MAXON STUDIES OF TROPICAL AMERICAN FERNS. 33 



with age) and a few larger lanceolate scales, these concolorous or often dark-centered, 

 usually divergent; lamina glabrous above, below laxly paleaceous-pilose, bipier.ate, 

 35 to 45 cm. long, very narrowly lanceolate, 10 to 13.5 qui. (maximum) broad at the 

 middle, somewhat reduced below, the apical portion foliose throughout, narrow and 

 long-attenuate, terminating in a large chaffy proliferous bud; pinnae about 35 to 40 

 pairs, the lower ones subdistant, the others contiguous, allshort-petiolateand divergent 

 from the stout rachis, this very thickly beset with chaff like that of the upper stipe; 

 characteristic large pinnse 6.5 to 7 cm. long, narrowly lanceolate except for the greatly 

 enlarged erect deeply auriculate superior basal pinnule, thiH 1.5 to 2 cm. long; pinnules 

 about 9 or 10 pairs, rigidly aristate, all but the upper basal one unequally lanceolate- 

 ovate or trapeziform-ovate, simple, oblique, cuneate, mostly petiolate, adnate and con- 

 fluent only toward the serrate-spinescent apex of the pinna; nervation manifest above, 

 nearly concealed below; sori large, numerous, about 10 upon the superior basal pinnule, 

 the other pinnules bearing 4 to 6 each; indusia large, delicate, glabrous, deciduous. 

 Cuba: Near the summit of the Gran Piedra, Oriente, altitude about 1,100 meters, 

 in partial shade, Maxon 4047, 4068. 



The types of both P. heterolepis and P. viviparum were contained 'in Linden's no. 

 1742, from the present province of Oriente, Cuba. The original descriptions bring 

 out different characters; but these are found to be common to the specimens of a large 

 series collected by the writer (as cited above) which undoubtedly represent only a 

 single species. Fee's separation into two "species" of the specimens collected by 

 Linden under no. 1742 thus seems quite unwarranted, as the following data will show: 



Polystichum heterolepis was described as having two kinds of scales upon the stipe 

 and rachis, a character which, though true, is not obvious, owing to the usual abrasion 

 of the larger dark scales; the slender concolorous fulvous scales commonly predominate. 

 Further, no mention was made of the proliferous apex; but this was almost certainly 

 due to imperfect material, for the fronds of the entire series of 4047 and 4008 are nearly 

 without exception proliferous. The larger examples show well the special character 

 mentioned by Fee: "inferiore [frondula] multo majore auriculata, rachim tectante;" 

 by which is meant the superior basal pinnule which is greatly enlarged and lies along 

 the rachis. The larger and mature specimens of the series are, as described above, 

 bipinnate. Immature and smaller specimens quite accord with Fee's description and 

 illustration of P. viviparum. Mettenius's description is excellent, but hardly applies 

 to the most luxuriant development of the species as shown in plate 5, representing a 

 section through the broader middle part of a large frond. The sori are readily abraded, 

 leaving a slight depression in the frond. 



Aspidium caudatum Jenman, referred by Christensen" to the all-inclusive P. vivi- 

 parum (in accordance with Jenman's treatment of the group), is not closely allied. 

 It is the form here called /'. harrmi. 



Explanation of Plate 5.— Middle portion of a specimen from the Gran Piedra, Cuba. Maion 4047. 

 Natural size. 



9. Polystichum ilicifolium Fee, Gen. Fil. 279. 1850-1852; 6me Mem. 21. pi. (L 

 f. 4. 1853, not Aspidium ilicifolium Don, 1825, which is Polystichum ilicifolium 

 Moore, 1858. 

 Polystichum aquifolium Underw. & Maxon, Bull. Torr. Club 29: 584. 1902. 

 The type of Polystichum ilicifolium Fee was from the province of Oriente (Santiago), 

 Cuba (Linden 2193). Agreeing closely with this, as subsequently figured, are the 

 following specimens, all from the same region: 



Cuba: Vicinity of El Cobre, Oriente, Pollard & Palmer 420. Mountains, Upper 

 Guama River, south slope of the Sierra Maestra, altitude 540 meters, N. 

 Taylor 226. Valley of the Rio Bayamita, south slope of the Sierra Maestra, 

 altitude 900 to 1,050 meters, Maxon 3921. Without locality, Wright 829. 



a Ind. Fil. 68. 1905. 



