No. 709. 
ACROSTICHUM SIMPLEX. 
Class. 
CRYPTOGAMIA FILICES. 
A native of Jamaica, where it icum upon 
mossy trunks of trees. It isa very neat 
small fern, not generally attaining ds height 
of one foot. With us it requires the stove, 
in which it is easily cultivated, but does not 
increase much: it should be planted in 
shallow mossy peat soil. 
The flowering leaves or fronds are nar- 
rower and smaller than the barren ones, 
also much fewer in number ; the fructifica- 
tion covers the whole under side, and is of 
a rich dark tint. Inall ferns this is ex- 
cessively curious, the flowers seeds 
| "vA + 
VAL 
to elude examination by the most powerfal 
ifiers. But if we are unable fully to 
view and satisfactorily to explain their dif- 
ferent parts, we at least can behold enough 
in them to raise our admiration, and to di. 
rect our minds toward the glorious Author 
of such diversified myriads of. astonishing 
productions, who indeed is ** wonderful in 
counsel and excellent in working." 
VOL. VIII. D 
