1994 



CLVI. FILiOES. [Acrostichum. 



6. A. neglectum (neglected), Bail. Syn. Ql. Fl. 722. Rhizome creeping, 

 with dark-coloured scales. Fronds of 2 kinds fertile and sterile, 2 to Htt nign, 

 lanceolate in outline, pinnatifid, stipes of the fertile frond more than halt its 

 length and bordered by a narrow wavy wing, a similar wing borders the stipes 

 andrhachisof the sterile frond, segments linear-lanceolate, coarsely toothed, .-i 

 to (in. long, J to fin. broad. Veins and sori as in A. repandum.—ii&ker. m 

 Hook. Ic. t. 1689 ; Bail. Litho. Ferns Ql. 185. 



Hab.: Trinity Bay ranges, Bailey. 



7. A., aureum (golden), Linn. ; Hook. Spec. Filic. v. 266, Syn. Filic. 423 ; 

 Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 779. Ehizome short, thick, erect. Fronds 2 to 6ft. long, 

 pinnate, glabrous, the rhachis firm and smooth. Pinnae distant, the lower ones 

 petiolate, the upper sometimes shortly deourrent, coriaceous, entire, oblong, from 

 3 to 6in. long, f to l^in. broad, the fertile ones few or many in 

 the upper part of the same fronds as the barren ones. Veins oblique, very fine 

 and numerous, copiously reticulate. — Bedd. Ferns S. Ind. t. 204 ; Bail. Litho. 

 Ferns Ql. 186 ; A. fiaxinifolium, R. Br. Prod. 145. 



Hab.: Port Bowen, R. Brown, Woolls; Cape York, W. Hill, Daemel; York Peninsula, N. 

 Taylor; Endeavour River, A. Cunningham; Bookingham Bay, Dallachy ; Daintree River, 

 Fitzalan ; Brisbane River, A ■ Cunningham, F. v. Mueller. Chiefly in swampy flats or salt 

 water marshes. 



Widely spread over the tropical and subtropical regions of the New and the Old World. 



8. A., spicatum (spike-like), Linn. ; Hook. Spec. Filic. v. 280, Syn. Filic. 

 424 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 780. Rhizome thick, creeping. Fronds simple, 6 to 

 to 18in. long, the lower barren part lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 3 to 9 lines 

 broad, contracted at the top into a fertile linear apex 1 to 1^ lines broad, of variable 

 length. Veins in the barren part obliquely reticulate with a free veinlet within 

 the areoles. Sori in the fertile part forming a broad continuous line on each side 

 of the midrib with the free margin recurved over them when young but at length 

 covering the under surface. Spore-cases often intermixed with peltate scales. — 

 Bail. Litho. Ferns Ql. 187 ; Hymenolepii ipicata, Presl ; Hook. Filic. Exot. t. 

 78, Gard. Ferns t. 3 ; Bedd. Perns S. Ind. t. 46. 



Hab.: Brisbane River, Moreton Bay, W. Hill; Herbert Hiver, Bailey. 



Spread over tropical Asia, extending to the Masearene and to the Pacific Islands. 



9. A. pteroides (Pteris-like), R. Br. Prod. 145 ; Benth. Fl. Austr. vii. 780 

 Rhizome shortly creeping. Fertile fronds ovate-lanceolate in circumscription, i 

 to 6in. long on a stipes at least as long, bipinnate. Segments linear, f to l^in 

 long, scarcely 1 line broad. Sori on very numerous diverging veins, at a littlt 

 d,istance from the midrib, so close together as to cover the whole frond except 

 the midrib and a very narrow margin recurved over the young sori. Barren 

 fronds smaller than the fertile ones with linear-lanceolate segments, otherwis( 

 similar. — Hook. Spec. Filic. v. 279 ; F. v. M. Fragm. v. 139 ; Bail. Litho 

 Ferns Ql. 188 ; Neurosoria pteroides, Metten. ; Kuhn in Bot. Zeit. 1«69, 438 



Hab.: Gilbert River, Armit ; Endeavour River, G. Brown. 



36. PLATYCERIUM, Desv. 



(From pUtys, broad, keras, horn ; the fronds divided like staghorns.) 



Rhizome short and thick. Fronds large, the outer ones of each year's growt] 



barren and horizontally spreading, the fertile ones erect cuneate forked o 



dichotomous, the veins prominent radiating and reticulate. Sori forming ver 



large broad patches towards the ends of the fronds. 



A s'maU genus, sparingly distributed over the Malayan Archipelago and tropical Africa an 

 America. 



Sori covering the ultimate lobes of the fertile ones i p alcicorn 



Sori forming a large patch under the broad sinus of the primary division of the 



fertile fronds 2. P. grande. 



