Ac9-ostichuiii] FiLiCES (Carruthers). 277 



5. A. punetatum Linn. Suppl. PI. p. 444 (1781), non Linn. 8p. 

 PI. ed. ii. p. 1524 (1763), which is Polypodium iriodes Lam. 



Swartz (Syn. Fil. p. 13) misquotes the Linnsean name as 

 punctulatum, and this altered form has been followed by most 

 authors. 



St. Thomas's Island. — In very shaded woods above Fazenda de 

 Monte CafEiS ; in f r. Dec. 1860. No. 68. 



GoLu^'uo Alto. — -In the densely shaded and very elevated woods 

 of Quilombo Quiacatubia ; Jan. 1855. No. 163. 



The plant from St. Thomas's Island was named by Sir William 

 Hooker A. fluviaiih, but Welwitsch points out that it is obviously 

 only a form and not a variety of A. punetatum. It has the main 

 veins distinct, and consequently belongs to the Gymnopteris section 

 of the genus. 



Var. angolense. 



A. arigolense Welw. ms. Ghrysodium sp. nov. Mett. in Kuhn 

 Fil. Afr. p. 52. 



GOLUNGO Alto. — In the dry dense woods of the mountains of 

 Oungulungulo, about 2800 ft. altitude, at Montalegre. No. 167. 



Welwitsch and Mettenius considered this fern should rank as a 

 distinct species. Welwitsch separates it because the fronds are impari- 

 pinnate to the apex ; the pinnse are distinctly petiolate, and a bulbil 

 is found at the base of the last pinna. The pinnae of the upper part 

 of the frond are subsessile ; they have in the barren frond long acumi- 

 nate apices, while the pinnae of the fertile fronds are three or four 

 times narrower, and shortly acuminate. 



In all essential characters this plant so closely agrees with A. pune- 

 tatum that it seems to deserve a place only as a variety of that species. 



6. A. Afeelii. 



Hemionitis aerostichoides Afzel. in Sw. in Schrader, Journ. Bot. 

 (1800) ii. p. 17 (1801). Polyhotrya aerostichoides Mett. in Kuhn 

 Fil. Afr. p. 52. 



St. Thomas's Island. — On Monte Caff^ along with specimens of 

 Asplenium longicauda Hk. ; without fr. Deo. 1860. No. 636. 



Pdngo Andongo. — On shaded banks near the cataract of Cabondo ; 

 in fr. May 1857. No. 164. 



Fronds dimorphous, coriaceous, rhizome extensively creeping hori- 

 zontally. 



This fern is nearly allied to A. contaminans Wall, one of the species 

 included by Mr. Baker in A. virens Wall. In A. eontaminans the two, 

 three, or four secondary veins run out from the vein free, while in 

 the African species the meshes of the secondary veins continue to or 

 almost to the margin, and only the veinlets reach the margin free. 



7. A. aureum Linn. Sp. PI. p. 1069 (1753). 



Prince's Island. — By the rivulets near the sea-coast, and with 

 Rhizophora ; Sept. 1853. No. 15. 



Baero do Dandb. — Frequent, forming masses in the brackish 

 places, often with Rhizophora, and Drepanocarpus at the mouth of 

 the river Dande ; in fr. Sept. 1858. No. 158. 



A noble fern, with a creeping rhizome, often nearly as thick as a 

 small arm ; fronds 3 to 6 ft. high, with coriaceous pinnae, the upper- 

 most 5 to 7 ft., bearing the fruit. The fronds erect, rigid. Almost 

 without doubt a halophyte. 



VOL. II. 19 



