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M o o r e , Ind. Fil., p. 5 .— E aton, in Chapman’s Flora, p. 5 8 8 .—
B en t i-ia m , FI. Hongkong, p. 443,— B ed d o m e , Ferns of Southern
India, p. 6 9 , t. cciv.— H o o k e r , Sp. F i l , v., p. 266.— H o oker
& B a k e r , Syn. Fil., p. ¿523. — G a r b e r , in Bot. Gazette, iii.,
p. 82 .
Acrostzc/mm spectosum, WiLUD-Emv!, Sp. Pl., v., p . 1 1 7 ; B l u m e , Flora
Javæ, p. 42, t. xvii.
Acrostichnm inoequale, W il ld en o w , Sp. Pl., v., p. 1 1 7 ; B lu m e , Flora
Javæ, p. 40, t. xvi.
Acrosiichum fm x in ifo lium , R. B rown, Prodr., p. 145.
Acrostidmm danxcefolium, L an g sd o r f f & F is c h e r , I c. Fil., p. 5 , t. i.
Acrosiichum pcglandifolium, K a u l fu s s , Enum. Fil., p . 6 6.
Acrosiichzcm obliqmim, B lu m e , Flora Javæ, p. 30, t. 9.
AcrosHcImm obiiqzmm, A . mireum, A. rigens, A. Cayennense, A . Ur-
viUei, A . scalpturatum, A . danxcsfolium, A . formosum, A.
marginatum, A . inoequale, A . speciosum, A . fraxinifo lium,
A . crassifolium, P r e s l , Epim. Bot., p. 1 7 9 - 1 8 3 .
Chrysodium aureum, M e t t e n iu s , Fil. Lips., p. 21 (in the synopsis of
the species).— K u h n , Fii. Afr., p. 50 ; Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-
Bat., iv., p. 293.— L u e r s s e n , Filices Graeffeanæ, in Mittheil. d.
Bot., i., p. 67.
Chrysodiicm vzilgare, C. hirsutum, C. inoeqtoale, C. Cayennense,
C. U fv ille i, C. scalpUiratum, C. speciosum, C. f r a x in i fo
lium , C. dancecefolium. F é e , Hist. d. Acrostichees, p. 97-
lo i, t. lix-lxii.
Lingzca cervin a aurea, P l u m ie r , Fil. Am., p . 87, t. civ.
The writings of Fée, Presl, Hooker and Luerssen give many
more references and several additional synonymes, Luerssen most of
all.
..I I
F E R N S O F NORTH AM E R IC A . 95
H a b .— Muddy shores of brackish marshes, creeks and bayous in
Southern Florida, very often associated with the Mangrove. It is found
in similar places in nearly all tropical regions, and is perhaps the only
known fern which grows only within the influence of salt water. Dr.
G a r b e r says that in ascending the creeks of South Florida this fern
is found as far as the water is brackish, and ceases as soon as the
water becomes entirely free from salt. B lu m e reports that he has seen
one form in the interior of Java, in places full of springs abounding
in carbonate of lime and chloride of sodium.
D e s c r i p t i o n :—The largest of all the Ferns of the United
States. Captain John Donnell Smith notes that it is often
eight to eleven feet high, and Fée gives three metres as the
extreme. The root-stock forms a mass sometimes six or
eight inches long and two or three inches thick, and sending
out numerous soft and spongy roots as thick as a goose-
quill and a foot long [Dr. Garber]. It is more or less chaffy
with large opaque lanceolate scales, which are also found on
the base of the stalk.
The stalks vary in size according to the proportions of
the whole plant. Specimens from Rio Janeiro, collected by
the U. S. Exploring Expedition, have stalks which when
fresh must have been nearly an inch thick. In the living
plant the stalk is nearly semi-cylindrical, the anterior side flat,
and the rounded side with several shallow longitudinal furrows.
The fibro-vascular bundles vary in number from thirteen,
according to Mettenius, to sixty, according to Presl, or
to eighty-four as counted by myself. More than half the
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