L en g th of the frond from eighteen inches to two feet, rachi.s
slightly pubescent, black in colour, except when young—then
g re en ; colour of the frond rich green.
Sori oblong, reniform, and solitary, about seven on a pinnule.
Sir William Ho o k e r states in his “ Species F ilicum ,” that
A d ia n tum angustatum of Kaulfuss is probably a form of this
Fern, and also th a t A . humile of K u n z e , and A . tetragonum
of Schrader and Ma rtins, may eventually prove to be varieties
of A . curvatum. H e also remarks th a t “ if any of the pinnules
bear sori on the lower as well on the u p p e r margin, (which I
have n ever known to be the case,) it f A d ia n tum cu rva tum ,)
would appear almost identical with A . tetragonum of Schrader
and Ma rtin s,” One of my plants has borne sori on the lower
margin, near th e apex of th e pinnule, yet sparingly. I forwarded
a frond having sori on the lower margin to Sir William
Ho o k e r, and his son (D r. H o o k e r,) informs me th a t th e re are
no fronds exhib itin g this character in the extensive herbarium
at Kew.
A Brazilian F e rn , found in dry woods at Sierra de Santa
Brida.
This F e rn requires shade, a stove tem p e ra tu re , and not too
much water.
My thanks are duo to Mr. H en d e rso n , of W en tw o rth ; and
to h lr . Masters, of the E x o tic N u rse ry , C an te rb u ry , for plants;
and to Mr. Hen d e rso n , of W en tw o rth , for fructified fronds.
I t is in the Catalogues of Messrs. E. G. H en derson, of St.
Jo h n ’s W o o d ; A. Hen d e rso n , of Pine-apple P la c e ; Veitch, of
E x e te r; Kollisson, of T ooting; P a rk e r, of Holloway; Sim, of
F o o t’s C ray ; and Booth, of Hamburg.
T h e illustration is from a frond sent b y Mr. Hen d e rso n , of
IV en tw o rth .