82 
Choice Ferns for Amateurs. 
ACROSTICHUM— continued. 
two very dissimilar kinds of fronds. Its barren ones are 
sword-shiaped, and measure from 2ft. to 3ft. in length and 
about IJin. in breadth, are of a leathery texture, and ter- 
minate in a long, taper point, while their lower part is 
very gradually narrowed ; both their surfaces are naked, but 
the upper one has quite a peculiar metallic gloss. The fertile 
fronds are small, seldom measuring more than 4in. long, 
and short-stalked. The rhizome on which the fronds are 
Fig. 48. Acrosticiium muscosum, a tropical American 
species with leathery=textured fronds. 
produced is stout, short-creeping, and of a woody nature, 
densely covered with linear reddish-brown scales, and quite 
lin. in length. 
A. magfnum. 
This very handsome stove species, native of British 
Guiana, is a very decoratiA^e Fern, although its fronds are 
undivided. The barren ones, from 2ft. to 3ft. long and from 
IJin. to 2in. wide, are spear-shaped, being gradually nar- 
rowed to both ends ; they are of a leathery texture and 
light as to colour, their upper surface being covered with 
