ACROSTICHUM. 



215 



texture, with both sides naked. The barren pinnules (leafits) are stalked, 

 lanceolate (spear-shaped), and cut down nearly or quite to the rachis (stalk) 

 below into close, nearly entire lobes ; they are quite smooth, of a dark green 

 colour, and have much the appearance of an Aspidium (As-pid'-i-um) or of 

 Polystichum aculeatum (Pol-ys'-tich-um ac-u-le-a'-tum). The fertile fronds, 

 also tripinnate, are of dimensions nearly equal to those of the barren ones, 

 and erect in habit ; but the pinna? are contracted, and their segments are 

 linear (much longer than wide), cylindrical, Jin. to Jin. long, with a space 

 between them, and wholly covered with sori (clusters of spore-cases). See 

 Fig. 2^.— Hooker, Species Filicum, v., p. 246. Nicholson, Dictionary of 

 Gardening, i., p. 19. Lowe, Ferns British and Exotic, vii., t. 151. 



A. ovatum — o-va'-tum (egg-shaped), Hooker. 



A very dwarf, stove, Brazilian species, of purely botanical interest, readily 

 distinguished from the small forms of A. spathulatum (spath-ul-a'-tum) 

 by its wide-creeping or long- trailing rhizome (prostrate stem), covered with 

 bright brown scales of a peculiar hbrillose (thread-like) nature. — Hooker, 

 Synopsis Filicum, p. 408. 



A. (Chrysodium) pachyphyUum— Chry-so'-di-um ; pach-yph-yl'-lum 

 (thick -leaved) , Kunze. 

 Although possessing but little decorative value, the barren fronds of 

 this stove, Peruvian species, which has quite the habit and the very coriaceous 

 (leathery) texture of an Elaphoglossum (El-aph-og-los'-sum), attain fully 2ft. 

 in length and 6in. in breadth, and are borne on strong, erect stalks nearly 

 1ft. in length. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 421. 



A. palustre — pal-us'-tre. (marshy), Hooker. 



A stove species, of botanical interest only, native of the Guinea Coast. 

 — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 402. 



A. (Chrysodium) pandurifolium — Chry-so'-di-um ; pan-du-rif-or-i-um 

 (with fiddle-shaped fronds), Hooker. 



A curious, small-growing, stove species, of botanical interest, native of 



the Andes of Peru. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, p. 422. 



