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great peculiarity, which distinguishes this Maidenhair
and its ally, A . fragile, from the rest of the pyramidal-fronded
Adianta, is the very conspicuous disk-like enlargement of the
apices of the ultimate divisions of the rachis, the pinnules
being articulated to these disks, and very readily falling from
them when the frond is old or not carefully dried.
Miss Reynolds was the first to gather this fern in Florida,
though mistaking it for A . Cafilkts-Vezzeris, and she expressly
noticed that “ last year’s fronds were all gone, or rather the
pinnæ had dropped, leaving the shining black wiry stems
standing upright, and spreading out their slim fingers, while
the baby fronds were coming up ail around them. Some were
old enough to be well fruited, while others were very tender
and of a lovely pink color.” The locality was pointed out
to her by Mr. Chamberlin, who had known of it for a long
time, “ in rich hunimock-land, where wild oranges and other
trees made a constant shade.” ’
Adiantum Farleyense, Moore, is a variety of this species,
originating, it is said, in the island of Bermuda. The pinnules
are very large, fan-shaped and deeply lobed on the
rounded outer margin.
Plate LX X V II.— Adiantum tenerum, from Florida. Fig. 2, is an
enlarged pinnule, showing the articulation. Fig. 5, a fruiting' lobe, the
indusium opened. Fig. 4, a trivittate spore.
> Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, vi. (Sept., 1877), p. 176.
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