MAXON—MEXICAN AND GUATEMALAN POLYPODIUMS. 273 
Fée, followed directly by ‘‘P. subpetiolatum, Hook. Icon. Pl. pl. 391.2 (ex Th. Moore) 
Sn. Angel, et Sn. Agostin; W. Schaffner, no. 310 (1854) et au Popocatepetl No. 273.” 
From this it appears that Fée merely quoted Moore’s opinion that the plants in 
hand were subpetiolatum, and that Fée holding them to be distinet proceeded to name 
them as a new species. Still, Fée does not list subpetiolatum in his Mexican cata- 
logue,@ and it is possible that he intended to displace the name subpetiolatum by 
schaffneri. The reason for such a change is not apparent, for Hooker’s name is 
clearly tenable. The status of Fée’s name is, it seems, problematical and unsatisfac- 
tory, though it has been cited subsequently under both subpetiolatum and biserratum. 
The immediate bearing of the determination of 2. schaffneri is that the name may 
eventually have to be taken up for at least a part of the following specimens (all 
Mexican), which Iam unable at the present time to place satisfactorily: 
Federal District: Near Santa F¢, Bourgeau, 1865, no. 463bis (N). 
Oaxaca: Cafiada de San Gabriel, altitude, 2,500 m., Conzatti & Gonzalez, no. 
307 (G); Cerro de San Felipe, altitude, 2,800 m., Conzatti & Gonzalez, 
August, 1897, no. 450 (G). 
San Luis Potosi: Near city of San Luis Potosi, W. Schaffner, September, 1879 
(U, as P. schaffneri Fee); Parry & Palmer, ‘no. 973} pro parte’? (EF). 
Notes upon these five sheets may be of interest. No. 463bis (ex herb. Mus, Paris) 
is labeled 2. subpetiolatum with DP. schaffneri written as a synonym. It is well 
matched by no. 307, Both are characterized by their strict appearance, crowded 
pinnee, and close venation, and have the look of plants grown under semixerophytie 
conditions, such as might result from removal of forest. No, 468bis has 26 pairs of 
pinne, the stipe lacking. No. 307 is a single frond; stipe 9.5 cm. long, markedly 
canaliculate; lamina 25 em. long; pinnie about 20 pairs, the lower nearly opposite, 
very short-petiolate, the uppermost becoming alternate, adnate, and somewhat decur- 
rent; pinnee (maximum) 6 cm. long, having about 24 pairs of sori borne nearer to 
the midvein than to the margin, which is rather more finely serrate than is usual in 
P. subpetiolatum; veins 3-4-forked. Schaffner’s plant (U) has the same strict aspect 
and is the same as the two preceding. The pubescence of all three is that of 
subpetiolatum (as here understood), but is more copious, and the pinnze are for the 
most part distinctly petiolate. No. 430 is very similar to 307, but differs slightly in 
the less close venation. No. 973}, comprising two complete fronds, does not differ 
essentially. All five specimens agree in their rigid strict appearance, and oblique 
more or less petiolate pinn, but do not present characters warranting their separa- 
tion specifically from subpetiolatum. It does not seem worth while to recognize the 
form even subspecifically, owing to the doubt surrounding the proper application of 
Schaffner’s name, and because of the variable characters of the plants. Further 
material collected completely and in good quantity would be of much interest in 
serving to indicate the limits of variation in plants of definitely restricted areas. 
Polypodium aequale sp. nov. PiatE LXI. 
Rootstock wanting; frond 4 dm. long; stipe (complete) 15 cm. long, very rigid, 
firmly terete; lamina 25 by 12.5 cm., very minutely glandular (apparently glabrous) 
below, comprising about 16 pairs of exactly opposite pinne of which the lowermost 
are 5.5 by 1.5 cm., cordate at base, sessile; the fourth and fifth pairs about 1 cm. 
longer and adnate upon the upper basal portion; the upper pinnie becoming quite 
adnate but not decurrent; margins obscurely undulate, nearly entire; veins mostly 
free, but occasionally anastomosing to form large acutish areoles which extend 
nearly to the margin; sori about 16 pairs, large, borne on the first anterior veinlets 
slightly nearer to the midvein than to the margin. 
agme Mem, 22. 1857. 
