^rIIt 
THE GENERA AND SPECIES OF CULTIVATED FERNS. 
or bi-tri-pinnate, from a few inches to two or three feet long ; usually glabrous, rarely pubescent. — A great 
number of species are included in this genus, from the circumstance of the same characters being developed 
throughout the whole, that is, simple or forked free veins, and simple sori ; and although aspect and habit would 
seem to indicate that some natural divisions might be made with advantage, yet these divisions so gradually merge 
into each other, that we fear any attempt at generic distinction would be opposed to nature, and would tend only to 
confusion. A few species having their pinnae divided into small segments, with a sorus usually on each, opening 
outwards, constitute the genus Darea of 'Willdenow ; another group having the sori short, and the indusium fringed, 
form the Athyriums of Roth ; and a third section is constituted of the species of Acropteris 
of Link. Other groups might claim to be separated on equally just grounds, if these were 
tenable. We have therefore thought it best to retain them as one group, which has been 
broken up into sections for convenience of reference. Fig. 48 represents a pinna of A. 
lucidum (nat. size). 
\ EUASPLKNITFM. 
1. A. serratum, Linnaeus. — An ornamental evergreen stove Fern, from Jamaica and 
Trinidad. Fronds glabrous, simple, broadly lanceolate, two feet long and four inches wide, 
rather membranous, bright green, and serrate at the margin. The fronds in this species are 
arranged similar to those of Neottoptcris vulgaris. Stipes one inch long, scaly; terminal, 
adherent to an erect rhizome. 
2. A. brasiliense, Swartz (A. Nidus, Eaddi; A crenulatuni, Presl). — An ornamental ever- 
green stove Fern, from Brazil, and various parts of South America. Fronds glabrous, simple, 
coriaceous, elongate-lanceolate, from two to three and a half feet long, deep green, slightly 
undulated, viviparous at the apex, deeurrent at the base, sub-entire at the margin. Stipes 
one inch long, scaly ; terminal, adherent to an erect rhizome. 
3. A. palmatum, Lamarck. — A dwarf evergreen warm greenhouse Fern, native of the 
South of Europe, Madeira, the Canaries, Azores, &c. Fronds simple, glabrous, ten inches 
high, bright green, coriaceous, five-lobed, acute, middle lobe longest, cordate at the base, 
entire at the margin ; terminal, adherent to a thick creeping rhizome. 
4. A. oligophyllum, Kaulfuss. — An ornamental evergreen stove Fern, from Brazil. 
Fronds glabrous, coriaceous, a foot or more long, pinnate, bright green ; pinnae oblong-lanceo- 
late, cuneate at the base, crenate-serrate at the margin. Rachis winged. Stipes scaly, ter- 
minal, adherent to a somewhat creeping rhizome. 
5. A. elongatum, Swartz (A. caudatum, Cavanilles). — A very beautiful evergreen stove i 
Fern, native of Java and the Philippine Islands. Fronds glabrous, pinnate, one foot and J 
a half long, deep green ; pinnae oblong-obtuse, round at the apes, superior base auriculate, K\X\\\/ 
inferior truncate, crenate at the margin, terminal one elongated, and serrate. Rachis margi- fv 
nate. For cultivated specimens of this plant we are indebted to Messrs. Veiteh and Son, f\ 
of Exeter, by whom it has been imported. 
6. A. lucidum, Forster. — An ornamental evergreen, greenhouse species, from New j 
Zealand. Fronds glabrous, lanceolate, one and a half to two feet long, bright shining green, ' 
coriaceous, pinnate ; pinnae oblong-acuminate, petiolate, cuneate at the base, serrate at the 
margin. Fronds terminal, adherent to a scaly thick creeping rhizome. 
7. A helerodon, Blume (A. prionurus, /. Smith). — An evergreen stove Fern, from the East 
Indies. Fronds rather erect, glabrous, shining, bright green, pinnate, a foot and a half long, 
viviparous near the apex ; pinna? oblong, undulate, slightly deflexed, petiolate, cuneate at the 
base, the apex sub-caudate and serrate. Fronds terminal, adherent to a rather erect rhizome. Fig. 48. 
8. A. compressum, Swartz. — An ornamental evergreen greenhouse Fern, from St. Helena. Fronds glabrous, 
ovate-lanceolate, shining, bright green, one and a half to two feet long, coriaceous, pinnate ; pinnae broad, nearly 
all viviparous, oblong-acute, superior base truncate, and parallel with the rachis, sub-auriculate, inferior obliquely 
cuneate, bluntly serrate on the margin. Rachis winged. Fronds terminal, adherent to an erect rhizome. 
9. A. obtusatum, Forster. — A rigid erect-growing evergreen frame or greenhouse Fern, native of New Zealand, 
New Holland, and Van Diemen's Land. Fronds glabrous, coriaceous, ten inches high, bright green, pinnate ; 
pinna; oblong-obtuse, rounded at the apex, cuneate at the base, bluntly and deeply serrate at the margin. Rachis 
winged throughout. Stipes scaly. Fronds terminal, adherent to a somewhat creeping rhizome. 
10. A. latum, Swartz. — An ornamental evergreen stove species, from the "West Indies. Fronds glabrous, 
elongated, one and a half to two feet long, pinnate, bright green ; pinna? oblong-obtuse, lower pair longest, 
hastate, upper auriculate, superior base somewhat rounded, inferior truncate, round at the apex, inciso-serrate at 
the margin. Rachis winged. Stipes scaly at the base, ter min al, adherent to an erect rhizome. 
11. A. marinum, Linnaeus. — An evergreen frame or greenhouse Fern, indigenous to Britain, and found in the 
South of Europe, the Channel Islands, Madeira, Teneriffe, and Northern Africa. Fronds glabrous, linear-lanceo- 
late, pinnate, from eight to eighteen inches long, bright green ; pinnae oblong-obtuse, round at the apex, inciso- 
serrate at the margin, superior base somewhat rounded and sub-auriculate, inferior truncate. Rachis winged. 
Fronds terminal, adherent to a short scaly, somewhat creeping rhizome. 
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