400 60. A C R O S T I C H U M .
§ Veins fr '
Elaphoglossum, Schott, Fronds
Sp. 1-87.
Sp. 1-65. Fig. 60. a, b.
t Both surfaces o fth e barren frondfiiearly or quite naked, the edge not fringed.
1. A. petiolosum, Desv. ; rhizome woody, t t e scales dense, fibrillose, nearly
black ; St. 4-6 in. 1., firm, slender, erect ; barren f r . 2-3 in. 1., J - | in. br., ovate-
oblong, narrowed suddenly to a point, which is sometimes 1 in. 1. ; tefiure coriaceous
; both sides nearly naked ; veins immersed, suhparallel ; fe rtile f r . smaller
th an the barren one.—« / . Sp. 5. p . 207. A. caudatum, Hk. Ic. t. 215.
Hab. Ecuador and Peru.—Well marked by the small size and very distinct caudate
apex of its fronds, and the rigid nearly black scales of the rhizome.
2. A. tambillmse, H k . ; rhizome stout, the scales dense, linear, crisped, chesnut-
hrown ; St. tufted, 2-3 in. I., firm, slender, naked ; barren f r . 2J-3 in. 1., 1-1 j
in. hr., the point cuspidate, the base rounded or even slightly cordate ; texture
coriaceous ; both sides quite naked ; veins distant •, fertile f r . considerably smaller
th an the barren one.—H k . Sp. 6. p . 207. le . t. 866.
Hab. Ecuador, Jameson; Guatemala, Salvin & Godman,—Like the last, but the frond
not caudate, and the scales different.
3. A. micradenium, Fée ; rUzome slender, wide-creeping, the scales small, linear-
subulate, squarrose, da rk chesnut-brown ; St. 1 in. or more apart, 8-6 in. L, firm,
erect, naked, stramineous ; barren f r . 5-6 in. h, 1 - l j in. br., the point acuminate,
the base narrowed gradually ; texture herbaceous ; both sides naked ; veins raised,
conspicuous, u sua lly once forked ; barren f r . much smaller th an the fertile ones.
—Hh. Sp. 5. p. 216. E. nitidum, Brach. t. 9.
Hab. Sandwich Isles and Sumatra.
4. A. simplex, Sw. ; rhizome woody, short-creeping, the scales rather large,
lanceolate, dark-brown ; st. 1-4 in. 1., firm, erect, naked ; barren f r . 4-12 in. h,
j - l j in. br., the point very acute, the lower p a rt narrowed very gradually ; texture
coriaceous ; both sides quite naked ; margin distinct, cartilaginous ; veins
immersed, usua lly once forked ; barren f r . narrower th an the fertile one, and on
a longer stem.—AT/. Sp. 5. p . 205.—/3, A . martinicense, Desv. ; fronds narrower,
very coriaceous, Hh. Sp. 5. p . 218. A. durum, Kze. E. glahellum, J . Sm.
Hab. Cuba to Brazil.—Characterized by its firm fronds, narrowed very gradually to
both ends. A plant gathered by Barter at Sierra Leone probably belongs here.
5. A. nigrescens, H k . ; eaud. stout, erect, not scaly ; barren f r . tufted, subsessile,
6-9 in. L, j in. br., the point bluntish, the base narrowed very gradually ;
texture coriaceous ; both sides naked ; veins simple or once forked, distant, not
reaching the edge ; fertile f r . 2-3 in. 1., j in. br., on long slender naked stems
1 ft. \.—Hh. Sp. 5. p . 214.
Hab. British Guiana, SchomburgJc.
6. K lep to p h y llum ,Y é% \ rhizome firm, creeping, the scales soft, fulvous ; ”
St. of barren frond 3-4 in. h, firm, erect, stramineous, nearly naked ; barren f r .
6-8 in. h, j - | in. hr., the point bluntish, the lower p a rt narrowed gradually ; texture
subcoriaceous ; both sides naked ; veins fine, ra th e r raised, simple or once
forked ; fertile f r . similar to the other, b u t the stem three or four times as long.
— Hh, Sp. 5. p. 218.
Hab. Venezuela and Brazil.—Characterized by its ligulate barren frond and very long-
stalked similar fertile one.
7. A. conforme, Sw. ; rhizome woody, wide-creeping, densely clothed with large
lanceolate brownish membranous scales sometimes j in. 1., 1 lin. br. ; st. 1-12 in. 1.,
firm, erect, stramineous, naked or slightly scaly ; f r . 2-9 in. h, j- 2 in. br., the
point acute or bluntish, the base cuneate or spathulate, the edge cartilaginous,
entire ; texture coriaceous ; both sides naked or nearly so ; veins subparallel,
usually once forked ; barren f r . usua lly narrower th an the fertile one, the edge
inflexed.—Hh. Sp. 5. p . 198.
Hab. Mexico to Chili and Brazil, Sandwich Isles, Samoa, Fiji, Java, Queensland, Himalayas
(up to 6,000 ft.), Neilgherries, Ceylon, Tristan d’Acuuha, Mascaren Isles, Cape
Colony, St. Helena, Guinea Coast.—-From this we cannot distinguish clearly^. Leper-
vanchii {'Qovy), A. didynanum (Fée), A. laurifolium (Thouars), A. angulatum (Blume),
A. impressum (Fée), A. marginatum (Wall.), A. ohtusifolium (Brack.), and A. vagans
(Mett,). The Polynesian A. Feÿeense, Brack,, is thinner and darker green than usual,
and narrowed downwards more gradually ; A. alatum, Fée (Hk. Sp. 5. p. 204), has a more
distinct haft to the frond; and the Sandwich Island ri. oemulum, Kaulf., and Andine
ri. Gayanum, Fée, and ri, unitum, Bory (ri. affine, M. & G.), and probably the Brazilian
ri. minutum, Pohl., are small narrow-fronded varieties. Vittaria acrostichoides, Hk. &Gr.
t. 186, is an abnormal form, with the fruit in two submarginal lines.
8. A. Wrightii, Mett. ; rhizome wide-scandent ; st. 1-2 in. apart, 1 - l j in. 1.,
firm, erect, clothed throughout with ovate-acuminate membranous scales ; f r ,
6-9 in. 1., 1 - l j in. br., the point cuspidate, the lower p a rt narrowed very gradually,
the edge thickened, white, and crisped ; texture coriaceous ; both sides naked ;
midrib scaly in the low*er p a rt ; vdns stout, immersed, subparallel, usually once
forked ; fertile f r . much smaller, the edge entire and inflexed.—Hh. Sp. 5. p . 195.
Hab. Cuba, Wright, 965.—Perhaps a form Of the last.
0. A. flaccidum. Fée ; rhizome short-creeping, woody, the scales small, la n ceolate,
dnll-brown ; st. tufted, those of the barren frond very short ; f r . 6-12
in. 1., j - l j in. br,, the point very acute, the lower p a rt narrowed very gradually ;
texture subcoriaceous ; both sides quite naked, colour dark-green, edge not th ick ened
; veins not close, simple or forked ; fertile f r . smaller th an the barren one,
and on a distinct st. 3-4 in. 1.—Hh. Sp. 5. p . 204. A. Karstenianum, Kze.
Hab. Panama to N. Brazil.—This is thinner in texture than the preceding, and in the
shape of the frond is most like ri. simplex on a larger scale, with sessile barren fronds but
long-stalked fertile ones. ri. oxyphyllum, Brong., appears to be a large form ; the Pei'U-
vian ri. Lechleri, Mett. differs only by its stout wide-scandent rhizome ; and a plant
labelled by Mettenius ri. pallidum, Beyr., is thinner and more glossy than the type, with
the costa and long stem of the fertile frond ebeneous.
10. A. Burchellii, Baker ; rhizome short, woody, the scales small, linear, dark-
hrown ; S t . 8-12 in. 1., erect, nearly naked ; f r . 1-2 ft. ]., |-1 j in. br., the point
very acute, the lower p a rt narrowed very gradually ; texture subcoriaceous ; both
naked and glossy ; veins fine, close, usually once forked ; /erizYe/r. much
smaller than the other.—A. puiictulatuin, Alett. M S S . {not L .) ,
Hab. Brazil, Burchell, 5155.—Very near the last, differing mainly in the finer veins
and long stem of the barren frond.
11. A. Norrisii, I lk . ; caud. stout, woody, the scales long, linear, dull-brown ;
barren f r . sessile or nearly so, tufted, 12-18 in. 1., |- 1 in. br., the point blunt, the
lower half narrowed very gradually ; texture coriaceous ; both sides nearly naked ;
veins iminevsed, in d is tin c t; fertile f r . much narrower th an the other. — Hh,
Sp. 5. p . 215.
Hab. Pei.ang, Sir W. Norris, Mactier,—Not unlikely identical with the Javan ri. melano-
siictum, Blume. I t is Wke flaccidum in the shape of the barren frond, but the texture
is that of conforme and latifolium, and tlie fertile frond also is subsessile.
3 E