203 



and rather soft, surfaces slightly pubescent, under paler than the upper, 

 oblong-lanceolate, 1-1J ft. 1. 4-5 in. w.; rachis like stipes, but less vil- 

 lose; pinnae entire, spreading horizontally, oblong-lanceolate, subdistant, 

 stipitate, and articulated at the top of the pedicels, 1-2| in. 1. J-l in. w. 

 rounded or subcordate at the base, shortly acuminate, 6-9 to a side with 

 a similar terminal one, the lowest pair not or very little smaller, midrib 

 slender ; veins close, much curved, in fascicles, two or three times 

 forked, fine, terminating within the even margin ; sori copious, linear 

 on the veins, extending usually from the midrib to near the edge. 

 Acrostichum, Sw., Neurogramme, Link. G. acuminata, Klf. 



Common on dry banks below 2,000 ft. altitude ; especially abundant 

 about Hope and Gordon Town ; well marked by the simply pinnate 

 habit and the copious rusty pubescence. The stipites and rachises, 

 though not slender, are very fragile, lhey stand dead around the live 

 fronds, spurred at intervals with the short pedicels of the pinnae which 

 have all dropped away. The latter are about 10-15 to a side. The 

 upper ones are very little reduced, passing abruptly into the larger free 

 terminal segment. 



3. G. gracilis, Heward. — Rootstock erect or oblique, scaly; stipites 

 caespitose, short, scaly ; fronds bipinnatifid, chartaceous or subcoria- 

 ceous, slightly ciliate, oblong-lanceolate, usually spreading or pendent, 

 2-4 ft. 1. f-l-| ft. w., acuminate, the base gradually reduced ; rachis 

 rather slender, light brown, channelled, more or less ciliate or pube- 

 scent, as are the costae ; pinnae spreading, sessile, very numerous, con- 

 tiguous above, below subdistant or distant and dwindling nearly to the 

 base of the petioles into very minute segments, ceutral ones 5-10 in. 1. 

 1-lf in. w., very acuminate, pinnatifid nearly to the costae; segments 

 linear oblong, straight or falcate, blunt, close, or in the larger states 

 with a rounded sinus between, less than ^-i in. 1. 1^-2 li. w. ; veins 

 oblique, 10-16 to a side ; sori close to the margins, the edges of which 

 are entire and often reflexed — Polypodium Hewardii, Gr. 



Very abundant on banks at 4,000-6,000 ft. alt. The stipites usually 

 are only 1 - 3 in. 1. below the dwindling segnient-like pinnae. The sori 

 are short, and so near the margins that the reflexed edges partially cover 

 them. The lowest pair of opposite veins enter above the sinus. This 

 and the two following have quite the habit and aspect of common 

 bipinnatifid Nephrodia. 



4. G. consimilis, Fee. — Eootstock short, erect, scaly ; stipites 

 caespitose, very short (1-3 in. 1.) brown or darked coloured, 

 scaly, fronds bipinnatifid, chartaceous, pubescent, dull green, lan- 

 ceolate, or ovate lanceolate, acuminate, gradually reduced at the 

 base, 2 - 3 ft. 1. 8 - 12 in. w., spreading or prostrate ; pinnae spread- 

 ing, oblique, apart, the lower ones, which dwindle at the base 

 to 'mere segments, usually distant, 4-6 in. 1. f - 1 in. w. sessile, 

 very acuminate, cut almost to the costae into blunt or acute, straight or 

 subfalcate narrow segments, ^rd - \ in. 1. 1^ 1. b., the bases very slightly 

 dilated, with an acute or rounded sinus between ; rachis slender, chan- 

 nelled, brown, pubescent; veins oblique, 9 - 12 to a side; sori medial, 

 a little short of both midrib and margins. 



Common in the parishes of St. Mary and St. Andrew, in woods or 

 shady places, near, or not distant from, the banks of rivers, at 500- 

 1,000 ft. altitude. This differs from the preceding and following species 



