20 



The Dictionary of Gardening, 



Acrosticlmiii — continued, 



lanceolate, pinnatitid, tlio lunjiest sometimes ISin.lonjr, and 6in. tn 

 lOin. broad ; pinnules with lon^ falcate lobes reaching half-way 

 down to the midrib, both surfaces naked ; fertile pinnules very 

 narrow, and dangling, continuous or beaded. West Indies, Mexico, 

 Ac. Stove species. 8vN.s. J'ohflmtrya nnd A. caudatum. 

 A, piloselloides (mouse ear-leaved). Synonymous with A. spathu- 



htluu,. 



A. platyrhynclios (hnxid-beaked). ifti. tufted, scarcely any. 

 fruntis 12in. to 16in. long. li>i. l)r()a(l, simple. M>ri in a patch 

 "at the apex, lin. to 2in. long, „'in. l)Voud, which does not reach 

 to the entire edge; the lower part narrowed gi-adually, with 

 naked surfaces, and a coriaceous texture. Pliih'ppines. Stove 

 species. S yn. Ili/menolejfis platifrkynchon. 



A. quercifolium (oak-leaved).* rfu'z. stont, wide creeping, .y-ti. of 

 lianen fronds lin. ti> 2in. long, clothed with brownish liairs. 

 I'ltnrnfniihKsim. to 4in. hmg, Uin. to 2in. broad, the terminal 

 piimaj with blunt rounded lobes, fertile fronds with a tenaiual 

 pinna, lin. to 2in. long, one line broad, and a pair of smaller 

 lateral ones, with slender stipes 6in. to 9in. long, hairy at the 

 base. Ceylon. Stove species. SVNS. A. ^eitucrii (of gardens), 

 iJ;imno}itcriii quercifolia. 



A. scandens (climbing).* rhiz. woody, wide climbing, sti. Sin. to 

 4in. long, firm, erect, naked, frmnh 1ft. to 3ft. long, 1ft. or more 

 broad, simpl.v pinnate; barren pinna^, 4in. to 8in.long, Jin. tol^^in. 

 broad, acuminate, the edge thickened and serrulate, the base 

 cuneate, sessile, or slightly stalked, articulated ; fertile pinna^, 

 bin. to 12in. long, one and a half to two lines broad, the lower ones 

 distant. Himalayas, itc, 1841. Stove or greenhouse species. SVN. 

 Sic nnchloeiui ttcmulens. 



A. scolopendrifolium (scolopendrium-leaved).* rhiz. woody, 

 creeping, scaly, ali. 4in. to 12in. long, firm, erect, densely clothed 

 with blackish scales, barren fronds nfteu 1ft. long, l^in. to 3in. 

 broad, si iiple, acute, the base narrowed gradvially ; edge and mid- 

 rib scaly, fertile fronds much smaller than the barren ones. 

 Guatemala,'&c. Stove species. Syn. A. barbatujn. 



A. serratifolium (serrate -leaved), rhiz. woody, short creeping. 

 sti. of barren fronds 12in. to ISin. long, slightly scaly, barren 

 fronds 2ft. long, 6in. to 12in, broad, with nunievous sessile 

 'pinnae on each side, Sin. to 6in. long, gin. to l^in. broad, ln(;iso- 

 crenate, the base cuneate ; fertile pinnse distant, 2in. to Sin. long, 

 iin. to iin. broad, blunt, entire. Venezuela, &c. Stove species. 

 Syn. Chrysodium serratifvUuin. 



A. simplex (simple-leaved.) rhiz. woody, creeping, scaly, ati. 

 lin. to 4in. long, firm, erect, naked, barren fronds 4in. to 12)n. 

 long, about lAin. broad, very acute, the lower part narrowed very 

 grailiially. fertile fronds narrower than the barren ones, with 

 louiier stipes. Cuba to Brazil, 1798. Stove species. Syn. Ulapho- 

 Itli'ssinii s'lnj'lrx. 



A. sorbifolium (service-leaved).* rhiz. thick, woody, often 30ft. to 

 40ft. long. I'la.sping trees like a cable, sometimes prickly, fronds 

 12in. to ISin.-long, bin. to 12in. broad, simply pinnate; barren 

 pinnae 4in. to 6in. long, about ^in, broad, three to twenty on each 

 side, articiUated at the base, entire or toothed ; fertile pinnje 

 lin. to 2in. apart, 2in. to 4in. long, about iin. broad. West Indies, 

 1793. There are several varieties of this species, chiefly differing 

 in the number of pinnpe. Stove species. Syn. Stcnocklitna sorbi- 

 folia. 



A. s. cuspidatum (cuspidate).* This is only a variety of the above 

 species with long-stalked, ligulate-cuspidate pinn<e ; but it is 

 usually regarded as a distinct species in gardens. 



A. spathulatum (spoon-.shaped). sti. tufted, lin. to 2in. long, firm, 

 erect, scaly, barren, fronds 4.in. to 4in. long, ^in. to Ain. broad, 

 oliovate-spathulate, blunt, tajiering narrowly or gradually at the 

 base, with a coriacecuis texture ; both surfaces and the margins 

 copiously scaly, fertile fronds smaller than the barren, with 

 longer stipes. Tropical America, South Africa, &c. Stove species. 

 Syn. .-1. piloselloides. 



A. spicatum (spiked), rhiz. woody, short creeping, sti. lin. to 

 2in. long, firm, fronds bin. to 18in. Jong, Ain. to lin. broad, the 

 upper part contracted and fertile, entire, the lower part narrowed 

 very gradually. Himalayas, &c. Greenhouse species. Syn. 

 Ilinnenolcpis hrach/n^tirrhys. 



A. squamosum (scaly).* rhiz. woody, densely scaly, sti. 2in. to 

 4in. long, densely clothed with pale or dark coloured scales. 

 barren fronds bin. to 12in. long, about lin. bn.ad, simple, acute, 

 the base narrowed gradually; both sides matted, and the edge 

 densely ciliated with reddish scale>. fertile fronds as long as the 

 barren ones, but much narrower, the stipes nmch longer. Widely 

 distributed in both hemispheres. Stove or greenhouse species. 

 SVN. A. paleaceum. 



A. subdiaphanum (semi-transparent).* can. woody, erect, sti. 

 tufted, 2in. to 6in. long, firm, erect, scaly, barren fronds 4in. to 

 8in._ long. lin. to lAin. broad, simple, both ends narrowed, the edge 

 entire, fertile fronds much narrower, on lunger stipes. St. 

 Helena. Greenhouse species. Syn. Aconiopieris subd lap/iana. 



A, subrepandum (slighty-waved).* rhiz. woody, wide-creeping. 

 sti. oi l)arren fronds stout, erect, nearly naked. barren fronds 

 frcmi 1ft. to 2ft. long, 2in. to 12in. broad, copiously pinnate! with 

 linear-ohlong entire or subrepand pinna" on oarli Vide, which are 

 sometimes 6in. to Sin. long, and 2in. broad, fertile fmnd.^ like the 

 otliers, but smaller. Isle of Luzon, Ac. Stove species. Syn. 

 Gymnopieris sxihrepanda. 



Acrostichum — conHnited, 



A. taccaefolium. (yew-leaved).* ran. woody, densely scaly, sti. of 

 liancu fronds liu. to 4in. long, scaly, barren fronds from 1ft. to 

 2ft. long, Sin. to 12in. broad, simple, oblong-latu-efilate, entire, 

 rf)piousIy pinnate, with oblong-lance<»Iate pinn;e, lin. to bin. long, 

 Ain. to l^in. broad, the upjter ones narrowly decurrent, the lower 

 ones forked at the base on the umler side, fertile irinidn simple, 

 bin. to 12in. long, ^in. broad, or pinnate, with forkeil linear pinnae. 

 'J'he tlni'c-liibed form of this species is smuL'times known as A. 

 trilohinn. I'liilippiues. Stove species. Syn. (Jifntnopteriti taccae- 

 fulin. 



A. tenuifolium (narrow-leaved).* rhiz. wide scandent, wondy, 

 slightly sraly. hnrrenfrtindu simply pinnate, the stipes 4in. to bin. 

 long, naked, firm, erect, the fronds 3ft. to 5ft. long. 12in. to IBIn. 

 liroad; jiitHKe bin to 9in. long, ^in. t() l^in. broad, acuminate, the 

 edge thic^kened and serrulate, short-stalked, fertile jnnids bi- 

 pintiate, with longer stipes; pinnae long-stalked, with numerous 

 distant i)innules. South Africa. Stove or greenhouse species, 

 SVNS. .1. Mi-yii-ianinn and Stenoekhvna tenuifnlia. 



A. trilobum (three-lobed). A form of A. taeeeffolium. 



A, viUosum (hairy). " rhiz. woody, densely scaly, sti. 2in. to 4in. 

 king, slender, densely clothed w ith scales, barren fronds bin. to 

 9iii. long, lin. to l^in. broad, acute, the lower part narrowed 

 gradually; both surfaces scaly, and the edge more or less ciliated. 

 /■er/i7(^/Vo?irf5 much smaller than the others, Mexico, &c. Stove 

 species. 



A. Tiscosum. (dannny).* rhiz. woody, creeping, densely scaly, 

 .s^'. Sin. to bin. long, firm, erect, scaly, often viscous, barren 

 fronds bin. to 12in. long, iin. to lin. broad, simple, acute, the 

 lower part narrowed gi-adually; both surfaces more or less viscid, 

 and minutely .scaly, fertile fronds smaller, with longer stipes. 

 Tropical America and the tropics of the Old World, I82b. Very 

 variable in form. Stove species. 



ACROTRICHB (from ahros, top, i.e., outermost- 

 ami ili.rix, a hair ; the tip.s of the petals arc bearded). 

 C^RD. Ejiaeridacem. A genus of eiglit or nine Rpecies of 

 dwarf, much branched, ornamental grocnlionse evergreen 

 e^lirubs. Flowers white or red ; spikes axillary, short ; 

 conilla, funncl-shaiiod ; petals with dcflcxed hairs at apex. 

 Cultivated in an eqiial mixture of sandy loam and iieat, 

 and propagated by cuttings made of tlie young shoots, 

 pricked in santl, covered with a bell glass, and placed 

 in a cool house ; afterwards treated like Epneris. 



A, cordata (heart-leaved).* d. white, small, axillary, twin, or 



snlitarv. April. I. cordate, flat, striated below, k. 1ft. New 



Holland. 1823. 

 A, divaricata (straggling).* d. white, small, in axillary spikes, 



Mav. I. hiTiceolate. nmcronate, divaricate, flat, both surfaces 



gre'en. b. bin. to 1ft. New South Wales. 1824. 

 A. ovalifolia (ovaldeaved). fl. white, small, in axillary spike.s. 



March. I. ovate and oval, obtuse, flat, witli smooth margins. 



b. bin. to 1ft. New Holland, 1824. 



ACTiEA{from nl:fnia,a.n Elder; in allusion to the re- 

 semblance of the foliage to that of the Elder). Baneberry. 

 Ord. Rannneulacea?. A small genus of perennial her- 

 baceous plants, with bi- or triternate leaves, and long, 

 erect racemes of whitish flowers, which are succeeded 

 by poisonous berries. They are excellent subjects for 

 shady places, beneath trees, or in the wild garden. 

 Easily increased by division of the roots, and seed during 

 spring. 



A. alba (white).* fl. white ; racemes simple. l\Iay, June. I. ovate- 

 lanceolate, serrate or cut. Berries white, ovate-oblong, h. 1ft. 

 to lift. N. America. 





Fir,. 25. ACT.«A SPICATA, showing Habit and Raceme of Flowers. 



A. spicata (spiked).* Jt. white, or bluish; racemes ovate. Summer. 

 I. hi- or triternate, serrated. Berries oblong, black, poisonous. 

 k. 1ft. England. See Fig. 23. 



