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Alsophila (From alsos a grove and philos)

(from alsos, a grove, and philos, loving; in reference to the situation which they affect in Nature). ORD. Filices. A magnificent genus of tropical and temperate tree ferns. Sori globose, dorsal, on a vein or in the forking of a vein; receptacle mostly elevated, frequently villous; involucre none. The species of this genus require an abundant supply of water, particularly in summer, and the young fronds must be carefully shaded from solar heat. They thrive well in a peat and loam compost. For general culture, see Ferns.

A. aculeata (prickly).* fronds ample, tripinnate. rachises brown-stramineous; pinnae ovate-lanceolate, 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. long; pinnules sessile, ligulate, 3in. to 4in. long, 1/2in. to 3/4in. broad; segments close, ligulate, blunt, denticulate, often less than one line broad; both sides bright green, slightly hairy on the ribs, not scaly. sori minute, medial; texture herbaceous. Tropical America; very common. A very effective stove species. SYN. A. ferox, &c.

A. armata (armed).* fronds ample, tripinnatifid or tripinnate. rachises stramineous, densely pilose; pinnae oblong-lanceolate, 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. long; pinnules ligulate-lanceolate, sessile, 3in. to 5in. long, 3/4in to 1in. broad; segments falcate, blunt, one to one and a half lines broad, subentire or toothed; both sides densely pilose on the ribs, not scaly. sori subcostular. Tropical America; extremely abundant. Stove species. A. aspera (rough).* cau. slender, 10ft. to 30ft. high. sti. and rachises strongly aculeated; main and partial rachis above strigillose, slightly scaly beneath and on the costa, the rest glabrous, often glossy. fronds bipinnate; pinnules shortly petiolate, oblong; apex acuminated, pinnatifid half or two-thirds of the way down to the costa; lobes oblong-ovate, often acutely serrulate; costa bearing small, deciduous, bullate scales beneath. sori very deciduous. West Indies, &c. Stove species.

A. australis (southern).* sti. with very long, firm, subulate scales, 1 1/2ft. long, and as well as the main rachises, muricato-asperous, stramineous. fronds ample, subglaucous beneath, more or less villous on the costae and costule above, and very minutely bullato-paleaceous beneath, often quite naked, from 6ft. to 30ft. long; primary pinnae 1 1/2ft. long, 6in. to 10in. wide; pinnules 3in. to 4in. long, 1/2in. to 3/4in. wide, oblong, acuminate, deeply pinnatifid, or towards the base even pinnate; ultimate pinnules or lobes oblong, acute, serrated, subfalcate. sori copious, rather small. New Holland, &c., 1833. A very handsome greenhouse species.

A. comosa (hairy). Synonymous with A. Scottiana.

A. contaminans (contaminating).* cau. slender, growing from 20ft. to 50ft. high. sti. and rachises purplish brown, glossy, aculeate. fronds 6ft. to 10ft. long, ample, glabrous, deep green above, glaucous beneath; primary pinnae 2ft. or more in length, oblong-ovate, acuminate; pinnules sessile, 4in. to 5in. long, 1/2in. to 1in. wide, deeply pinnatifid, linear-oblong, sub-falcate, entire. sori nearer the costule than the margin. Java and Malaya. Stove species. SYN. A. glauca.

A. Cooperi (Cooper's).* fronds ample, tripinnate. rachises stramineous, muricated, glabrous beneath; basal scales large, linear, pale, spreading; pinnae oblong-lanceolate, 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. long; pinnules ligulate, 4in. to 5in. long, 3/4in. to 1in. broad, lowest long-stalked; segments ligulate, blunt, toothed, one and a half to two and a half lines broad. sori small. Queensland, &c. Greenhouse.

A. excelsa (tall).* trunk about 30ft. high. sti. and main rachises muricated. fronds ample, dark green above, paler beneath; primary pinnae 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. long, 6in. to 10in. wide; pinnules numerous, oblong-lanceolate, acuminated, deeply pinnatifid, often quite pinnate; ultimate divisions 1/4in. to 3/4in. long, oblong, acute or obtuse, falcate, the margins sub-recurved, serrated. sori copious near the costules. Norfolk Island. This rapid-growing and splendid species proves nearly hardy in the neighbourhood of Cornwall; and is a most effective plant for sub-tropical gardening purposes generally. Greenhouse species.

A. ferox (fierce). Synonymous with A. aculeata.

A. Gardneri (Gardner's). Synonymous with A. paleolata. A. gigantea (gigantic). cau. growing from 20ft. to 40ft. high. sti. asperous; fronds, primary pinnae 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. and more long, deeply pinnatifid at the apex; pinnules, upper ones sessile, lower ones petiolate, oblong-acuminate, 3in. to 6in. long, five to nine lines wide, deeply pinnatifid; lobes triangular or rounded, serrated. sori copious. India, &c. Stove species. SYN. A. glabra.

A. glabra (glabrous). Synonymous with A. gigantea.

A. glauca (grey). Synonymous with A. contaminans.

A. infesta (troublesome). fronds ample, tripinnatifid; pinnae oblong-lanceolate, 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. long; pinnules ligulate, 3in. long, 1/2in. to 1in. broad, cut down to a narrow wing; segments 1/4in. broad, ligulate, blunt, nearly entire; texture sub-coriaceous; colour deep green on both sides. Tropical America; widely distributed. Stove species. A. Leichardtiana (Leichardt's).* cau. 10ft. to 20ft. high. sti. jointed upon the caudex; main and secondary rachises purple, deciduously powdery, spiny. fronds 6ft. to 10ft. long, firm, dark green above, sub-glaucous beneath, naked and glaucous (or nearly so), tripinnate; primary pinnae 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. long, 8in. wide, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate; pinnules oblong-acuminate, sessile, pinnatifid only at the apex; ultimate divisions linear-oblong, acute, spinulose-serrate. sori copious, close to the costa. Australia, 1867. Greenhouse species. SYNS. A. Macarthurii, A. Moorei. A. lunulata (moon-shaped pinnuled). fronds ample, tripinnate. rachises stramineous, glabrous below, densely muricated; pinnae oblong-lanceolate, 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. long; pinnules close, ligulate, sessile, 4in. to 5in. long, 3/4in. to 1in. broad; segments close, ligulate, falcate, blunt, one line broad, obscurely crenulate. sori minute. h. 25ft. Polynesia. Greenhouse species.

A. Macarthurii (MacArthur's). Synonymous with A. Leichardtiana. A. Moorei (Moore's). Synonymous with A. Leichardtiana. A. paleolata (scaly).* cau. slender, 10ft. to 20ft. high. fronds ample, tripinnatifid. rachises stramineous, smooth, pubescent below; pinnae oblong-lanceolate, 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. long; pinnules ligulate, sessile or shortly stalked, 3in. to 4in. long, 1/2in. to 3/4in. broad, deeply cut, the segments blunt and nearly entire; texture sub-coriaceous; colour deep green, both surfaces deeply pilose, the lower scaly on the ribs. sori large, medial. Columbia, &c. Stove species. SYN. A. Gardneri.

A. procera (tall).. sti, aculeated and paleaceous below, with large glossy, dark brown scales. fronds bipinnate, glabrous, pinnatifid at the apex; primary pinnae 1ft. or more long, the rachis winged above; pinnules 2in. to 3in. long, oblong-acuminate or obtuse, pinnatifid half way down to the costa; lobes short, sub-rotundate, often acute, mostly entire. sori small on all the lobes, between the costule and the margin. Tropical America. Stove species. A. pruinata (as if hoar-frosted).* sti. densely woolly at the base. fronds glaucous, bi-tripinnate; primary pinnae petiolate, 12in. to 18in. long, ovate-lanceolate; pinnules 3in. to 4in. long, 1in. wide, petiolulate, from a broad base, oblong-acuminate, deeply pinnatifid, or again pinnate; ultimate divisions 1/2in. long, lanceolate, very acute, deeply and sharply serrated. sori solitary. Tropical America, extending to Chili. Stove or greenhouse species.

A. radens (rasping). cau. 3ft. high, 3in. diameter. sti. 2ft. to 3ft. long, clothed with ovate, pale brown scales. fronds 6ft. to 8ft. long, lanceolate-ovate, bipinnatisect; primary segments 1 1/2ft. long, elongato-oblong, acuminate; secondary ones 2in. to 3in. long, petiolulate, linear-lanceolate, pinnati-partite; segments oblong, denticulate. sori between the costule and the margin. Brazil. Stove species.

A. Rebeccae (Rebecca's).* cau. slender, 8ft. high. fronds ample, bipinnate; pinnules twenty to thirty on each side, the lower ones stalked, linear, 2in. to 3in. long, more or less incisocrenate, apex acuminate. sori principally in two rows between the midrib and edge. Queensland. Greenhouse species. for which we are indebted to Mr. Bull.

A. sagittifolia (arrow-leaved).* fronds oblong-deltoid, 4ft. to 6ft. long, bipinnate. rachises stramineous, muricated; pinnae lanceolate, 3/4ft. to 1ft. long, the lower shorter, deflexed; pinnules sessile, ligulate, crenulate, cordate on both sides at the base, 1in. to 1 1/2in. long, nearly 1/4in. broad. sori large. Trinidad, 1872. Very handsome and distinct stove species. A. Scottiana (Scott's).* fronds ample, tripinnatifid. rachises castaneous, naked and smooth beneath; pinnae oblong-lanceolate, 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. long; pinnules sessile, 3in. to 4in. long, about 1/2in. broad, ligulate, cut down to a narrow wing on the rachis; segments ligulate, blunt, dentate, sub-falcate, not 1/8in. broad. sori sub-costular. Sikkim, 1872. Greenhouse species. SYN. A. comosa.

A. Taenitis (Taenitis-like).* fronds 3ft. to 6ft. long, bipinnate; pinnules distant, 3in. to 5in. long, lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous, sub-entire, petioled; petiole articulated on the rachis. sori in a single series, equidistant between the costa and the margin, mixed with long, copious hairs. Brazil. An elegant stove species.

A. villosa (villous).* cau. 6ft. to 12ft. high. sti. 1ft. or more long, tubercular, densely clothed at the base with ferruginous scales. fronds from 6ft. to 8ft. long, bi-or sub-tripinnate, broadly lanceolate in outline; pinnules 1in. to 3in. long, oblong-lanceolate, obtusely acuminate, deeply pinnatifid; lobes oblong, obtuse, entire or coarsely serrated. sori copious. Tropical America. A very beautiful stove species.