60. ACROSTICHUM. 401 



7. A. conforme, Sw. ; rhisome woody, wide-creeping, densely clothed with large 

 lanceolate brownish membranous scales sometimes in. 1., 1 lin. br. ; st. 1-12 in. I., 

 firm, erect, stramineous, naked or slightly scaly ; fr. 2-9 in. 1., 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 subparallelr 

 usually once forked ; barren fr. usually narrower than the fertile one, the edge 

 inflexed. Hk. Sp. 5. p. 198. 



Hab. Mexico to Chili and Brazil, Sandwich Isles, Samoa, Fiji, Java, Queensland, Hima- 

 layas (up to 6,000 ft.), Neilgherries, Ceylon, Tristan d'Acuuha, Mascaren Isles, Cape 

 Colony, St. Helena, Guinea Coast. From this we cannot distinguish clearly A. Leper- 

 vanchii (Bory), A. didynanum (Fe), A. laurifolium (Thouars), A. angulatum (Blume), 

 A. impressum (Fe'e), A. marginatum (Wall.), A. obtusifolium (Brack.), and A. vagans 

 (Mett.). The Polynesian A. Feejeense, Brack., is thinner and darker green than usual, 

 and narrowed downwards more gradually ; A. alatum, Fe'e (Hk. Sp. 5. p. 204), has a more 

 distinct haft to the frond; and the Sandwich Island .4. cemulum, Kaulf., and Andine 

 A. Gayanum, Fe'e, and A. unitum, Bory (A. affine, M. & G.), and probably the Brazilian 

 A. minutuin, 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, 1-1^ in. 1., 

 firm, erect, clothed throughout with ovate-acuminate membranous scales ; fr. 

 6-9 in. 1., 1-1^ in. br., the point cuspidate, the lower part narrowed very gradu- 

 ally, the edge thickened, white, and crisped ; texture coriaceous ; both sides naked ; 

 midrib scaly in the lower part ; veins stout, immersed, subparallel, usually once 

 forked ; fertile fr. much smaller, the edge entire and inflexed. Hk. Sp. 5. p. 195. 



Hab. Cuba, Wright, 965. Perhaps a form of the last. 



9. A. flaccidum. Fee ; rhizome short-creeping, woody, the scales small, lan- 

 ceolate, dull-brown ; st. tufted, those of the barren frond very short ; fr. 6-12 

 in. L, ^-li in. br., the point very acute, the lower part narrowed very gradually ; 

 texture subcoriaceous ; both sides quite naked, colour dark -green, edge not thick- 

 ened ; veins not close, simple or forked ; fertile fr. smaller than the barren one, 

 and on a distinct st. 3-4 in. 1. Hk. 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 A. simplex on a larger scale, with sessile barren fronds but 

 long-stalked fertile ones. A. oxyphyllum, Brong., appears to be a large form ; the Peru- 

 vian A. Lechleri, Mett. differs only by its stout wide-scandent rhizome ; and a plant 

 labelled by Mettenius.4. 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- 

 brown ; st. 8-12 in. 1., erect, nearly naked ; fr. 1-2 ft. 1., |-1^ in. br., the point 

 very acute, the lower part narrowed veiy gradually ; texture subcoriaceous ; both 

 sides naked and glossy; veins fine, close, usually once forked ; fertile fr. much 

 smaller than the other. A. punctulatum, Mett. MSS. (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. NorrisUj Hk. ; caud. stout, woody, the scales long, linear, dull-brown ; 

 barren fr. sessile or nearly so, tufted, 12-18 in. L, f-1 in. br., the point blunt, the 

 lower half narrowed very gradually ; texture coriaceous ; both sides nearly naked ; 

 veins immersed, indistinct ; fertile fr. much narrower than the other. Hk. 

 Sp. 5. p. 215. 



Hab. Penang, Sir W. Norris, Mactier. Not unlikely identical with theJavan A. melano- 

 stictum, Blume. It is \\keflaccidum in the shape of the barren frond, but the texture 

 is that of conforme and latifolium, and the fertile frond also is subsessile. 



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