Adiantum
Tropical America is the head-quarters of this genus, which embraces about eighty species. To the species and varieties described on pp. 24-9, Vol. I., the following should now be added:
A. assimile cristatum (crested). fronds elegantly crested. 1887. Garden variety.
A. Birkenheadii (Birkenhead's). fronds tripinnate, about 2 1/2ft. long and 1ft. broad, deltoid, acuminate; pinnae alternate, distant and long-stalked towards the base, closer together and sessile near the apex, the lower ones bipinnate, the upper ones pinnate; pinnules obtusely oblong-trapezoid, cut on the upper edge into shallow lobes. 1886. A fine garden Fern, of tufted habit. A. Bournei (Bourne's). A variety of A. cuneatum.
A. Burnii (J. B. Burn's). sti. smooth, ebeneous. fronds evergreen, glabrous, broadly ovate, acuminate, tri-or quadripinnate; pinnae ovate, the lower ones with a long stalk, the upper ones almost sessile; pinnules stipitate below, the basal one 2in. to 2 1/2in. long, narrowly ovate, the basal pinnulets compound, the upper ones still narrower because less divided at the base. sori numerous, roundish-reniform, seated at the base of a notch at the apex of the lobes. Garden hybrid. Stove.
A. Capillus-Veneris digitatum (digitate). fronds not symmetrical, but with a tendency to become unequally ovate, dwarfish, smooth, evergreen; pinnae and pinnules unequal and irregular, the more perfect pinnules rhomboid, with a rounded apex, deeply furcate-lobed, the edges marginate. sori wanting. A curious variety.
A. C.-V. grande (large). A very handsome variety, larger, denser, and more bushy in habit than the type. 1886. Hardy.
A. C.-V. imbricatum (imbricated). sti. and rachises glossy ebeneous. fronds ovate, 6in. long, densely imbricated, bi-tripinnate, evergreen; pinnae crowded, 2in. to 2 1/4in. long, 1 1/2in. wide; pinnules large, much overlapping, the lateral ones rhomboid, 3/4in. long and 1/2in. broad, the terminal ones broadly flabellate, 1in. or more in width. sori elongate-oblong. A. C.-V. obliquum (oblique). fronds, pinnae very large, oblique. 1885. (I. H. 1885, 546.) A. Collisii (Collis'). sti. black, slender, 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. long. fronds triangular, 1 1/4ft. to 2ft. across; pinnules small, rhomboid, truncate on the inner and lower sides, and slightly toothed on the outer and upper margins. 1885. A beautiful, decorative, stove Maidenhair, of garden origin. A. cuneatum Bournei (Bourne's). sti. long. fronds dense, triangular. 1882. A garden variety in the way of A. Pacottii, but less refined in growth. A. c. deflexum (deflexed). fronds triangular, three or four times pinnate; pinnules deflexed, lobed; lobes crenate-toothed. 1884, A garden hybrid between A. Bausei and A. cuneatum. Stove.
A. c. elegans (elegant). sti. glossy, 6in. long. fronds triangular, about 9in. long and broad; pinnae ovate-triangular, with rather distantly-set, cuneate pinnules, which are 1/4in. long and 1/8in. broad. Gardens, 1885. Stove. A. c. grandiceps (large-headed). A crested variety, of drooping habit, well adapted for basket culture.
A. c. strictum (upright). fronds erect, four times pinnate; pinnae ascending, arranged somewhat spirally. 1884. Stove.
A. cyclosorum (circular-sorused). sti. stoutish, glossy black, 8in. to 10in. long. fronds 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. long, triangular, tripinnate, glabrous; pinnae spreading, ovate, stalked; pinnules five to nine lines long, rhomboid. sori eight to ten to a pinnule, circular, marginal. Ecuador, 1887. A handsome and well-marked, deciduous, stove species.
A. Daddsii (J. Dadds'). sti. glossy ebeneous, about 8in. long. fronds above 1ft. long, fertile throughout, deltoid, decompound, evergreen, glabrous; pinnae triangular-ovate, stipitate, furnished with numerous but not crowded pinnules; ultimate segments very numerous, quite small, distinct, everywhere pedicellate, the terminal ones cuneate with two or three lobes at the apex, the intermediate ones rhomboid-cuneate, more or less deeply lobed on the anterior side, the basal ones roundish or obovate, narrowed into the pedicels. sori roundish-reniform, situated in a notch at the apex of the marginal lobes. A supposed hybrid. Greenhouse.
A. elegans (elegant). sti. blackish-purple. fronds triangular-ovate, quadripinnate; pinnae distant, long-stalked, ovate or deltoid, with stalked pinnules; pinnulets very small, two or three-lobed, roundish, the larger ones slightly trapezoid, the terminal ones shortly cuneate. 1886. A graceful, greenhouse, evergreen Fern, of garden origin.
A. Fergusoni (Ferguson's).* sti. long, glossy purplish-black. fronds triangular-ovate, tripinnate, stiffly erect; pinnae long-stalked, spreading; pinnules variable, mostly large, bluntly ovate, truncate at base, with a pair of large basal lobes, and three or four smaller lobes above, the pedicels continuous with the rachis, not articulated, all the lobes again lobulate, and, where sterile, finely toothed. sori oblong, at the tops of the ultimate lobes. Ceylon, 1884. Stove. (G. C. ser. iii., vol. ii., p. 469.) A. festum (pleasant). sti. 8in. to 9in. long, purplish-ebeneous. fronds 1ft. long, glabrous, evergreen, decompound, drooping, triangular, acuminate; pinnae deltoid, spreading; pinnules of ultimate segments small, crowded, cuneate or rhomboid-cuneate, larger towards their extremities, the terminal ones symmetrically or unequally cuneate, bipartite, with deeply lobed divisions, the rest lobed on their anterior edge. sori roundish-reniform, placed in a sinus of the lobe. Greenhouse hybrid.
A. fragrantissimum (very fragrant). sti. 5in. to 6in. long, glossy ebeneous. fronds 1ft. to 1 1/4ft. long, deltoid, quadripinnate, glabrous, evergreen; pinnae ovate, spreading, the basal ones long-stalked; ultimate pinnules or pinnulets large, on long, slender pedicels, cuneate, the terminal ones equally lobed at the apex, the lateral ones more or less obliquely cuneate, lobed. sori roundish-reniform, placed in a sinus at the apex of the lobes. Probably a hybrid. Stove. Reason for specific name not stated. (G. C., ser. iii., vol. ii., p. 199.) A. hians (gaping). sti. black. fronds about 10in. long, triangular-ovate, tripinnate; pinnae ovate, the upper ones stalked, the lower ones almost sessile; pinnules variable, roundish, balloon-shaped, transversely oblong, or rhomboidal, the end rounded, bearing one or two large, broadly gaping sori. South Pacific Islands. An ornamental, stove Maidenhair. A. macrophyllum bipinnatum (bipinnate). This handsome variety differs from the type in having the fronds twice-pinnate in the lower part, and with smaller pinnules. Jamaica, 1885.
A. Mairisii (Mairis'). fronds triangular, quadripinnate; pinnae ovate, on rather stalks; pinnules cuneate-trapezoid, with an irregular, truncate apex, those near the ends of the pinnae larger, with a lobate margin, the fertile ones cut into oblong, concave sinuses, giving a bluntly cornute aspect to the principal pinnule. 1885. Stove. Garden variety; perhaps a hybrid between A. Capillus-Veneris and A. cuneatum.
A. novae-caledoniae (New Caledonian).* cau. tufted. sti. and rachis blackish-purple, the latter clothed with dark brown hair-scales. fronds pedately pentagonal in outline, tripinnate at the basal part, bipinnate above; pinnae narrow-lanceolate, the larger ones caudate; pinnules irregular in size and form, coarsely toothed, the largest 1in. to 1 1/2in. long. New Caledonia, 1883. Stove. See Fig. 2, for which we are indebted to Messrs. W. and J. Birkenhead.
A. obliquum minus (lesser). sti. black. fronds pinnate; pinnae falcate, acuminate, the sterile ones incised-toothed, the fertile ones with close-set, oblong sori, the apex trapeziform and lobed. Columbia, 1883. A. Oweni (Owen's). sti. about 8in. long, glossy ebeneous. fronds about 1 1/2ft. long, triangular-ovate, evergreen, glabrous, erect, quadripinnate; pinnae ascending, triangular, stipitate the lower ones on stalks about 1in. long, the upper ones gradually shorter; basal pinnules ovate; pinnulets very small, shortly stipitate, slightly lobed, the terminal ones cuneate, the others mostly rhomboid. sori two to four to a pinnule, placed in a sinus of the marginal lobes. Stove hybrid.
A. Pacottii (Pacott's). A garden variety, of very dense habit, the pinnules overlapping each other to an uncommon extent. Greenhouse. A. rhodophyllum (rose-fronded).* fronds evergreen, triangular, tripinnate, elegantly spreading, about 1ft. long; pinnae few, pinnate or bipinnate, the upper undivided ones 1 1/2in. long, and, as well as the 1in. pinnules, rhomboid-trapezoid, and set on hair like, black stalks; young fronds rosy-purple. sori at the apices of the lobes, but much broken up. 1884. A beautiful. stove hybrid.
A. roseum (rosy). fronds, when young, rosy-tinted. A dwarf, garden variety. Greenhouse.
A. schizophyllum (cut-leaved). sti. and rachises remote in varying degrees. fronds numerous, with stoutish, conspicuous, ebeneous rachises; pinnules small, commonly minute, most of them deeply cut into narrow, lineate lobes. sori small, lunate, sparingly produced in a perfect state. 1887. A seedling from A. oemulum. Stove or greenhouse.
A. tetraphyllum gracile (slender). A handsome variety, of moderate stature, remarkable for the beautiful reddish tint assumed by the fronds when first developed.
A. Victoriae (Victoria's). fronds crowded, bipinnate, forming close, low tufts 4in. to 6in. high, rich green; pinnules rather large, bluntly conical or sub-rhomboidal. 1882. A handsome, dwarf, stove Maidenhair, "supposed to be a hybrid between A. Ghiesbreghti and A. decorum, but it appears more like a dwarf form of A. tenerum Farleyense" (Moore).
A. Waltoni (H. and E. H. Walton's). sti. 9in. long, glossy ebeneous. fronds nearly 1 1/2ft. long, broadly ovate, erect, glabrous, evergreen, quadripinnate; pinnae ascending, ovate, the lower ones long-stalked, the upper ones with the pinnules next the rachis elongated and compound; pinnulets pedicellate, more or less cuneiform, often somewhat oblique. sori abundant, four to six to a pinnule, placed in a sinus of the marginal lobes. Green house hybrid.
A. Weigandii (Weigand's). fronds triangular, tripinnate, glabrous, about 1ft. long, forming a neat, tufted mass; pinnae and pinnules long-stalked, the latter ovate from a broad base, lobed, with narrow sinuses. sori large, numerous, nearly circular, one or two on each lobe. America (garden origin), 1884. Greenhouse.