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Gleichenia (Named in honour of W F)
(named in honour of W. F. Gleichen, 1717-1783, a German botanist). ORD. Filices. A genus comprising about thirty species of ornamental stove and greenhouse ferns. Caudex mostly creeping. Fronds rarely unbranched, generally dichotomously divided; pinnae deeply pinnatifid, with the segments small and concave. Sori of few (usually two to four) sessile capsules, situated on a lower exterior veinlet. For general culture, see Ferns. G. acutifolia (acute-leaved). A synonym of G. quadripartita. G. Bancroftii (Bancroft's) A synonym of G. longissima. G. bifurcata (twice-forked). A synonym of G. flagellaris. G. bracteata (bracteate). A synonym of G. flagellaris. G. circinata (circinate).* fronds, lobes of the pinnae ovate or sub-rotund, more or less glaucous beneath, the margins slightly recurved; branches and rachis glabrous, or more or less pubescent. Capsules three to four, superficial. Australia. Green-house. SYNS. G. microphylla, G. speluneae. The variety semi-vestita has the rachises and young fronds very paleaceo-pubescent.
G. cryptocarpa (hidden-fruited). fronds proliferous, coriaceous, deep yellow or yellow-brown when dry; branches dichotomously flabelliform; pinnae broad-lanceolate, sub-erect and compact, 4in. to 5in. long, 1in. broad, pectinato-pinnatifld; segments narrowlinear, strongly veined, the margins singularly revolute, concealing the sori. Capsules one to four in a sorus. h. 3ft. Chili, 1865. Greenhouse.
G. Cunninghami (Cunningham's). fronds often proliferous, coriaceous; branches dichotomously flabelliform, glaucous beneath, hairy; pinnae linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 4in. to 6in. long, 1/2in. to 1in. broad; segments linear, acute. Capsules two to four in a sorus. New Zealand. Greenhouse. (H. S. F. i. 6B.) G. dicarpa (two-fruited).* fronds, lobes of the pinnae round, subhemispherical, very fornicate. Capsules two, concealed within the almost slipper-shaped lobes, and mixed with ferruginous, paleaceous hairs, which often extend to the rachis. Australia. A variable greenhouse species. (H. S. F.i. 1c.) The variety alpina is generally smaller and more compact, rachis and young shoots ferruginous with paleaceous wool. SYN. G. hecistophylla. (H. S. F. i.2B.) Another elegant variety, introduced in 1879, is longipinnata, in which the fronds are longer than those of the type, and the growth is exceedingly graceful.
G. dichotoma (forked).* sti. zigzag, repeatedly di-or trichotomous, the ultimate branches bearing a pair of forked pinnae, about 8in. long and 2in. wide; segments never decurrent, glaucous beneath. Tropical regions. Stove. SYNS. G. ferruginea, G. Hermanni, G. rufinervis, and many others. G. excelsa (tall). A synonym of G. longissima.
G. ferruginea (rusty). A synonym of G. dichotoma.
G. flabellata (fan-shaped). fronds very proliferous; branches dichotomously flabelliform; pinnae ascending, about 6in. long, 1in. to 2in. broad, lanceolate; segments linear. Australia, &c., 1823. Greenhouse. G. flagellaris (whip-like).* fronds, branches glabrous, repeatedly dichotomous, copiously foliaceous, glabrous, often glaucous beneath, sub-coriaceo-membranaceous; pinnae erecto-patent or divaricating, extremely variable, broad or narrow,or linear-lanceolate, 5in. to 1ft. and more long; segments 1/2in. to 2in. and more long, linear, sometimes ferrugineo-tomentose at the base beneath. Capsules two to four. Mauritius and Bourbon, Madagascar; abundant in Java and Malay Islands. Stove. SYNS. G. bifurcata, G. bracteata, G. loevigata, G. plumaeformis.
G. furcata (forked). A synonym of G. pubescens.
G. gigantea (gigantic). A synonym of G. longissima.
G. glauca (glaucous). A synonym of G. longissima.
G. hecistophylla (smallest-leaved). A synonym of G. dicarpa alpina. G. Hermanni (Hermann's). A synonym of G. dichotoma.
G. laevigata (smooth). A synonym of G. flagellaris.
G. longipinnata (long-pinnated). A synonym of G. pubescens. G. longissima (longest).* sti. stout, forked; branches very long; pinnae numerous, 4in. to 8in. long, 1in. to 2in. broad, deeply pinnatifid; segments linear, acuminated, or oblong, China and Japan. Greenhouse. SYNS. G. Bancroftii, G. excelsa, G. gigantea, G. glauca. (H. S. F. i. 3B.) G. Matthewsii (Matthews's). A synonym of G. pubescens. G. microphylla (small-leaved). A synonym of G. circinata. G. pectinata (combed).* sti. zigzag, branched; branches bearing one to three pairs of forked divaricating pinnae; segments never decurrent, frequently glaucous beneath. sori of eight to ten capsules. Tropical America, 1824. Very distinct. Stove.
G. plumaeformis (feather-formed). A synonym of G.flagellaris. G. pubescens (downy).* sti. and rachises often woolly; branches of the frond repeatedly dichotomous, leafy; pinnae 5in. to 2ft. long, 1in. to 2in. broad, pectinato-pinnatifid, clothed with cobwebby pubescence; segments spreading, linear. Capsules two to five. Tropical America. Stove. SYNS. G. furcata, G. longipinnata, G. Matthewsii, G. tomentosa.
G. quadripartita (quadripartite). fronds coriaceous, black when dry, rufous-brown beneath, not proliferous, only once-forked; each branch dichotomously flabelliform; pinnae lanceolate, acuminate, falcately curved, pectinato-pinnatifid, 4in. to 6in. long, 1in. to 1 1/2in. broad; lobes narrow-linear, sub-falcate, sharply acute,the margins a little recurved. Capsules one to three in a sorus. Straits of Magellan. Greenhouse. SYN. G. acutifolia.
G. rufinervis (red-nerved). A synonym of G. dichotoma. G. rupestris (rock).* fronds 2ft. to 6ft. long; lobes of pinnae rounded or obtusely sub-quadrangular, coriaceous; margins thickened and recurved, sub-glaucous beneath. sori of three or four capsules, superficial. Australia, 1860. Greenhouse. Perhaps only a variety of G. circinata. G. speluncae (cavern). A synonym of G.circinata.
G. tomentosa (tomentose). A synonym of G.pubescens.