730 



83. A.CROSTICHXJM, JLinni. 



Sori indefinite, densely covering the under surface of the higher pinnae 

 of simply pinnate fronds. 



Rhizome stout, erect. Stipes not articulate to the rhizome. Fronds com- 

 monly large; pinnae not articulate, uniform or nearly so, the fertile ones 

 rarely much contracted; veins anastomosing copiously and moderately regular ; 

 areolae obliquely elongato-subhexagonal, v^ithout free veinlets. Diels, in Engl. 

 & Prantl, Nat. Pfl.Fam., I*, fig. 174, F & J. (*) 



Pantropical, mostly in hrackish marshes. 



* A. aureum, i., Rac, Flor. Rtz., I, SO; Bedd., Ferns S.I., tab. 

 CCIV; A. inaeqmJe, Willd., Bl., Flor. Jav., II, 40, tab. XVI; A. spenosum, WYW., 

 Bl.. 1. c, 42, tab. XVII; Chrysodium aureum, Jl!fe«., Christ, Farnkr. d. Erde, 47 ; 

 — var. attenuatum, v. A. v. R., Bull. D6p. Agr. I. N., 4908, XXI, 9; ( ? A. 

 praestanlissimum, Bory, Hk. Bk., Syn. Fil., 453; Ch. praestanlissimum, MetL, 

 Christ, 1. c). 



Caudex erect, woody, scaly. Stipes tufted, 30 — 60 c.M. long, strong, 

 erect, naked,, glossy, pale-brown when dried. Fronds 60 — 300 c.M. long, 

 30 — 60 c.M. broad. Pinnae numerous, distant, erecto-patent, stalked, + 15 — 

 43 c.M. long, 1 — 9 c.M. broad, ligulate-oblong or lanceolate, both sides often 

 parallel, entire ; barren pinnae with the base ± truncate or cuneate, the apex 

 blunt {A. inaequale, Willd. = aureum typicum), acute or acuminate {A. spe- 

 ciosum, Willd.), if blunt sometimes retuse with a mucro ; upper pinnae fertile, 

 similar to the barren ones but mostly smaller and blunt. Texture firm, often 

 rigidly coriaceous; surfaces naked; costae prominent and veins often so; 

 areolae small, copious, moderately regular, without free veinlets Sori filling 

 up the space between the costae and margin. — The young plants have the 

 fronds simple or ternate, sterile. 



\a,v. attenuatum : Fertile pinnae much contracted, narrow-linear. 

 Both barren and fertile segments resembling those of Leptochilus Raapii, v. 

 A. V. R., but longer and narrowed gradually towards both ends. 



Pantropical; — var. attenuatum: Karimon Djawa Islands (Koorders). 



(*) The genus Acrostichum formerly included all ferns with the sporangia covering the 

 fruiting surface, without evident diOerentiation of sori (Copel.). 



