when once they become wet the water does not readily 
escape, and the fronds in consequence are often destroyed. It is therefore not advisable 
to sprinkle water on the fronds, but to keep them quite dry during winter. Fig. 6 
represents a portion of the frond of N. trichomanoides (nat. size) . 
1. N. tenera, Gillies MS. — A very tender, delicate, evergreen, stove fern ; from Chili. 
Fronds bluish-green with shining stipes, six to eight inches high, adherent to a short 
creeping rhizome ; glabrous, bipinnate, pinnules on the lower pinna? cordate-ovate 
oblong-obtuse, superior ones becoming sessile, terminal one lobed. Sori terminal 
linear, continuous, confluent, forming a broad marginal band. 
2. iV. nivea, Desvaux. — A very tender, delicate, beautiful, evergreen, stove species ; 
native of Mexico, Peru, and Chili. Fronds from six to twelve inches high, and covered 
beneath with white farinose powder, the upper surface bluish green ; terminal, adherent 
to a short creeping rhizome ; bipinnate, with roundish ovate, obtuse, entire pinnules, 
cordate at the base, the terminal one lobed. Sori terminal, linear, confluent, forming 
a broad marginal band. 
3. iV. argentca, Hort. — This is one of the handsomest of the whole genus. An evergreen stove species ; a 
native of South America. Fronds triangularly ovate, about six inches long, and covered throughout with a 
white farinose powder ; sub-bipinnate, with oblong obtuse crenate pinnules, the lower ones distant. Stipes, 
rachis, and midrib of pinnce shining black. Sori linear, terminal, consisting of a single row of spore-cases, 
round, near the margin of each segment. Stipes scaly near the base. Fronds adherent to a somewhat creeping 
rhizome. 
4. N. trichomanoides, R. Brown (Pteris trichomanoides, Zinncsus). — A very handsome evergreen stove Fern ; 
from Jamaica. Fronds slender, pendulous, one foot long, covered mostly beneath with a white farinose powder, 
and brown stellate pubescence ; pinnate, pinnce oblong obtuse, bluntly lobed or crenate, cordate and.auriculate 
at the base. Sori terminal, confluent, forming a linear continuous marginal band. 
5. iV. crassifolia, Hort. — An ornamental evergreen stove Fern ; native of South America. Fronds one foot 
long, densely covered beneath with imbricated fringed white scales, which ultimately become brown ; upper 
surface scattered over with stellate pubescence ; pinnate, pinna? entire stalked, oblong-ovate, and cordate at the 
base. Sori terminal linear, protruding through the scales, and forming a continuous broad black border. 
Rhizome white, scaly, and creeping. 
6. JV. rufa, Presl. — An evergreen stove species ; native of the West Indies and South America. It is a slender 
and rather straggling growing Fern. Fronds narrow, from twelve to eighteen inches long, woolly, adherent to 
a creeping rhizome ; pinnate, pinna? ovate, oblong-obtuse pinnatifid, with the stipes and rachis light brown. 
Sori terminal marginal, forming a linear continuous row of little more than single spore-cases. 
7. JV. sinuata, Kaulfuss. — A very elegant evergreen stove Fern ; native of Peru, Mexico, &c. Fronds one to 
two feet long, reclining, linear pinnate, pinna? eordato-ovate, obtuse, pinnatifid, white on the upper surface, and 
densely covered with imbricated fringed scales, upper surface bright green, scattered ov'er with stellate 
pubescence. Stipes, rachis, and rhizome scaly. Sori terminal, marginal, consisting of a few spore-cases, situated 
in the sinus of each segment, protruding through the scales. 
8. N. squamata, Hort. — A dwarf evergreen stove Fern ; from Mexico and Peru. Fronds pinnate, about six 
inches long, rather ovate, scaly beneath, with oblong-obtuse, pinnatifid pinna?, dark green above and whitish 
beneath. Sori terminal, continued round each segment of the pinna?. This species is but little known in cul- 
tivation, although introduced about 1S42. 
9. N. lanuginosa, Desvaux. — A very tender, delicate, evergreen, greenhouse Fern ; native of the South of 
Europe, Madeira, &c. Fronds four to six inches high, very woolly and brownish on the under surface ; linear- 
lanceolate, bipinnate, with roundish ovate obtuse pinnules, the terminal one lobed. Sori, round, terminal, 
subsequently confluent. Rhizome, short, somewhat creeping. 
10. if. vestita, J. Smith (Cheilanthes vestita, Swart:). — A low, delicate, slender, evergTeen, frame, or 
greenhouse species ; native of various parts of North America. Fronds from five to ten inches long, densely 
covered with hairs, and adherent to a short creeping rhizome ; linear, bipinnate, with roundish ovate pinna?, 
the pinnules pinnatifid ; margin crenate. Sori, round, terminal, marginal, subsequently confluent. This species 
is often sold for our indigenous Woodsia ilvcnsis. 
1 1 . X. distans, R. Brown. — A small evergreen greenhouse Fern ; from New Holland. Fronds six to ten 
f 
