ACROSTICHUM. 



219 



A. (Polybotrya) plumbicaule— Pol-yb-ot'-ry-a ; plum-bic-au'-le (lead- 

 grey -stalked), Baker. 

 This stove species, native of Tarapota, North Peru, has barren fronds 

 lift, to 2ft. long and nearly 1ft. broad, simply pinnate (divided once only 

 to the midrib), with about twelve pinna? (leaflets) on each side, below the 

 terminal one ; the lower pinna? are sessile (stalkless), Sin. to 6in. long and 

 lin. broad, and of a leathery texture. These fronds are borne on firm, 

 upright, glossy stipes (stalks), which in the case of the fertile ones are 

 longer ; and both are produced from a wide-scandent or long-trailing, scaly 

 rhizome (prostrate stem) of a woody nature. — Hooker, Synopsis Filicum, 

 p. 413. 



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

 (having many leaves), Hooker. 

 A stove, Fijian species, of large dimensions ; its barren fronds are some- 

 times simply pinnate (cut once only to the midrib), but more usually are 

 several feet in length, and furnished with pinna? (leaflets) of a soft texture, 

 6in. to 12in. long and Sin. broad, which are also pinnate, their pinnules 

 (leafits) being numerous on each side, about lin. in length, sessile (stalkless), 

 lanceolate (spear-shaped), and sharply toothed. These fronds, which are pro- 

 duced in profusion from a wide-scandent or long-trailing rhizome (prostrate 

 stem) are borne on firm, naked stipes (stalks), Gin. to 12in. long, and jointed 

 at the base. — Hooker, Species Filicum, v., p. 269. 



A. (Chrysodium) praestantissimum— Chry-so'-di-um ; pra^-stan-tis'- 

 sim-um (most excellent), Bory. 

 In this robust-growing, West Indian, stove species, the fronds are produced 

 from an erect caudex (upright stem), and are borne on firm, naked stipes 

 (stalks) 1ft. or more long. They are of a sub-coriaceous or leathery texture, 

 varying from 2ft. to 4ft. in length and from 1ft. to lift, in breadth, and are 

 furnished on each side with numerous sessile (stalkless) barren pinna? 

 (leaflets), which are from 6in. to lOin. long and nearly 2in. broad, and 

 whose extremity is acute (sharp-pointed), the edge entire, and the base 

 rounded. The fertile pinna?, 4in. to Sin. long and Jin. to Jin. broad, are further 

 apart than the barren ones. — Hooker, Species Filicum, v., p. 269. 



