THE GENERA AND SPECIES OF CULTIVATED FEKNS. 
¥ 
are the characters by which it is separated from Acrostichum. The woodcut, fig. 26, represents a frond of A. 
citrifolium (med. size). 
I. A. citrifolium, Splitgerber (Acrostichum citrifolium, Lhmaus). — A dwarf ornamental evergreen stove fern 
from the West Indies. Fronds simple, uniform, gla- 
brous, somewhat membranous, oblong-elliptical, atten- 
uated at the base, sis to ten inches long ; lateral, 
articulated with a scaly fibrous creeping rhizome. 
Sori irregularly scattered. 
BICTYOGLOSSUM, /. Smith (Acrostichi sp. of 
Swartz). — Name derived from dihtyon, a net, and 
glossa, a tongue ; alluding to the reticulated venation, 
and the formation of the fertile fronds. 
Sori amorphous, densely covering the under surface 
of the fertile frond. Venation uniform, internal, reticu- 
lated, forming large elongated areoles. Fronds simple, 
one foot or more in length, hairy. Rhizome creeping 
and densely covered with pair-like scales. — This genus is 
established on a solitary species, differing from Acrosti- 
chum in habit more than any other character ; its 
nearest affinity is with Anetium, resembling it in habit, 
by having simple fronds, and a creeping rhizome, but 
separated by the amorphous sori ; the sori in Anetium 
Fig. 27. 
being few and irregularly scattered, while in Dictyoglossum they 
densely cover the whole under surface, except the margin. Fig. 27 
represents a portion of the sterile and a fertile frond of D. crinitum 
(less than half the nat. size). 
1. D. crinitum, J. Smith. (Acrostichum crinitum, Swarts). — A 
singular evergreen stove species, with a very peculiar aspect, a native 
of Jamaica. Fertile fronds simple, erect, oval-elliptical, contracted, 
from twelve to fifteen inches high, with a stipes of six to nine inches, 
densely covered as well as the upper surface of the frond, with long, 
narrow black hair-like scales. Sterile fronds simple, oval-elliptical, 
coriaceous, twelve to fifteen inches long, and eight to ten inches wide, 
dull green, and hairy throughout. Both forms are ter min al, adherent to a 
thick creeping rhizome, which is densely covered with criniform scales. 
M CKOSTICHUM, Linnceus. Named from akros, high, and stiehos, 
XX order; the fructification occupying the upper portion of the 
fertile disk. **■ 28 - 
Sori amorphous, universal on the under surface of the fertile frond. Venation uniform, reticulated, forming 
elongated areoles. — The species belonging to this group are but few in number ; all tropical ; and varying in 
SUl 
