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THE GENERA AND SPECIES OF CULTIVATED FERNS. 

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sporangiferous on its under surface, at length replicate. Costa excentric or wanting ; veins unilateral, or radiating, 
forked ; venules direct, terminating in the axis of the indusium. Fronds simple, reniform, pinnate, pedate, bipin- 
nate or decompound, from six inches to two or three feet high, usually smooth ; stipes and rachis ebeneous ; pinna; 
generally oblique, truncate, or cuneate at the base, or dimidiate, and soriferous on the upper margin only, petiolate, 
and usually articulated with the rachis or petiole. — This very extensive and distinct natural group contains 
upwards of a hundred known species, all of elegant form and graceful habit, their ebeneous slender shining stipes 
and rachis contrasting admirably with the pinna?, which are of a very delicate green colour. They have a very 
extensive geographical range, being found in the tropical and extra-tropical regions of both hemispheres ; likewise 
in Em-ope, New Zealand, and North America. Their affinity with Cheilantb.es and Hewardia (a genus not in 
cultivation) is evidently extremely close. From the former they are distinguished by the position of the sori, 
which in Cheilanthes are situated on the apex of single venules in the axis of the indusium, whereas in Adiantum 
they are placed on the indusium. From Hewardia they are dis- 
tinguished by the latter having a reticulated venation. Fig. 32 re- 
presents a small portion of a frond of A. tenerum (nat. size). 
1. A. reniforme, Linnaeus. — A dwarf evergreen greenhouse Fern, 
from Madeira. Fronds simple, round or reniform, glabrous, bright 
shining green, about six inches high, terminal, adherent to a scaly, 
somewhat creeping rhizome. Sori oblong, contiguous. 
2. A. Wilsoni, Hooker. — An evergreen stove Fern, from Jamaica. 
Fronds glabrous, one foot long, pinnate ; pinna; ovate or oblong- 
acuminate, coriaceous, shining green, cordate at the base ; the sterile 
ones broad, serrate at the margin, petiolate, persistent and not articu- 
late with the rachis ; the fertile ones three to five on each frond. Sori 
linear, continuous. Fronds lateral, adherent to a creeping rhizome. 
3. A. macrophi/llum, Swartz. — A very beautiful evergreen stove 
species, from Jamaica. Fronds glabrous, pinnate, one to one and a 
half foot long ; pinna; large, sub-sessile, ovate or oblong-acuminate ; 
the sterile lobed and slightly dentate, chartaceous, of a lively green, 
and unequally cuneate at the base. Sori linear, continuous. This is 
rather an erect-growing plant ; fronds lateral, adherent to a creeping 
rhizome. 
4. A. lucidum, Swartz. — A glabrous evergreen stove Fern, a 
native of the "West Indies and South America. Fronds pinnate, one 
foot long ; pinnae trapezio-lanceolate, acuminate, coriaceous, bright 
green, shining, cuneate at the base, the margin serrate. Eachis and 
stipes hairy ; lateral, adherent to a creeping rhizome. Sori linear, continuous or interrupted. 
5. A. obliquum, Willdenow. — A glabrous evergreen stove species, from the "West Indies and South America. 
Fronds pinnate, one foot long ; pinna: ovate-oblong, acuminate, deep green on the upper surface, and glaucous 
beneath ; inferior base truncate, superior auriculate, margin serrate. Sori oblong, linear, numerous throughout 
each fertile pinna. Fronds nearly all fertile, lateral, adherent to a creeping rhizome. Eachis and stipes hairy. 
6. A. hmulatum, Burmann (A. arcuatum, Swartz). — An elegant, deciduous stove Fern, from the East Indies 
and Ceylon, Africa, and South America. Sterile fronds glabrous, pendulous, pinnate, a foot or more long, rooting 
at the apex ; pinnae oblong, bright green, lobed on the upper margin, and obtuse at the base. Fertile fronds erect, 
a foot long, glabrous, pinnate ; pinna; lunate on long petioles, upper ones cuneate at the base. Sori oblong-linear, 
sub-continuous. Fronds terminal, adherent to a fasciculate rhizome. 
7. A. caudatum, Linnasus (A. hirsutum, JBory.). — A neat evergreen stove species, from India, China, Ceylon, 
and the Mauritius. Fronds linear, hairy, one and a half foot long, rooting at the apex, pinnate ; pinna; oblong, 
obtuse, cuneate at the base, pale green, upper margin divided into small dilatate segments. Sori small, numerous, 
one on each segment. Eachis and stipes light brown, terminal, adherent to a fasciculate rhizome. 
8. A. forcarttm, Eaddi (A. intermedium, Swartz.) — An ornamental evergreen stove Fern, a native of the West 
Indies and South America. Fronds bipinnate, one to one and a half foot long ; pinna; oblong-acuminate ; pinnules 
dimidiate, deep green ; the sterile ones membranous, oblong-acuminate, sub-imbricate, cuneate at the base, the 
superior margin inciso-serrate ; the fertile ones dimidiate, oblong-obtuse, sub-imbricate, with a serrate apex. Sori 
oblong, numerous. Eachis and stipes hairy ; lateral, adherent to a creeping rhizome. This Fern varies consider- 
ably in cultivation. When growing luxuriantly, it attains the height of two feet ; the fertile fronds are erect, 
with rather small pinnules, and the sori is solitary, on the upper margin of each. 
9. A. brasilicnse, Link. — An evergreen stove Fern, from Brazil. Fronds bipinnate, a foot or more long; 
pinnules oblong, obtuse, membranous ; the sterile' ones serrate, upper surface light green, and rather glaucous 
beneath. Sori oblong, linear. Eachis and stipes slightly hairy ; lateral, adherent to a creeping rhizome. Perhaps 
only a form of intermedium or fovearum. 
10. A. cristatum, Linnaeus (A. striatum, Swartz.). — -A dwarf pendulous evergreen stove species, from Jamaica. 
Fronds glabrous, bipinnate, one foot long ; pinnae linear-acuminate, narrow, six or eight inches long, pendulous ; 
Fig. 32. 
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