ACROSTICHUM. 



197 



A. Cllbense — cub-en'-se (Cuban), Mettenius. 



A very dwarf, stove species, of botanical interest only, with barren fronds 

 spathulate (spoon- shaped), of a membranous (almost transparent) texture ; 

 including the stalks on which they are borne, they seldom exceed 5in. in 

 length. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 520. 



A. (Chrysodium) cultratum — Chry-so'-di-um ; cul-tra'-tum (knife- 

 shaped), Baker. 



This stove species, native of San Cristoval and the Solomon Islands, where 

 it is found climbing on trees, is one of the most gigantic Acrostichums 

 (Ac-ros'-tich-ums) known in cultivation. Its barren fronds, produced from a 

 wide-creeping or long-trailing rhizome (prostrate stem), attain 6ft. in length, 

 and are furnished with ligulate (strap -shaped) pinna? (leaflets) measuring 

 from 6in. to Sin. in length and l£in. in breadth, and which are pinnate 

 (cut clown to the midrib), or sometimes are cut down to a narrow wing 

 into undivided, close, blunt lobes, Jin. broad, narrowed to a broad base, 

 which is then wedge-shaped. Both surfaces of the barren fronds, which are 

 of moderately firm texture, are naked and of a bright green colour. The 

 fertile pinna? are like those of the barren fronds, but more distant, and 

 only about two lines broad. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 524. 



A. Cumingii — Cum-ing'-i-i (Cuming's), Fee. 



A stove kind, from the Philippines, whose barren fronds, 6in. to Sin. 

 long, are of very thick texture, and have their lower part densely covered 

 with large, ovate (egg-shaped), dull brown scales, similar to those which 

 cover the woody stems from which they are produced. — Hooker, Synopsis 

 Filicum, p. 407. 



A. cuspidatum — cus-pid-a'-tum (gradually tapering to a short, stiff point), 

 Willdenow. 



A stove species, of little decorative value, but rendered interesting by 

 the peculiar nature of its barren fronds, from 1ft. to 2ft. long, of a 

 leathery texture, whose upper surface is nearly naked, while the lower one 

 is densely matted with small, ciliated (fringed) scales of a peculiarly 

 furfuraceous (mealy) nature. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 411. 



