l'A n . CCXXX m .
TAB. CCXXXVII.
A C R O S T I C H UM S I E B E R I .
F I L I C E S . - G y e a t æ . B t . P o l y p o d i a c e æ . K a u l f . F i l i c e s v e ræ . WiUd.
Gen. Chae. A C R O S T I C H U M , Linn. amorphi, son Capsuloe per to,am paginam infe-
rtorem froudis (iuterdum diversæ) ad ejus partent sparsæ. Inaoluarum unllum (nisi sqnamnlse
vel setæ lu quibusdam capsulis inte rstinc tæ). B r .
A ceostic-hum S ie b e ri; fronde simpliei oblougo-hmccolata obtusa integerrima glabra nitida coria-
ceo-rigida margine incrassato subrocurvo, inferne attcnnata in stipitem fronde breviore subseta-
c eo-squamosa, fertili angustiore caudice basique stipitis squamis subulato-setaeeis longissimis
obsitis.
Acrostiehum latifolium. Sieb. S yn . F il. N o . 2 6 . (non Sivartz).
H ab. In Insula Mauritii. S ieb e r; B o je r.
C o u d e r a ; videtar b r e .is , crassus, squamis „ „m cto sis rigidiusculis. undulatis, membranaceis, retienlatis, ¡„lease
njgro-fuscis deosissime crinitus.
SH p e, digitalis, e r e e t .s , t e r .ti-st.b a .g n l.tn s, crassinsctdns, compresses, fad e anteriore sulcatus, hic ilüe squamoso.-
squamis subulatis, nigris, deciduis.
B -„ ,„ spithamtea fore ad pedalem, oblongo-lanceolata, rigida, coriacea, nitida, integerrima, obtuse, inferne a t.e-
„ttata, costata, „ a r g in e incrassato, ca rtil.g in eo , r eenrvo, oo„a lata, snbtus prominens, n u d a ; u e r .is l.o r i-
zontaltbns parallel,s .approximatis dichotomis ad marginem attingentibus. F e r ta h sterili minor, longins
Stipitata, magfs angusta.
Capsula: totam p.artem inferiorem frondis, costa excepta, tegentes. fnscat, globoste, lato-annnl.tm, sn blon oe stipi-
tata?. ° ^
S emin a reniformi-subglobosa, angulata.
Fig . 1. Squama e caudice. f. ‘2. Capsulæ. f. 3. Semina auct.
Perhaps scarcely any o f the Ferns require more careful investigation than th e simple-leaved
A a -o s tio h a ; th o se o f th e East lu d lc s, owin g to some gciieral resemblance, having, wc fear, been
confounded with th o se o f the tropical parts o f the N ew World, T h e present species, for e.x1mple
has nmelt general affinity with the A . ladfoliura o f Swartz, and hence Sprengel has mentioned it as’
a native o f the Mauritius as we ll as o f Jtuuaiea, and Sieber has pnbllshetl specimens in his S yn o p sis
F,houm, N o 2 6 ., under that name. B u t we find it to differ in the narrower and more obtuse
much more d.stmetly tnatgiuod frond, iu the shorter stipes, and. what we consider o f the m ost
cousequence, in the diff'oreut aature o f the scales o f th e caudex. whleh extend to the base o f
th e s t ip e s ; for whereas in our plant they arc about throe quarters o f aii inch lon g, o f a deep
g lo ssy bfOwiiish-black colour, and so niirrow as to g iv e a crinite appearance to the parts on which
they are f o „ n d , - i „ tl.c W e st India.. A . laiifolium they are short, broad, o f a paler colour, aud
considerably ciliato-dciUate,
! ii
i Î n