2l8 
The Ferns of South Africa. 
Fronds very numerous, one to three inches long, quarter-line 
broad, tapering to less at the base, shortly pointed, and having a 
distinct mid-rib throughout. The sori consist of a short line of 
capsules near each side of the mid-rib towards the point of the 
frond. This is a small grass-like plant, epiphytal on trees, credited 
to the Cape, but which is not in any Cape Herbarium, and only 
mentioned by Kuhn from the Cape on the authority of Miller ex 
Hooker (Sp. Fil. V. 122). It occurs in Mauritius and Bourbon, 
and the above description and figure are from a Mauritius 
specimen kindly forwarded to me from Kew. 
M. graminea. Schk.; Hk. and Bkr. Syn. Fil. 375 ; Kuhn, Fil. Afr. 54. 
M. linearis. Kaulf. Hk. Sp. Fil. V. 122. 
Could small plants of Vittaria lineata have been the origin of 
the Cape locality for this ? The habit is similar, but the Vittaria 
is very much stronger in all parts, and never occurs with the frond 
so narrow as this. 
Genus XXX. Acrostichum. Linn. 
Sori spread all over the under surface of the frond, not in dots 
nor lines, not confined to the veins, and without indusium. 
A large genus, containing several sub-genera, of which the three 
represented with us are distinct enough to stand as genera ; still I 
follow Hooker and Baker in using the wider genus with sub- 
genera. Some of the Acrostichums occur throughout the tropics, 
and a few extend beyond 
Synopsis of the species. 
§ Veins free, frond simple (Elaphoglossum. Schott). 
139. A. conforme. Frond coriaceous, without scales, four to six inches 
long, one inch broad, rounded at the apex. 
140. A. latifolium. Frond coriaceous, without scales ; one-half to two 
feet long, two to four inches broad, bluntly pointed. 
141. A. viscosum. Frond firmly herbaceous, bearing at first scattered 
deciduous scales, not fringed, widest at the middle. Fertile frond as 
long. 
