214 ACROSTICHUM, § EL APHOGLOSSUM. 



nate tapering downwards and long decurrent on the stipes, 

 entire or slightly repando-crenate scarcely margined gla- 

 brous,*costa very stout pale reddish-stramineous, veins ra- 

 ther distant all terminating within the margin with clavate 

 apices and on the upper side of the frond an intramarginal 

 line of blackish dots indicates the free apices of the veins ; 

 fertile fronds a little shorter and narrower and upon a rather 

 longer stipes (2 inches long), sori in my specimen confined 

 to the upper half of the frond having at the base of the 

 frond a slight contraction, the other half or more resembling 

 the sterile frond. — Kl. in Linnaea, xx. p. 420. Eat. in Fit. 

 Wright, and Fendl. p. 421. Elaphoglossum, Moore. 



Hab. Columbia, Moritz, n. 234. Venezuela, Fendler, n. 282. — Perhaps the 

 nearest affinity of this is with our following species, J. nigrescens, in habit and 

 form of the sterile fronds, and in the venation ; but the colour and texture of 

 the two are very different, — here green and membranaceous,— and the sterile 

 fronds and stipites are quite unlike. 



40. A. (Elaphoglossum) nigrescens, Hook. ; caudex erect 

 or ascending (apparently not at all creeping) destitute of 

 scales, fronds close tufted terminal ; sterile ones coriaceo- 

 membranaceous black-brown firm yet subtranslucent 5-9 

 inches long 4-7 lines wide in the widest part above the mid- 

 dle quite glabrous linear-subspathulato-lanceolate obtusely 

 acuminate gradually tapering below into a very short winged 

 stipes, the margin quite entire plane not thickened, veins 

 distant thickened and clavate at the apex never extending 

 to the margin ; fertile fronds 2-3 inches long 3 lines wide 

 linear obtuse shortly tapering at the base into a slender an- 

 gular stipes 8-12 inches long intensely black as well as the 

 costa, 



Hab. Roraima, British Guiana, Schomburgk. — This, too, has all the appearance 

 of an aquatic Fern, and is quite distinct from A. apodum and A. palmlre. The 

 venation is very evident and very peculiar, as is the great length of the stipites of 

 the fertile frond and the small size of the latter, but which together are twice as 

 long as the stipites and frond united. 



41. A. (Elaphoglossum) palustre, Hook. ; caudex long 

 creeping densely rooting with black branching fibres palea- 

 ceous towards the extremity with lanceolato-subulate long 

 dark-brown often falcate scales, stipites and back of the 

 costa in like manner paleaceous with smaller scales ; sterile 

 fronds blackish-green firm-membranaceous glabrous 1 foot 

 long 1-1 1 inch wide in the broadest part above the middle 

 spathulato-lanceolate acuminate tapering gradually below and 



