POLYPODIACEil. 73 



Acrostichum obtusi folium, Bluine, Enum. Plant. Jav. p. 102 (non Willd.). 

 Olfersia Blumeana, Presl. Tent. Pterid. p. 235. 



Hab. Ovolau, Feejee Islands : on rocks and trees, at an altitude of 

 2,000 feet. 



Rootstock short and creeping, shaggy with slender, plane, brown, 

 paleaceous scales. Fertile frond coriaceous, glabrous, smaller and nar- 

 rower, and with the stipe twice as long as in the sterile one ; the latter 

 in both semiterete, with a shallow groove in front, and beset with 

 slender brown palege at the base. Veins immersed, parallel, and forked. 



This differs from our E. Feejeense in the shorter and broader obo- 

 vate-oblong fronds, whicn are less attenuated at the base, in the shorter 

 and stouter stipe, and in the almost entire absence of peltate scales, 

 which form such a conspicuous feature in that species. 



The Acrostichum obtusifolium of Willdenow has been referred by 

 Presl to his genus Qymnopteris, which has anastomosing veins. 



12. Elaphoglossum Tahitense, Sp. Nov. 



E. rhizomate brevi repente paleaceo; stipitibus semiteretibus basi palea- 

 ceis, paleis reticularis anguste linearibus attenuates; frondibus sub- 

 marginatis elongato-lanceolatis obtusis basi attenuatis utrinque lepi- 

 dotis; venis immersis parallelis et fur calls. 



Hab. Tahiti, Society Islands : terrestrial, in mountain forests. 



All our specimens of this species are rather imperfect. Stipes of 

 both kinds of fronds about equal, half round, 4 inches long, palea- 

 ceous at the base. Sterile fronds 14 inches long, 15 lines broad, with 

 small peltate scales on both sides ; fertile apparently smaller. 



In size and habit this is like the E. gorgoneum; but it differs from 

 it in the presence of palese on the stipe, and peltate scales on the sur- 

 face of the fronds, as well as in the free venules. 



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