Notholaena
Including Cincinalis. ORD. Filices. A genus comprising about thirty-four species of wide-spread, ornamental stove or greenhouse Ferns, differing from Cheilanthes only by the absence of a distinct involucre, and connected with it by gradual intermediate changes. The species should be grown slightly elevated above the rim of the pot, and in a compost of fibrous peat, silver sand, and small pieces of sandstone. Thorough drainage is most essential; and the fronds should not be wetted. For general culture, see Ferns. Except where otherwise stated, all the species here described require greenhouse treatment.
N. candida (white). A synonym of N. sulphurea.
N. chrysophylla (golden-fronded). A garden synonym of N. flavens. N. distans (distant). sti. densely tufted, 1in. to 3in. long, wiry. fronds 6in. to 9in. long, 3/4in. to 1in. broad, bipinnate; pinnae often much curled together, the lower ones distant, deltoid, cut down to the rachis into oblong, obtuse, entire or slightly lobed pinnules; lower surface and rachis scaly. Australia, &c.
N. Eckloniana (Ecklon's).* rhiz. woody, densely scaly. sti. 3in. to 6in. long, strong, erect, scaly. fronds 6in. to 12in. long, 2in. to 3in. broad, bi-tripinnatifid; upper pinnae close, the lower ones sub-distant, deltoid; pinnules close, lanceolate, pinnatifid or pinnate, with short, oblong segments; lower surface and rachis densely scaly. Cape Colony, &c., 1838. A handsome but very rare species.
N. ferruginea (rusty). rhiz. thick, bearing bulb-like scaly buds. sti. sub-tufted, 2in. to 4in. long, wiry, erect, slightly matted. fronds 6in. to 12in. long, 1/2in. to 1in. broad, simply pinnate; pinnae sessile, 1/4in. to 1/2in. long, ovate, deeply pinnatifid, with blunt lobes; upper surface pale green, villous; lower densely tomentose; edge inflexed. sori black. West Indies, Mexico.
N. flavens (yellow).* sti. densely tufted, 4in. to 8in. long, naked. fronds 4in. to 9in. long, 2in. to 4in. broad, oblong-deltoid, tripinnate; pinnae distant, the lower ones deltoid; the pinnules stalked, with oblong segments, 1in. to 1 1/2in. broad; lower surface densely coated with bright yellow powder. sori brown, extending from the edge nearly to the midrib. Central America. An elegant greenhouse species, known in gardens sometimes as N. chrysophylla. SYNS. Cincinalis flavens and Gymnogramme flavens. N. hypoleuca (white beneath).* rhiz. bulbiferous, with dark brown scales. sti. tufted, slender, 2in. to 4in. long. fronds 4in. to 6in. long, about 1in. broad, bipinnatifid; pinnae 1/2in. to 3/4in. long, 1/4in. to 3/8in. broad, ovate, cut down nearly or quite to the rachis below into blunt lobes, naked and pale green above, densely tomentose beneath; edge slightly inflexed. Chili.
N. lanugincsa (woolly).* sti. densely tufted, woolly, wiry, very short. fronds 6in. to 9in. long, 1in. to 1 1/2in. broad, oblong-lanceolate, bipinnate; pinnae close, lanceolate, the central ones the largest, with close, roundish or oblong, entire or three-lobed pinnules; rachis more or less woolly. South Europe, Australia, 1778. A very handsome species, distinguished from the rest by its dense white woolly tomentum.
N. Marantae (Maranta's).* rhiz. woody, with dense fibrillose scales. sti. strong, wiry, 3in. to 6in. long, more or less matted. fronds 4in. to 12in. long, 1 1/2in. to 3in. broad, oblong-lanceolate, bipinnate; pinnae lanceolate, cut down to the densely scaly rachis into close, oblong, entire pinnules, one line broad. South Europe, Himalayas, North Africa, &c. N. mollis (soft). rhiz. woolly, thick, with black scales. sti. 2in. to 3in. long, strong, erect, matted. fronds 8in. to 12in. long, 1 1/2in. to 2in. broad, tripinnate; upper pinnae close; lower ones distant, lanceolate, with a thick rachis, and often up-curled; segments small, roundish; upper surface dark green, naked; lower surface and rachises woolly. Chili and Andes of Guatemala.
N. Newberryi (Newberry's). sti. tufted, 3in. to 5in. long. fronds 3in. to 5in. long, lanceolate-oblong, three- or four-pinnate; ultimate segments obovate, crowded, one-third to half a line broad, entire or sub-crenate, both sides covered with a dense white tomentum of slender entangled hairs, more dense below. sori rather large, at last emergent from the tomentum. California. N. nivea (snowy).* sti. densely tufted, 4in. to 6in. long, scaly. fronds 3in. to 6in. long, 1 1/2in. to 2in. broad, ovate, tripinnate; pinnae distant, the lower ones deltoid; pinnules long-stalked, with blunt, oblong, or roundish terminal segments, one to two lines long and half a line to one line broad; lower surface coated with pure white powder. sori brown. Andes, from Mexico to Peru. A handsome species.
N. n. Hookeri (Hooker's).* "A form known only in cultivation, with close dilated segments and sessile pinnules" (Baker).
N. sinuata (sinuated). rhiz. very thick, densely scaly, and bulbiferous. sti. sub-tufted, 2in. to 4in. long, firm, erect, matted. fronds 1ft. to 2ft. long, 1in. to 2in. broad, simply pinnate; pinnae short-stalked, 1/2in. to 1in. long, 1/4in. to 1/2in. broad, ovate or oblong, varying from entire to deeply pinnatifid; rachis densely scaly; edge slightly inflexed. Mexico, 1831. A handsome stove exhibition fern. (B. M. 4699.) N. squamosa (scaly). sti, tufted, 1in. to 4in. long, densely scaly. fronds 3in. to 4in. long, 1in. or more broad, ovate-lanceolate, bipinnate; pinnae opposite, the lowest 1/2in. long, 1/4in. broad, ovate, blunt, cut down to the rachis below into several linear-oblong pinnules; rachis and under surface densely scaly. sori brownish; the edge sub-scariose. Mexico to Argentine territory, &c.
N. sulphurea (sulphurous). rhiz. creeping, the scales dense, rigid, linear, nearly black. sti. tufted, 4in. to 6in. long, wiry, naked. fronds 2in. to 3in. each way, deltoid; upper pinnae simple, central ones lanceolate, cut down to the rachis at the base into oblong lobes; lowest pair with the lowest pinnules much prolonged, 1/2in. or more long, pinnatifid or pinnate; lower surface coated with white or yellow powder. sori black. California, &c. SYNS. N. candida, Cheilanthes pulveracea, and Cincinalis sulphurea. N. trichomanoides (Trichomanes-like).* rhiz. thick, bulbiferous, the scales black. sti. tufted, 2in. to 4in. long, firm, erect, slightly scaly. fronds 6in. to 12in. long, 3/4in. to 1 1/2in. broad, simply pinnate; pinnae sessile, ovate-oblong, blunt, pinnatifid, with blunt lobes; lower surface clothed with white powder and fine ferruginous woolly hairs; the edge inflexed. Jamaica and Cuba, 1844. A very beautiful greenhouse species, and one of the best for growing in a basket.
NOTHOCLAENA. See Nothochlaena.