Hemitelia
(from hemi, half, and telia, a lid; in reference to the shape of the indusium). ORD. Filices. A genus of about thirty species of very beautiful stove and greenhouse tree ferns. Fronds ample, pinnate or decompound. Sori globose, dorsal, upon a vein or veinlet; receptacle elevated; involucre a scale situated on the under side of the sorus, of variable size, shape, and texture. For culture, see Ferns.
H. capensis (Cape). cau. 12ft. to 14ft. high, scaly at base, often bearing multifid pinnae. fronds ample, sub-membranaceous, bitripinnate; primary pinnae petiolate, ovate-oblong; pinnules sub-sessile, 2in. to 3in. long, 1/2in. wide, oblong-acuminate, deeply pinnatifid or again pinnate; lobes linear-oblong, acute, strongly serrated. sori frequently solitary at base of lobe or pinnule, rarely three or four; receptacle large, prominent. South Africa, Brazil, Java. Greenhouse.
H. grandifolia (large-fronded).* sti. aculeated. fronds ample, pinnated; pinnae sessile, 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. long, elongate-oblong, acuminated, 1in. to 2in. broad; lobes broad-oblong, obtuse, serrated at the apex. sori on the free veins, in a continual line, intermediate between the costule and the margin. West Indies, &c., 1852. Stove.
H. horrida (horrid). sti. strongly aculeated. fronds 7ft. to 10ft. long, pinnate; pinnae sessile, 1ft. to 2ft. long, broad, oblong-lanceolate, deeply pinnatifid; lobes 3in. long, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate. sori on the free veinlets, forming a continued line just within the margin. West Indies, &c., 1843. Stove.
H. Karsteniana (Karsten's). sti. muricated and scaly at the base. fronds ample, pinnated; pinnae sessile, 6in. to 12in. long, 2in. broad. sori in two oblique lines, meeting towards the rachis. Venezuela. Stove. H. multiflora (many-flowered). sti. muricated, scaly. fronds ample, tripinnatifid; pinnae oblong-lanceolate, 1ft. to 1 1/2ft long; pinnules 3in. to 4in. long, ligulate, nine to ten lines broad, cut down to a narrow wing. sori small, medial. South America, 1824. Stove.
H. setosa (bristly). sti. short, grey, muricated; basal scales dark brown; rachises grey-stramineous, naked, smooth. fronds ample, tripinnate; pinnae oblong-lanceolate, 1ft. to 1 1/2ft. long, lower diminished, lowest dimorphous, with pinnated subulate segments; pinnules ligulate, 3in. to 4in. long, 3/4in. broad, cut down to rachis below; segments 1/8in. broad, bluntish, falcate, barren, broad, fertile, narrower; both sides green, glabrous. sori costular; involucre small, depressed, glabrous. Brazil. Stove. H. Smithii (Smith's).* sti. below densely crinite, with rigid, elongated, serrulated scales; rachis and costa below sparsely pilose, with lax, rufous, deciduous scales above, strigoso-villous. fronds bipinnate; primary pinnae linear-elongate, acute, sub-falcate, serrated or crenate, very glabrous, the costules beneath paleaceous or pilose or glabrous. sori on the forking of the veins; involucre hemispherical. New Zealand. Arboreous, unarmed. Greenhouse. SYN. Cyathea Smithii.
H. speciosa (showy).* cau. 20ft. to 24ft. high. sti. tuberculate-submuricate. fronds ample, pinnate, very long, pinnatifid at the extremity; pinnae firm, satiny, 8in. to 12in. long, 1in. to 1 1/2in. broad, elongato-ensiform, acuminate. sori arranged in a sinuous continued chain or line just within the margin. Tropical America. Stove.