ACROSTlClllJM, § ELAlMIO(iLOSSi;M. 195 



§ 1. Elaphoglossum. — Fronds simple, entire, rarely pinnatijid. Veim simple 

 or forked, free.— Gen. lilaphoglossum, Schott. Olt'ersiii, Pr. 



The followiiii/ are M. Fee's divisions of this siihyenns in his valuable 'Ilisloire 

 des Acrostichees,' which are here adopted; the characters, however, must not be 

 received in too strict a sense : — 



I. Oligolepide.e, Fee. — Fronds mostlt/ destitute of scales. 1-58. 



A. Fronds oval or oval-lanceolate. 1-44. 



* Fronds coriaceous. 1-32. 



** Fronds soft and flaccid. 33-44. 



B. Fronds linear. 45-58. 



I I . I'oLYLEPiDK.E, Fee. — Fronds more or less scaly or .setosu-sijuamose. 59-94 . 



A. Fronds oval or oval-lanceolate. 59-60. 



B. Fronds linear or linear-lanceolate. 01-94. 



I. Or>iGOLEPiDEi«, Fee. — Fronds mostly destitute of scales. 1-58. 



A. Fronds oval or oval-lanceolate. 1-44. 



* Fronds coriaceous. 1-32. 



1. A. (Elaphoglossum) decoratum, Kze. ; " caudex thick 

 paleaceous with linear very narrow and very long crisped 

 scales," stipites .3-8 inches long thick as a crow's quill 

 striated bright reddish-brown densely squarrose for the whole 

 length with ovato-cordate very obtuse ferruginous scales \ 

 of an inch long, at the base only are numerous very long 

 narrow-linear crisped ones near the caudex, fronds very co- 

 riaceous 12-15 inches long 3-4 inches wide broad-oblong 

 acute at the base shortly and sharply acuminate at the apex, 

 fringed for its whole length at the thickened edge with 

 apparently a double series of scales similar to those of the 

 stipes but smaller and more orbicular. — Kze. in Linncea, ix. 

 p. 25. Analect. Pterid. p. 9. t. 6. Fee, Acrost. p. 2/. t. 22. f. 

 4. Olfersia, Pr. Elaphoglossum, Moore. 



Hab. Peru, in dense forests, i'ainpayaco, Puippiy. Guadeloupe, L llerminier, 

 in Herb, nostr. British Guiana, Schomf/uryk, n. 164 7 {Moore). — .\ most beautiful 

 and remarkable species, perhaps the finest of the section; extremely rare in col- 

 lections. The veins are slightly elevated on the under side and unite with the 

 thickened margin, not unlrequently partially anastomosing, so that some sys- 

 tematists might refer it to Ilymenodium. 



2. A. (Elaphoglossum) fVrif/hfi'i, Metten.; caudex very 

 long creeping and scandent on the trunks of trees thick as a 

 duck's quill squarrose with rather large oblong acuminate 

 bright ferruginous scales, stipites remote 1-1 ^ inch long 

 striated reddish-brown squarrose with similar scales, fronds 

 coriaceous 7-12 inches long 1-H inch wide broad ol)lon40- 

 lanceolate suddenly and subcuspidato-acuminate subspathulate 



