42 
I'OLYPODIACE.I — ACUOSTICnE.Ti. 
Srci. OiiTnornLiiUiKJE, J, Smilh . — Veins free, /. e., not reticulated or anastomosing. 
XXI. ELAPHOGLOSSUM, SchofL 
Sort amorplious, thickly covering the whole under .surface. Veijts simple or forked, internal; 
remiles parallel, their apices free and clavate, terminating within a thickened margin. Fronds simple, 
from a few inches to two feet long, linear-lanceolate, coriaceous, glabrous, pilose, or squamose. — Named 
from elaphos, a deer, and r/Iossa, a tongue ; the small simple fertile fronds being supposed to resemble 
the tongue of the deer. In most modern catalogues the name is strangely enough said to he derived 
from eleplias, an elephant, and glossa, a tongue — elephant’s tongue ! 
This genus is readily distinguished from its congeners by 
having simple fronds, with forked free veins. Fig. 22 rejiresents 
a sterile and fertile frond of Elaphoglossum conforme (med. size). 
1. E. coxfor:vie, J. Smith (Acrostichvm, Swarts.-, Olfersia, Frcsl). 
— An erect dwarf evergreen stove Fern, from the Cape of Good Hope. 
Sterile fronds glabrous, oblong-acuminate, attenuated at the base, from 
six to twelve inches high, coriaceous, deep green. Fertile fronds small, 
ovate or oblong-acuminate, from six to ten inches high. Both forms arc 
articulated near the rhizome. This species attains the height of a foot 
and a half in its native locality. Ehizome scaly and caespitose, creeping. 
2. E. cR.vssiNERVE, M. and H. (Acrostichum, Kunze). — An ever- 
green stove Fern, from the West Indies. Sterile fronds glabrous, oblong- 
ovate, bluntly acuminate, from twelve to eighteen inches long, attenu- 
ated below and decurrent on the stipes, thick and coriaceous, undulated, 
dull green. Fertile fronds oblong-ovate, one foot high, attenuated at the 
base. Both forms are articulated near the base of the stipes, and are 
lateral on a short creeping scaly rhizome. 
3. E. RREViPES, M. and IT. (Acrostichum, Kunze; A. call.’efolium, 
Linl!, not Flume — fide A'jojre ; E. CAELiEFOLiUM, /. Smith) . — A glabrous 
evergreen stove species, from Java. Sterile fronds oblong-ovate or ovate- 
lanceolate, a foot or more long, coriaceous, deep green, shining, undulated, 
roundish or somewhat attenuated at the base. Eachis and stipes dark 
purple beneath. Fertile fronds erect, ovate-elliptical, acuminate, one 
foot or more high. Both forms are articulated near the rhizome, which 
is scaly and creeping. 
4. E. LoxGiFOi.iujt, J. Smith (Acrostichum, Jacquin ; Olfersia, 
Presl-, Candollba, dfi/AcG Acoxioptebis, Fee-, A. latifolium, Swartz). 
A glabrous evergreen stove Fern, from the "West Indies. Sterile 
fronds coriaceous, bright green, lanceolate-acuminate, one to one and a 
half foot long, slightly undulated, attenuated at the base. Fertile fronds 
erect, lanceolate-acuminate, one to one and a half foot high, attenuated 
at the base. Both articulated near the base of the stipes ; lateral, on a 
scaly coespitose creeping rhizome. 
5. E. scoLOPEXDRiFOLiuM, J. Smith (Acrostichum, ; Olfersia, 
Frcsl). — An ornamental evergreen stove species, from Brazil. Sterile 
fronds lanceolate, acuminate, twelve to fifteen inches long, undulated, 
pale green, with stipes one third the length of the frond ; stipes, rachis, 
and margin of frond covered with fimbriate-acuminate cordate brown 
scales. Fertile fronds small, erect, lanceolate, acuminate, one foot long, 
with a stipes eight inches long. Both forms are articulated near the base 
of the stipes, and are lateral, on a very short scaly creeping rhizome. 
G. E. viLLosuM, J. Smith (Acrostichum, Swartz ; Olfersia, Errs?).— [Plate III]~An ornamental evergreen 
stove Fern, from Jamaica. Sterile fronds hairy, lanceolate, acuminate, undulated, pale green, about a foot long. 
Fertile frond narrow, lanceolate, acuminate, eight inches long. Both forms are articulated near the base of the 
stipes, and are lateral, on a very short creeping scaly rhizome. 
7. E. cuspidatum, 31. and H. (Acrostichuai, Willdcnow ; Olfersia, Fresl).—k dwarf evergreen hothouse 
Fern, from South America. Sterile fronds linear-lanceolate, acuminate, from eight inches to a foot long, and 
nearly an inch wide, of a dullish green, attenuated at the base, and thickly covered, especially on the upper 
surface, with stellate or fimbriate scales. Fertile fronds of the same form as the sterile, but narrower, nearly a 
