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THE GENERA AND SPECIES OF CULTIVATED FERNS. 
THE GENERA AND SPECIES OE CULTIVATED FEENS. 
By Me. J. HOTJLSTON, Royal Botanic Garden, Kew ; and Me. T. MOORE, F.L.S., &c. 
Sub-order — Polypodiaceje : Tribe — Pteeidilze. 
Sect. II. — MetasoriE, J. Smith. — From meta, a change, and sorm ; alluding to the variable form and position of the sori. 
V OMARIA, Willdenow (Stegania, R. Brown). — Name derived from loma, an edge or border; in allusion to the 
J^J. marginal position of the indusium. 
Fronds of two kinds ; the fertile erect, contracted. Sori linear, elongate, continuous, arising from a thick 
and elevated receptacle, often occupying nearly the whole disk. Indusium linear, vaulted, revolute and con- 
niving, at length replicate and torn, seated on or within the thickened margin. Veins of the sterile fronds, 
forked ; venules direct, free, with their apices club-shaped, and usually terminating within the margin ; veins in 
the fertile segments scarcely evident. Fronds simple pinnatifid or pinnate, from one to two and a half feet long, 
usually glabrous. — The habit, in which there is great uniformity, is the principal character that distinguishes 
this genus from Pteris ; the fertile fronds being in all cases contracted, with the spore-cases seated on a broad 
thickened receptacle, and not in any instance on the base of the indusium, as in Pteris. With Blechnum it has 
undoubtedly a very close affinity ; the broad sporangiferous receptacle, which is the primary character that sepa- 
rates it from that genus, has considerable analogy to the amorphous receptacle of 
Acrostichece, to which tribe Lomaria forms a transition through Stenochlcena. The 
position of the indusium affords no definite character, for nearly all the species that are 
in cultivation, if examined in a living state, have the indusium intramarginal, with the 
veins extending beyond the sporangiferous receptacle. The most obvious character, 
and that by which they are readily recognised from the rest of the Pteridece, is the 
contracted fertile fronds, with a linear continuous sorus. Fig. 42 represents a pinna of 
the sterile frond, and a portion of the fertile frond of L. onocleoides (nat. size). 
1. L. Patersoni, Sprengel. — An evergreen, greenhouse Fern, from Van Dicmcn's 
Land. Sterile fronds rigid, simple, often pinnatifid in cultivation, eight or ten inches 
long, ensiform-lanceolate, dark green, margin crcnulate. Fertile fronds linear, narrow, 
simple, often pinnatifid, one foot high ; terminal, adherent to a tufted rhizome. 
2. L. lanccolala, Sprengel. — A dwarf evergreen, greenhouse Fern, native of New 
Zealand and Van Diemen's Land. Sterile fronds glabrous, lanceolate, eight inches 
long, sub-pinnate, dull green, the segments oblong-obtuse, rigid, repand, with the 
margin entire . Fertile fronds lanceolate, eight or ten inches high, pinnate ; pinna) 
linear, acute, repand. Fronds terminal, adherent to a somewhat tufted rhizome. 
3. L. alpiiia, Sprengel (L. antarctica, Carmickaet). — A neat dwarf evergreen, frame 
species, native of Van Diemen's Land, New Zealand, Cape Horn, and the Falkland 
Islands. Sterile fronds glabrous, lanceolate, four inches long, bright green, pinnate ; 
pinnce oblong-obtuse, adnate, round at the apex, sub-falcate, margin entire. Fertile 
fronds, lanceolate, pinnate, six inches high ; pinna; linear-oblong, sub-falcate. Both 
forms are lateral, adherent to a creeping rhizome. 
4. L. Spicaiit, Desvaux (Blechnum boreale, Sivarlz). — An elegant hardy species, 
indigenous to Britain, and also common throughout Europe, Madeira, and on the 
North-west coast of America. Sterile fronds glabrous, lanceolate, one foot long, bright 
green, reclining, peetinate-pinnatifid ; segments lanceolate, rather obtuse. Fertile fronds pinnate, one to one 
and a half foot high ; pinnce linear-acuminate. Both forms are terminal, adherent to a tufted rhizome. 
5. L. mida, Willdenow (Onoclea nuda, Labillardicre). — A glabrous evergreen greenhouse Fern, from Van 
Diemen's Land. Sterile fronds broadly lanceolate, pinnate, one to one and a half foot long, light green ; pinna; 
adnate, oblong-lanceolate. Fertile fronds pinnate ; pinnae curvate, linear acuminate. Both forms are terminal, 
adherent to a fasciculate creeping rhizome. 
6. L. attenuata, Willdenow. — An evergreen stove species, from the Mauritius. Sterile fronds glabrous, lan- 
ceolate, pinnate, dull green, one to one and a half foot long ; segments adnate, repand, oblong-acuminate, margin 
entire. Fertile frond pinnate, one foot high ; pinnae linear-acuminate. Fronds terminal or lateral, adherent to 
a slender somewhat creeping caudex, often erect attaining the height of nearly two feet. 
7. L. aurimlata,' Desvaux. — A glabrous evergreen greenhouse Fern, from the Cape of Good Hope. Sterile 
fronds lanceolate, pinnate, one and a half foot long, lively green; pinnce linear-acuminate, sub-imbricate, petio- 
lulate, slightly falcate, and auriculate at the base. Fertile fronds broadly lanceolate, pinnate ; pinna; linear - 
acuminate. Both forms are terminal, adherent to a rather erect rhizome. 
8. L. alia, R. Heward MS. — An evergreen greenhouse species, a native of New Zealand. Sterile fronds 
glabrous, two feet and a half long, pinnate, pale green ; pinna; oblique cordate-oblong acute sub-petiolatc, the 
margin serrate. Fertile fronds pinnate, nearly as tall as the sterile ones ; pinnce linear, narrow, four inches long, 
ltachis and stipes paleaceous. Fronds terminal, adherent to a somewhat creeping rhizome. This plant is figured 
in Hooker's Icones Plantarum, t. 427-428, under the name of X. procera. 
Fig. 42. 
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